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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. It's Thursday. It's your turn. The question this week is your identity. How do you define yourself? By your city, your province, your country?
Chapter 2: How do we define our identity in this episode?
What would it be? That's our question for this week on your turn. And it's the random renter as well. Because it's Thursday. Coming right up. And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You know, when we thought of the question for this week, I wasn't quite sure how this might turn out, what kind of answers we'd get. The question is basically, how do you define your identity?
Do you define it by city, province, country, background, culture? What could it be? So I wondered... What kind of answers will we get, and will we get a lot of answers? Well, we got a lot of answers. And they're really interesting. I want you to listen closely to it.
In fact, you know, my friend Mark Bulguch, who helps me out on these things, suggested, and I think he's right, that we should consider this also as a repeat on Canada Day. Because it really tells you something. There are answers from all across the country. You know, from the north, from the east, west. I was going to say the south. Well, south, if you're in the north, it's the south.
It's not the south meaning that other south. Anyway, lots of them. So I think while we'll do this today, we'll put it on the repeat button for January, for January, for July 1st, for Canada Day, which isn't that far away now. So why don't we get started? As I said, we have a lot of letters, and sadly, a lot of them came in after the deadline, 3 p.m. Eastern yesterday, and
We might hold on to those for some future program. But the rules are the rules, as they say. Okay, let's get started. A lot of new writers. I think Byron Hone in Calgary may well be a first-time writer. He's written a beautiful letter to start this off. Capture the images in this. Born in Calgary's General Hospital, now a beautiful green space in our multicultural neighborhood.
Raised in northern Ontario, I swam in warm lakes, tapped a maple tree, and tasted its freshly evaporated syrup. These days, I trek with my son to alpine lakes and streams as aspiring anglers. I've peaked summits in the Rockies. My favorite place is Yuclulet, B.C. Love Yuclulet, just down the road from Tofino. Two very different little communities, very close to each other.
Whatever I am, I'm a grateful human for being born in Canada forever.
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Chapter 3: What interesting answers did listeners provide about their identities?
Thanks, Byron. Brian Sarti in Guelph, Ontario. My grandpa was a young Danish immigrant to Canada in 1901. At 18 years old, he signed up to the Canadian Expeditionary Force and went back overseas to serve at Ypres, the Somme, and at Vimy, where he was severely wounded. Man, those three battles were just brutal. In my 68 years, I've always thought of myself as Canadian.
Last September, I finally traveled to Vimy. I have never felt so proud and lucky to be Canadian. I know how you feel, Brian. I've been to Vimy a few times. And coming back from there, I don't think I've ever felt so Canadian. Nicholas Hamilton in Prince George, B.C., I am a Canadian first.
To me, Canada means keeping strong relationships among the founding groups, English, French, First Nations, immigrants. As a person from BC, I consider us the only West, and even Alberta is part of Eastern Canada. I remember Trudeau and Harper's debate about old stock Canadians. Like most Canadian families, we are a mixture of old stock and new stock in every generation.
Dave Ennis in Fort Langley, B.C. John Lennon's lyrics, where he dreams of a world without borders, is where I sometimes think I would like to be. A world citizen. Then I see extremism around the globe and know that I'm fortunate to be Canadian. So until further notice, I'm Canadian first. Gary Gould in Brantford, Ontario.
When announcing to others how I identify, how I identify depends upon who and where I am at the time. For example, if I am in, say, Newfoundland, I say I'm from Ontario. I usually get a favorable response. If I'm in Alberta and I say I'm from Ontario, I usually get a sneer. When I'm in Europe, I say Canadian, to friendly smiles. When I'm in the U.S., I say I'm from Rhode Island.
Kristen Gitte in Telco, B.C. I am Canadian. My family carries histories of movement, immigration from World War II with deep gratitude for Canada, and a Quebecois family moving from language, place, and belonging. I grew up in southern Ontario, but living in Guatemala made my Canadian-ness visible and precious to me.
Living in northern BC has deepened my understanding that I belong to Canada while also being a visitor on indigenous lands. That tension feels very Canadian to me. Marco Alexandre in Montreal. I've always identified first and foremost as Portuguese and rarely look beyond that. In Canada, most people readily see me that way. Curiously, my friends and family back in Portugal insist I am Canadian.
Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I am what I am. Lise Morton in Southampton, Ontario. If traveling abroad, I always proudly identify myself as Canadian, sometimes further adding French-Canadian. Within Canada, I will say that I was raised in northern Ontario and currently live in southwestern Ontario. And I might further explain that I am Franco-Ontarian.
But as I wrote this, it struck me that I would never first answer, I'm an Ontarian. It'll be interesting to hear whether others in Ontario say that. Jason McGraw in Fredericton. How I think of myself first is Canadian, second is Acadian, and last is New Brunswicker. Why Canadian first? I'd be more lost if Canada wouldn't exist than if Acadia was no longer a concept.
