[00:00.00]Canada’s becoming a nation
[00:02.06]was not an easy road.
[00:04.25]Canada’s remaining a nation
[00:06.44]has perhaps been
[00:07.96]an even harder road.
[00:09.61]There were many challenges
[00:11.14]facing it over the first
[00:12.89]one hundred or more years.
[00:14.75]The most serious challenge has been,
[00:17.82]and still is, staying
[00:19.45]together as a country.
[00:21.31]Relations between French speaking
[00:24.49]and English speaking Canada
[00:25.91]have been difficult to improve.
[00:28.75]This persistent theme in
[00:31.05]Canadian history began with
[00:32.80]the defeat of New France
[00:34.33]by Britain during the Seven Years
[00:36.52]War from 1756 to 1763
[00:38.82](or the FrenchIndian War,
[00:43.31]as it was known in North America).
[00:45.38]In the last twenty years, referenda
[00:49.65] held in Quebec for possible separation
[00:51.73]from Canada, were narrowly defeated.
[00:54.24]This challenge still lies ahead.
[00:57.52]So far, the country has
[01:00.48]remained strong, and has
[01:02.67]traditionally played a significant role
[01:04.96]in international affairs.
[01:07.81]Canada has much promise
[01:09.67]for the 21st century.
[01:11.97]It will need to find
[01:14.26]creative diplomatic strategies
[01:15.80]to keep the internal rumblings
[01:17.98]beneath the surface from exploding
[01:20.28]into selfdestruction.
[01:23.12]It will need to find a way
[01:24.99]to fulfill the dreams of
[01:26.63]“the Fathers of Confederation”
[01:29.15]of so many years ago.
[01:31.88]A good guess is that
[01:34.07]the odds are in favor
[01:35.71]of Canada achieving those dreams
[01:37.57]and truly becoming the nation
[01:39.54]that was originally intended |