James Moore is a former federal cabinet minister under prime minister Stephen Harper, and is a contributing columnist for CTVNews.ca.
Canada Day is my favourite holiday of the year. I’m serious. Ask my wife. We’ve debated Christmas versus Canada Day many times and I’m holding firm. It isn’t because I was minister of Canadian Heritage at one point and it seems obligatory or because I’m a sappy nationalist. It is because I genuinely love Canada and I love that we have a day where everyone (almost everyone) – and in particular, political actors and commentators – take a break from complaining and park their gripes and appreciate what a brilliant privilege it is to be Canadians.
Yes, we need to be sober, empathetic, responsible and honest about our problems and flaws. Yes, we need to have the debates and make the choices and politically have our collisions of ideas. There is more than enough for us to chew on and grind through. But, for this day, for this one special annual day, enjoy the bliss of putting down your partisan swords, turning off your social media griping, and just be proud Canadians.
On this Canada Day, 2026, herein are four reasons that I am proud to be Canadian at this moment, on this day:
1) Political leadership
I am thankful for Canada’s current national political leadership and our two main choices for prime minister of Canada. I have known Prime Minister Mark Carney for about 20 years and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for 30 years, and I can say without hesitation that they are both incredibly smart, hard-working, decent, public policy obsessives, students of Canadian history and, most importantly, deeply decent men of character.
Yes, this is a long list of compliments, and they are all true. There will be debates and accusations and politics and wedging against one another, and that is all to be expected. ‘As iron sharpens iron,’ so too will these two leaders challenge and make each other better leaders over time, and, in the end, voters will benefit from the competition and have a chance to choose.
I am thankful that these were our two choices in the last election and look to be our choices in the next campaign. This luxury of choices is one that has eluded Canada too often in the past, much of the world today, and may elude is again in the future. But, for now, I believe Canada is served incredibly well by having this distinguished competition of highly competent and decent leaders to choose from.
2) The power of sports
I am thankful for the incredible power of Canadian sports to bring us together and make us proud of country and our cities. Whether it is was last year’s Blue Jays, the Montreal Canadians’ playoff run, the Olympic push for gold, the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, the Canadian men’s soccer team at the World Cup, or the individual brilliance and athleticism of Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Marie-Philip Poulin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies, Victoria Mboko, Felix Auger-Aliassime – the power of sport to distract us from daily life and inspire us to cheer and have shared moments of pride in Canadians doing great things will never grow old or lose its magic.
3) Canadian health care
I am thankful for our health-care system. Yes, perhaps I’m being cliché, but we can assert this tenet of Canadiana when it happens to be true from the experiences I have had.
Yes, there are questions about sustainability, and stresses around access issues, wait times, shortages in rural Canada and more. Of course, all these faults are true and are to be addressed as best we can. But the greatness of the ethic of common provision of our healthcare system and fighting to ensure that no one is left behind or financial ruined due to a health challenge, tragedy or twist of fate is a moral good and Canadian value that I am proud of.
And I am so thankful to B.C. Children’s Hospital and the doctors, nurses, staff, volunteers, administrators, donors, students, researchers and the whole network of support that they have meant to my family and others over the years. They are saints and angels who practise miracles of medical science daily in ways that make me so deeply thankful to live where I do.
4) FIFA World Cup
I am thankful for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and what it has meant to Canada. I admit to being a skeptic over the event and its costs versus rewards, but it has been an incredible success story. First, on the field, the tournament will jolt Canadian soccer to new heights for a generation. Canada didn’t qualify for the World Cup for 36 years and is now an elite team in the world and an undeniable success story.
But second, I am so incredibly proud of my beautiful home city of Vancouver and how well run the games and events throughout the city have gone. Expo 86 put Vancouver on the map, the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games made Vancouver a premier global city, and FIFA 2026 has given the city a shot of pride and enthusiasm at just the right time.
It is always easy to say ‘no’ to hosting big events that come with complex challenges and burdens. There is always a reason not to do something. But great countries, provinces, cities and communities find a way to make it work. They do their due diligence, they plan, they organize, the take some risk, they fix the problems and tackle the challenges and keep moving forward towards success. That is what builders do; it is what winners do: you push past the skeptics and naysayers and force the actions to get things done. I am so proud of my country when we have these big moments and win in the eyes of the world.
I hope this Canada Day you take a moment to reflect on your own list of things to be thankful for. I love this country and every year my fondness grows. I value deeply my favourite holiday to reflect on what a privilege it is to call this place my home and I hope you take a moment to do the same. Happy Canada Day.
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