A number of activities are planned as North Okanagan residents wave the red and white for 150 years Saturday.
There will be fireworks lighting up the sky and parties in the parks, while some families and neighbourhoods will use the day as an opportunity to get together.
And perhaps that is the greatest thing about the country we call home — the chance to be part of something bigger.
Here in our region, complete strangers recently dropped everything to fill sandbags because others were at risk from flooding, while many residents help those less fortunate, whether it’s at the food bank or at a shelter.
There are volunteer coaches and tutors, and those who simply keep an eye on the yard when the neighbours are away.
In the last couple of years, North Okanagan residents have opened their arms to refugees fleeing unimaginable violence in Syria. Perhaps because of what they have been through, our new citizens appreciate everything we often take for granted.
Now, of course, Canada isn’t perfect, and there’s no better example of that than the relationship with our indigenous people. Families remain scarred from residential schools while a lack of government recognition means First Nations don’t have access to land or natural resources.
But progress is being made as everyday Canadians — native and non-native — come together in respect.
It would be easy to dwell on the negatives in our country, but the reality is that we live in the greatest country in the world and by coming together, we can move ahead into the future.