[Northern Light]

I have to say I'm not buying it.

I would actually take issue w/the notion that Canada has grown to be more like the United States.

I would suggest we've become LESS like the United States in the last 4 decades in particular.

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If one examined religiosity in society; Canada used to be far more religious.

Today, Canada is not only relatively secular across the nation; but in fact much more so than the United States.

This owes in part to the lesser presence and influence of evangelical Christians in Canada who are less than 10% where the U.S. number is 35%

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Lets consider the constitution; sure we went 'codified' as is normative throughout much of the world these days........

But we didn't merely exclude a right to bear arms; we excluded property rights.

We chose to include equalization payments to the provinces; something with which there is no U.S. parallel.

We have also seen a vastly different Canadian Supreme Court than its U.S. counterpart, not merely in demeanour, selection process or broad societal endorsement..........but in the means of interpreting the constitution itself as a 'living tree'; rather than the U.S. emphasis on 'founding fathers'.

Our court has made decisions you have not seen nor are likely to see in the U.S. not merely on gay rights, but on assisted dying, marijuana, prostitution, and the rights of first nations.

When one examines views towards immigrants; its not merely than Canadians are more tolerant or welcoming; but how much 'race' is not an issue to the degree it is in the U.S., at least in most parts of Canada.

I would again suggest this has marked a clear shift from the Canada of the past; but also from the present U.S. with the trend lines in opposite directions.

Canada is certainly not the polar opposite of the United States; but nor is it all that similar.

So many aspects of cultural difference seem to pass unnoticed in day to day life; but would strike you clearly from afar.

At the same time, I don't think of Britain as a singular 'mother country' either.

I think Canada is one of handful of nations with diverse parentage and diverse influences.

Canada feels very much like a project of Britain and France with increasing First Nations recognition and influence; but its also influenced both by the United States but also by its very diversity.

I've had the great pleasure to travel outside of Canada and North America a fair bit.

I have to tell you there are so few places that have great Italian Food, great Thai Food, great Syrian Food, great Punjabi food etc etc. all in one place.

Yes, that's more reflective of Toronto and Vancouver than the country as a whole; but those are the 2 biggest centres in English Canada and that same influence can be seen, albeit in lesser amounts in smaller centres throughout the country.

I would argue the U.S. is not our mother country, Britain was only the more influential co-parent and the country has evolved into new directions no longer linked to those parents or to the U.S. to the south.