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Chapter 4: How do geographical backgrounds influence self-identity?
I was born, raised, and live in Ontario. I graduated university and got married in Quebec. I worked temporarily in Newfoundland. I'm Canadian. My wife arrived in Canada as a refugee from Czechoslovakia in 1968 when the Russians invaded. She will answer the question more emphatically. I am Canadian. Brett Christensen, Gananoque, Ontario. Gateway to the Thousand Islands. I identify as Canadian.
No one region defines my identity. I was born in Alberta, moved to BC in my teens. I joined the Navy and served in Nova Scotia, BC, and Ontario. I don't have any particularly strong ethnic background other than my mom's biological parents, both of whom had some Aboriginal roots. The rest is a very mixed bag of European heritage. I am Canadian. Isaac Rashid in Hamilton.
The first time I set foot on this country's soil was in April of 1968. I was five years old. I remember the customs officer smiling at my brother and me and saying to my father he was a lucky guy to have two sons. From that moment forward, I unequivocally identified and identify as Canadian. Liz Scanlon in Toronto.
As I was listening to this week's question, an unexpected answer jumped to my mind. A mum. Unexpected because my kids are getting older and being a mum is less a day-to-day role than it used to be. But they've shaped who I am more than anything else about me. I'm from Toronto.
But when I'm traveling internationally, I say Canadian because I'm peeved by Americans assuming everyone knows their city or state. Ken Malagus, or Malagus in Regina. Within my own city, I say I am from the neighborhood of Lakeview. Within my country of Canada, when someone asks where I'm from, I say Regina. When someone across the country slags my province, I say I'm from Saskatchewan.
Travelling outside the country, I am from Canada. Canadian. Lately, because of the orange menace and his administration officials, I am feeling strongly Canadian, even in my neighbourhood of Lakeview. I am Canadian. Robert Ong in Toronto. Simply put, I identify as a Canadian of Filipino, Chinese and Spanish ancestry from Toronto. Terry Jago in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
First and most important of all, I am Canadian. Though I have distinct heritage going back to my great-grandparents, I rarely claim that identity unless asked. I designate myself as a prairie girl rather than from Saskatchewan. And sometimes with embarrassment because I have a male spelling of a unisex name, it is important I identify myself as female.
Canadian, female, Scandinavian, prairie girl, baby boomer, mom, and grandma. Regway Flynn in Goose Bay, Labrador. I grew up in a small village in southeast Labrador, Williams Harbor, which was resettled in 2017. In a broader context, I always identify as Labradorian first, Canadian second, and from the province of Newfoundland, third.
However, being from Williams Harbor is what I identify with most. It is and always will be my home. It is the place I cherish above all others. I'm from Williams Harbor. Lisanne Donnelly in Charlottetown. I am Canadian, born in Quebec, raised in Ontario. Never been prouder to say just that. Angela Dodd in Parkville, BC. That's on the island, right? Vancouver Island.
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Chapter 5: What role does Canadian pride play in listener identities?
Leo Bourdon in Ottawa. When I talk about my identity, I mention that I'm French-Canadian. It's an old term, but it honors my Francophone roots and indicates that I'm Canadian. Julie Smith-Allen in Lethbridge, Alberta. I've lived in three different provinces and several different communities, all within Canada, always Canada.
I think of my dad, tears glistening in his eyes as he spoke of the country he came to from Scotland as a young boy and the country he risked it all for in World War II. He was a proud Canadian. I am a proud Canadian. Debbie Adams, writing from Halifax, originally from Upper Island Cove, Newfoundland, Labrador.
I'm a proud Newfoundlander, make no mistake about it, but I consider myself a Canadian first. It may be because I joined the army when I was 17, one of the first cohorts of women mechanics. I lived in many regions and have a habit of calling home the place where I hang my hat. Ian Hebblethwaite in Moncton. I was born in Stranraer and live in Scotland.
I was born in Stranraer and lived in Scotland until I was 11. I'm Scottish and proud to be. But the way I think you show your stripes is who do you cheer for in sports? I do have sports where I cheer Canada first, and somewhere it is still Scotland. So the truth is, I'm Scottish-Canadian. Michael Artendale in Sudbury, Ontario. I'm from Northern Ontario. I'm born and raised here.
I did move away for school and to join the Royal Canadian Navy, but now I'm back and never plan to leave. I refer to myself as a Northerner. I have more in common with other people in Northern Ontario than of people in the greater Toronto area, Ottawa or even Windsor. Michael Pash in Victoria. I am first and foremost a Canadian. B.C.
is beautiful, Victoria is lovely, but that just happens to be where I live. In a country this vast, there are bound to be regional and cultural differences. These deserve respect and understanding, not rancor and division. We are better than that. Embrace this amazing land. Be proud and grateful to be here. Trevor Barry in Saanich, B.C., Lately, I've never felt more Canadian.
