Canadians rally July 1 to mark 158th birthday

TRENTON, Canada

Canadians on Tuesday celebrated the country’s 158th birthday with nationwide festivities, but the occasion was marked by a mix of pride and unease, as tensions with the US and domestic challenges cast a shadow over the day.​​​​​​​

Still, from coast to coast to coast -- Canada is the only country that borders three oceans -- the Maple Leaf flag is flying proudly. There are picnics and after dark, fireworks in villages and cities to mark the Confederation.

“One hundred and fifty-eight yTears ago, a few provinces bet on the idea that they’d be stronger together than they ever could be apart,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said on his website. “They were right, and so they became a new federation that’s now grown into our strong, bilingual, multicultural, and ambitious country.”

Multicultural for sure, Celebrants are drawn from many ethnicities, including a “vibrant Turkish diaspora community of over 65,000,” according to the government of Canada.

But US President Donald Trump's actions since the resignation of Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in January and the subsequent election of Carney to fill the role, have angered Canadians.

Trump instituted a trade war by slapping Canada, among other countries, with punishing tariffs on many goods. Before that, he said he would like to annex Canada as the US’ 51st state.

Canadians were bewildered, then reacted angrily, canceling trips to the US, shunning American imports, including food, and buying only Canadian or from other countries when they could.

“Canadian Pride on the Rise: Nearly Half of Canadians Say They Are More Likely to Feel Proud About Their National Identity,” is the title of an Ipsos opinion poll released Tuesday.

Canadian comedian Mike Myers spawned a movement when he introduced “Elbows Up” recently on Saturday Night Live. It refers to hockey players who put their elbows up in the face of opposition players.

Carney said Canadians face a new and complex era, but they are rallying.

“The world is changing,” said the prime minister. “Old friendships are fraying, our economy is being buffeted by a trade crisis, and our values are being tested by attacks on democracy and freedoms. In a more divided and dangerous world, Canadians are uniting.”

There are other problems for Canadians to deal with, including reconciliation with families and survivors of Indigenous children thrust into Indian residential schools across Canada in the country’s early days.

But Tuesday, Canadians pushed the problems to a back burner as they celebrated Canada Day.