Canadian Nationalism and the WJC

It's that time of year again! For many Canadians, the high point of the holidays is not Christmas, but what comes after Christmas - the World Junior Tournament. I'm taking a leap of faith here and assuming that you all are well aware of what this tournament is. This year, the WJC tournament is held in Buffalo, NY. Last year it was held in Ottawa, and in 2012 it will be held in Calgary/Edmonton. The IIHF is well aware that Canada holds this tournament dear to our hearts and knows that we are willing to travel anywhere to create the sea of red and white in the stands. It does not really matter where the tournament is held - in North America or Europe, Canadians will always make the journey across the pond or just across the US border.

The topic of whether or not Canadians have national pride or a national identity had been debated in almost every class I've taken in university (even in my Holocaust class.) Unlike most countries, Canada does not have one language, one ethnicity, or a majority religion. Canada is a "mosaic" as is has been called, which contains a multitude of races and ethnicities, religions and languages. Multiculturalism is a great thing for a country to possess, but it often seems that multiculturalism has replaced any possibility for a national identity to arise and unite us all.

I am currently partaking in an internship with an OHL team in a market that is 75% East Indian. The attendance at home games is less than desirable, but there are always a mixture of ethnicities in attendance. In the new year, we will be holding "Punjabi Day" where we hope to reach out to a greater proportion of the surrounding community and show them just how great hockey is!

Stereotypical or not, I believe that hockey is one of those (very few and far between) things that does unite all of Canada's diverse populations. Yes, hockey is an expensive sport to play and it is unfortunate that not every child has an equal opportunity to play. However, with the excitement that surrounds this tournament every year, and the enormous response to the Olympic (men's hockey) games this past February, I feel it is safe to say that hockey is in fact a definite part of Canada's national identity. TSN reported a statistic that 8/10 Canadians watched at least some part of the Gold Medal game, that is HUGE! Especially for a country that is so heavily infiltrated with immigrant populations, that statistic provides evidence that immigrants are participating in "Canadian culture", thus making hockey a part of our national identity. Since hockey seems to be a prominent aspect of national identity, I think it would make a lot of sense for the government to begin subsidizing the cost for minors to play hockey. Kids should have an equal opportunity to participate in sports, especially in the sport that has become so important to our nation's history.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your break, and don't forget to wear your red and white and cheer for Canada on Friday vs. Sweden!!