The elbows-up era brought my patriotism up to the 2010 golden goal level, and now Albertan seppies following the Davos rupture has amplified these feelings further. Despite this, I still identify more strongly as a British Columbian, and in particular, a sixth-generation coastal British Columbian. We're getting ready for our break and listening to the random renter, but there's lots more letters.
Let me squeeze another one in before the break. Phyllis Allain in Moncton. When we travel and are asked where we're from, it goes like this. I start with Canada, then British Columbia. Excuse me. Let me try that again. I start with Canada, then New Brunswick, then Moncton. If they are still interested, I say, originally I am from a small place up north called New Mills near Dalhousie.
Surprisingly, once I say Canada, folks are pretty friendly, and some have even said they're glad because Canadians are friendly. It feels pretty good. It does feel pretty good, and it feels pretty good listening to these letters, and there's lots more to come. So let's take our break, and then we'll come back with a random rant here. He's got a message today, let me tell you.
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Chapter 6: How do cultural influences shape individual identities in Canada?
You'd think after his embarrassment in Iran that he might learn. But like I said, we're talking about Trump. He doesn't learn. He doubles down until he's bankrupt. So look out, Cuba. It's your turn next. And after that, well, I got to think it's Greenland and then maybe even us. I put nothing past him and I have no faith in the forces of America defying him or even restraining him.
I don't know how it all ends. Maybe he decides to bring it all full circle and test his original 2016 theory by shooting someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue. With Trump, your guess is as good as anyone's. Look what he did the last time he lost. January 6th was a full-on attempted coup, but instead of facing jail, four years later, he's the president again, and back with literal vengeance.
I mean, he's purged the civil service, suppressed the press, and subverted all the checks and balances to his power. In his first term, you could sort of rely on the justice system and the military to act as a sober voice of reason. But can you count on them today with the same sort of confidence?
I mean, how many war crimes has the US military committed for Trump by double-tapping drug boats in the Pacific or blowing up girls' schools in Iran? How many revenge prosecutions has the Justice Department filed? How many FBI investigations? And how many IRS tax audits? I mean, what branch of the government hasn't Trump weaponized, infiltrated, or enfeebled?
That's why I think the importance of the midterms cannot be understated. And I mean that in every way. Because whether Trump wins or loses or somehow games the system to make them magically disappear, the midterms are going to be a major event for American democracy. Or perhaps the end of it.
The Random Ranter for this first rant of June, 2026. It's a memorable one. You might want to isolate that one. Play it every once in a while. It's not bad. Ah, dear. Okay, let's move to things more interesting. Well, not necessarily more interesting, but more fun. The question of the week is how you define yourself.
Whether it's, you know, by your city, by your province, by your country, by something as part of your background. That was the question. And we've had such an incredible range of answers. And as I said, by a lot of first-time writers, this one I think is a first-time writer too. He's from New Brunswick. Michael Demings. I stand on two shores. Canada's vast prairies and mountains.
and the Fogged Hugged Maritimes. Listen close. You'll hear the Bay of Shulur in my voice. I'm a herring choker. Low tide, lobster traps, porch waves, unlocked doors. I'll call you buddy, fast. You can leave the Maritimes, but not the salt water in my blood. All right. Thank you, Michael. Kathleen Wiebe in Canmore, Alberta.
The thing with the Wiebe name, I've heard it pronounced both ways during my lifetime. Wiebe and Wiebe. My guess is Kathleen is Kathleen Wiebe. Canmore, Alberta. I'm a Canadian, born in Ontario, fascinated by Quebec, headed west on the train, thanks to my Manitoba-born mom's origin stories. Enjoyed sunrises over Saskatchewan. Landed in Banff. Lived in Victoria. Now back in Alberta's Bow Valley.
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Chapter 7: What unique perspectives do listeners share about being Canadian?
The one constant is that no matter where I am in the world, Cape Breton will always be home. Ian Smythe in Winnipeg. I will always be a Winnipegger first. There is something about this place of extremes, from its history of boom and decline to its harsh winters and glorious summers, and its relative geographic isolation that creates a deep sense of place.
I've lived in a few different places, including in the U.S., where my Canadian-ness came to the fore, but when someone asks, where are you from? The answer for me is always Winnipeg. Constance Menzies in narrow Manitoba. An Eastern European kept asking me where I was from. Despite repeating that I am Canadian, they wouldn't accept this. They had to place me.
My ties to other countries is so very thin that being Canadian is all I know. What version? Montreal-born, post-Expo 67, mixed in with 70s-era CBC, the only media exposed to up north. My reply finally was a hyphenated Canadian, as that's what they wanted to hear. Don Dufour in Ottawa. For sure, my first crack at my identity is proud Canadian.
