More than ever when we celebrated Canada Day this year we needed to remind ourselves what we stand for The first thing that came to my mind when preparing this commentary was a single incident.

In June, Mount Everest challenger Andrew Brash from Calgary stopped short of the summit to save the life of an Australian climber who was near death. He and his team
cared more for a fellow human being than reaching the top.

I was once asked to write an essay on the Canadian identity and defined us as a caring people. Cynics laughed and skeptics pointed to the plight of the poor, disconcern for the environment and our sense of being inferior to Americans

So we’re not perfect and maybe never will be, but most of us do care still. Let’s set our goals higher and higher. Many young Canadians are challenging us to do just that — to care and to admit it.

Our hope for the future lies with our youth and it is up to us older people to convince them that the things they’re concerned about really count.

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