Canada Day 2025 and Why I’m Still Proud to Call This Place Home

Let’s be honest: when I said July would be about relationships, I didn’t exactly mean my relationship with a country. But hey—it’s Canada Day, and if we’re diving into connections, it only feels right to start with the one I’ve had the longest: the one with the land I stand on.

Now, I won’t get political. That’s not what this post is for. I’m well aware that being frustrated with the government is basically a national sport in Canada—right up there with hockey, complaining about the weather, and passive-aggressive politeness. But that’s not the Canada I’m talking about.

I’m talking about my Canada.

And to be fair, my Canada is mostly western. I’ve never been east of Saskatchewan (yet), so I can’t speak to Newfoundland’s coastlines or Ontario’s chaos. But I can absolutely speak about the beauty, the grounding, and the downright soul-soothing landscapes of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan—because those places are stitched into the fabric of who I am.

🏔 Alberta & British Columbia – Where the Mountains Breathe For You

If you’ve never been swallowed up by the Rocky Mountains in real life, I’m sorry—but also: go fix that. Immediately.

There’s something about standing between Alberta and BC, up in those sharp-toothed peaks, that just hits differently. The world falls quiet up there, in a way that reminds you how small you really are—and how okay that is. I’ve camped, hiked, wandered, and wept among those rocks and trees. I’ve sat in stillness while the wind made poetry in the pines. I’ve let nature devour the noise in my head. That? That’s therapy the health system could never afford.

It’s not just the majesty of the mountains either—it’s the lakes, the rivers, the forest trails that sneak up on you with beauty so intense it feels sacred. There’s an energy in those places that doesn’t just calm you—it reclaims you.

🌊 BC’s Coast – Salt Air & Starfish (and a Side of Fried Cod)

Now let’s talk Nanaimo. Yes, home of the famous bar. But also? Home of Trollers Fish and Chips, which sits right on the pier like it knows how smugly amazing it is. You order your fish and chips, sit on the water, and just… exist. You’ll see starfish (so many starfish), the occasional jellyfish, and maybe—if the ocean’s feeling generous—a rare fish swim close enough to say hello.

Then you walk along the pier or plop yourself down on a bench and stare out across the Pacific like you’re in a tourism ad. Except you’re not. You’re just there. Present. Peaceful. Full of fish and spiritual clarity.

It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like maybe the world isn’t falling apart as fast as the news says it is.

🦕 Alberta’s Badlands – Where Dinosaurs Meet Desert Vibes

If the mountains are my soul’s exhale, the Alberta Badlands are its weird, dusty imagination. Specifically: Drumheller. Hoodoos that look like something out of Star Wars, sweeping canyons that feel ancient and alien, and more dinosaur statues than you can count. (Seriously. They're everywhere.)

You’ve got the Royal Tyrrell Museum, which is incredible if you love prehistoric creatures and want to feel like a time traveler with sunscreen. Fossils, bones, and the overwhelming realization that our planet is really old and we’re all just temporary guests. Humbling. And oddly comforting.

🌾 Saskatchewan – Where the Sky is the Main Attraction

Ah, Saskatchewan. Land of wide-open nothing… and everything. There’s a running joke that you can watch your dog run away for three days. It’s funny because it’s kind of true.

But there’s beauty in that flatness. It’s a different kind of awe—the kind that comes from endless views and sunsets that stretch across the whole damn horizon. The Grasslands National Park, especially the Valley of 1000 Devils, is its own quiet kind of magic. Glacial meltwater carved formations, gentle rivers like Rock Creek winding through otherworldly terrain—this is where silence speaks loudest.

It’s simple. It’s unfiltered. And it reminds me that not all beauty has to scream to be noticed.

🇨🇦 Why I’m Still Proud to Be Canadian (Even When I Forget)

There are moments when I get frustrated with the world—and yes, sometimes even with Canada. The politics, the cost of living, the endless winters, the fact that we STILL call it “Canadian Tire money” when no one uses it anymore. It’s a lot.

But then I remember what’s out there. I remember the mountains that healed me, the coast that fed me, the prairies that quieted me. I remember my Canada. And suddenly, I feel proud again.

Not because it’s perfect. But because it’s mine.

And there’s still so much of it I haven’t seen. So many provinces and people and stories waiting for me to discover them. That kind of relationship—the one with your country’s land, its history, its soul—is worth celebrating. Even if it’s complicated. Even if it’s still growing.

So, Happy Canada Day 2025.From someone who’s wandered through the west, eaten too many Nanaimo bars, and found peace on a mountain ledge—thank you, Canada. For the space to grieve, to grow, and to breathe.

Even when I forget, you always bring me back.