City isn't an automatic identifier for me because I've split my life almost 50-50 between Toronto, born, raised, early career, and Ottawa, marriage, children, retirement. I love this country and I've been fortunate to have visited many of its beautiful corners and never travel abroad without sporting my Canada flag pin on my lapel. Jason Craig in Conqueror Mills, Nova Scotia, near Lunenburg.
As someone lucky enough in my younger years to drive coast to coast several times, and even having hitchhiked the trip once in six days, I'll humbly suggest that I am a Canadian first and a Nova Scotian second. My experiences strongly compel me to want to pay it forward to our children. Now that they're getting older, we're aspiring to a cross-country trip as a family. Everyone should do it once.
Good for you. John Minchell in Comox Valley, B.C. These days, I identify myself first regionally in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, as that's where I now live. Formerly, I would have first identified myself by my city of Vancouver, B.C., Vancouver, B.C., as I am a fifth-generation Vancouverite. On my father's side of the family, I have roots going back to the founding of Vancouver in 1886.
Since coming to the Comox Valley, I'm still figuring out where I fit. Kelly McGuire in Ottawa. I won the birthplace lottery when I was born in Canada. I'm free to love whomever I choose. Sickness has never bankrupted my family. Canada is accepting of all. I love my country. My name is Kelly, and I am Canadian. Yeah, we all remember that ad. Jane Goundry in White Rock, B.C. I am a Canadian.
I have lived in many parts of Canada and I have lived in many parts of the world. To me, living in any part of Canada is better than living anywhere else.
I think if folks from any part of Canada who think separation is the answer to their troubles just travel to other parts of the world and even better live there for a while, they would come home with a different attitude to Canada and to being Canadian. Samuel Pruneau in Quebec City. I'm a Francophone who teaches English as a second language in a Quebec college.
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Chapter 8: How do personal experiences impact one's sense of belonging?
I identify as a Dutch-Canadian, despite not having been born in the Netherlands. My parents and grandparents were immigrants, and I was raised somewhat culturally Dutch. Went to a Dutch church and ate a lot of Dutch food. The cultural mosaic is a bit passƩ these days, but I think it's one of Canada's greatest strengths. However, I'm sure my kids would identify as straight-up Canadian.
Todd Burns in Montreal, living in the province of Quebec. Sadly, I refer to myself as an Anglophone more than I'd like to. But otherwise, I'm Canadian, Irish-Canadian, or a Montrealer, or a Habs fan. They gave it a good run. But the Montreal Victoire, now they gave it a run. Good for them. Congratulations to the Victoire. I am of Irish descent and a proud Canadian.
Kind of sad I never ever refer to myself as a Quebecois. Rhonda Mulligan in Sturgeon County, Alberta, just north of Edmonton. I am a proud Canadian. The recent separatist talk has made me even more resolute about that. I love Alberta deeply, but Canada comes first always.
The words, he shall have dominion from sea to sea, that's from Psalm 72, 8, which inspired our national motto, remind me that we are part of something larger than ourselves. Don Ferguson in Victoria, my family immigrated from Scotland in 1846. I periodically proudly attend local Scottish Highland games.
I have lived in all the Western provinces, but my loyalties and allegiances are only to Canada. Doug Moore in Nanouse Bay, B.C., on the east side of Vancouver Island. When I'm in Canada, having been born and raised for the first 20 years of my life in Charlottetown, B.E.I., I have always self-identified as a Prince Edward Islander.
My memories of life on the island are those of a happy family life and carefree living, no crime, no homelessness, friendly neighborhoods where everyone knew each other and, of course, surrounded by an environmental heaven of red soil and white sand beaches. Outside Canada, I simply identify as Canadian. Teresa Oban Singh in Saskatoon. If I am in Canada, I will say I am Canadian.
If I'm outside of Canada, excluding the USA, I will say I am Canadian. If I am in the USA, I will say I am a Saskatchewanian. I use this to test their intellect and, yes, judge them. I'm never surprised when their eyes glaze over. Wayne L. in Calgary. Canadian first? Why? The history of Canada made me. The sacrifices of Canadians before me built a place full of opportunity for an amazing life.
First Nations taught my ancestors how to survive and live on their land. Land that is blessed with resources. My freedom comes from those who fought at Normandy and Vimy, an army from all provinces, languages and cultures. I was formed by the history that is Canada. Christine Franzen in Dundas, Ontario. When traveling, I identify as a proud Canadian first.
I dig deeper if the conversation goes further. At home, I have a Canada flag pin on my coat and a Canada flag on the front porch. Carol Collinson in Toronto. I identify as Canadian first. I was born here and have lived in Canada all my life. As a seventh-generation Canadian, my pride began with my family. especially one aunt.
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