I’m an unashamed Canadian nationalist. I have travelled a fair bit over the years, and I know the respect the world has for our nation. I saw it when I lived in England. I also saw it again in France where I have visited many times. We have earned that respect in war and peace.

A quick story now that I have told before. I was in France with a group of military people. Some were active, some were retired. Some were regular Army. This was more than 20 years ago. I was a journalist covering what was a Canadian government-sponsored tour that included visits to the World War 1 battlefields of France and Belgium. One of the stops was the magnificent Canadian monument at Vimy Ridge. It has been written often that Vimy is the place where Canada became a nation. Troops from various parts of Canada fought together for the first time. Vimy was of the First World War and although Newfoundland was not a province, we were very much a part of the British Empire, and our own bloody history was played out on the fields of France at Beaumont Hamel and other places like it.

Near Vimy five or six of our group were walking down a dirt road near the battlefield when we came across a group with a table of shell casings from the 1914-1918 war. The fields of France are still giving up these artifacts that were spread out by the side of the road on two tables. Our group, almost all in military uniform, inquired, “Combien, how much?” Thinking they were items for sale.

“Nothing” came the reply from one of the older gentlemen at the table. “You are Canadian!” That is a true story. It is one of the reasons I always hear a Canadian badge or pin when I travel. I want to let people know where I am from and where I not from. When I worked at a bookstore in London, England many years ago I wore a Canada pin so people would stop asking me if I was American.

Two events of recent days have pumped up my nationalist spirit. One I have already spoken about which was our hockey victory over the Americans in the final game of the four Nations Cup. I wanted it to be just about hockey, but you know it wasn’t. It was larger than that. I have come to understand it was far more than a hockey game.

The other event that raised my pulse rate was the expression “Elbows Up”. You will remember that during his farewell speech to the country outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “We’re a country that will be diplomatic when we can but fight when we must. Elbows up!” It wasn’t an original thought about elbows, but they were words that spoke to the nation. We understood the words in their hockey context. They indicated rough, passionate, on the edge of legal, play. Elbows in hockey are something often associated with the great Gordie Howe. He was a great scorer but was also a tough customer. Justin Trudeau was indicating in his words that in our deepening battle with the unpredictable and unstable Musk/Trump regime currently running the United States, it is time for Canada to go “Elbows Up!”

You can contact Jim Furlong at [email protected]