On January 16th I listened to the CBC Radio Phone-In Show and the guest was Mel Hurtig, who has published a new book called, A Vanishing Country: Is it too late to save Canada? I thought Mr. Hurtig did an excellent job of answering the callers' questions and I was impressed by his incredibly detailed knowledge of the workings of our country. That night he gave a public lecture in Regina, then on Thursday night, one in Saskatoon, that I attended.

Sitting in the second row of the downtown library auditorium I listened carefully to every word of Mr. Hurtig's articulate speech. It was clear he has done many hours, days, and years of research on almost everything Canadian. He has carefully and diligently gathered his material together and placed it in his new book where Canadians can now read (and weep!) about the devastation that has gone on and continues to go on in our country. Yes, right under our Canadian noses, with our heads comfortably buried in the sand, has our country been sold off and changed in ways that have severely eroded our national sovereignty, our independence, and our quality of life.

In Mr. Hurtig's words, "This book is about the tragic sellout of Canada. It's about a selfish, grasping, and greedy plutocracy abandoning the work of generations of Canadians, and the dreams of the vast majority of the people who live in this country, for American standards and values and priorities.

"It's a book about avaricious and arrogant CEOs, cowardly public servants, and myopic academics who couldn't care less about national integrity, Canadian sovereignty and independence, or preserving the quality of life that has made Canada such a good country in the past." The book, in essence, is about whether or not we care about the survival of Canada and whether it is too late to save it.

I had no idea our country was in such dire straits until I read Hurtig's book. Some people apparently think it is too late to save Canada, but Hurtig doesn't think so and neither do I. I deeply care about preserving our country because we have a wonderful quality of life, and a population who believes in peace and harmony and in helping and supporting each other. Canadians are known nationally and internationally as peace-keepers and peace-lovers and we are respected throughout the world for these qualities. Why would we want to change this? For years Canadians have worked hard and bravely to create this fine nation of caring souls. I believe we need to preserve our precious quality of life, including our environment, and look carefully at how that quality is fading and how we can keep the essence of Canada alive, healthy, and well.

Although there are some Canadians who want us to believe that the majority of our population wants to join the US, Hurtig's quoted statistics prove this isn't so — polls consistently show that the majority of Canadians want to keep our country, our independence, and our sovereignty.

I have travelled and lived outside Canada and I have experienced first-hand that Canadians are respected by people of all nations. I feel blessed to be a Canadian. We have a wonderful country and I'd like to keep it that way. Right now, in the midst of all the world chaos, I believe we, in Canada, have a great opportunity to shine our true Canadian lights even brighter. We are a nation of individuals that believe in harmony, non-violent and peaceful solutions to problems, supporting those in need, living together with respect, and caring for our neighbours, for the earth and all the animals upon it. Let us preserve the integrity and sovereignty of our country so it can continue to be a strong and guiding light in the world; so we, its citizens, can support and nurture each other and the other nations of the world in a peaceful, equal, and loving way. What could be more precious?

Last October a peace conference was held in Saskatoon and one of the attendees, Chris Gilboy of Regina, has reflected upon the event in, Making Peace in Our Families, Our Communities, and Our World (p. 16). A self-professed newcomer to such events, Chris writes candidly about his experiences and concludes with his hope that, "The peace-seekers and the peace-makers in Canada will find a national voice for which a need was seen by many." Hear! Hear!

Happy Spring! Happy Equinox! May peace prevail on Earth!

Namaste!

(I honour the Divine in you!)