What Canada Day—and a Jersey—Reminds Us About

From a cheering national stage to a growing Jewish Federation in BC, recent events reveal that connection, not division, defines Canada at its best.

On Canada Day, it doesn’t take much to recognize what brings people together.

You see it in parks and streets, at community events and backyard gatherings. Red and white fill the sidewalks. Flags appear in windows. And this year, as Canadians rallied behind a national soccer team, you could see it even more clearly: people from every background standing together, wearing the same jersey, cheering for something they share.

For a moment, differences fade.

What matters is belonging.

What matters is being part of something larger than yourself.

That feeling, the instinct to come together, is one of Canada’s defining strengths. But it is also a choice.

And over the past several weeks, British Columbia’s Jewish community has made that choice in a very visible way.

Commuters across the Lower Mainland encountered bright pink signs challenging them to pay attention. A 40-year-old institution became the Jewish Federation of British Columbia. And voices across Canadian civic life stepped forward to affirm the place of Jewish Canadians within our society.

At first glance, these moments may seem unrelated. They are not.

They reflect the same idea visible on Canada Day, in a crowd wearing jerseys and cheering in unison: communities are strongest when they choose to come together.

It’s easy to feel connected in moments of celebration.

It’s harder, and far more important, to carry that spirit into everyday life.

The pink signs that appeared across British Columbia were designed to do exactly that. Their message was impossible to ignore, not because they asked for sympathy, but because they asked for attention.

They were a reminder of something fundamental to Canada: that building an inclusive society is not someone else’s responsibility. It belongs to all of us.

Because unity is not something that appears on its own.

It is something we build.

At the same time those conversations were beginning, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver became the Jewish Federation of British Columbia.

At first glance, it may appear to be a simple name change. It is anything but.

This transformation reflects years of growth across the province. Jewish life here is no longer defined by a single region. Communities from Vancouver Island to the Okanagan and Northern British Columbia are increasingly connected, sharing a common vision for the future, and the Federation has grown alongside them, strengthening relationships, investing in leadership, and building the infrastructure needed to support an increasingly connected province.

Today, nearly 30 communities are part of that story. Together, they form the largest geographic federation in North America.

This was not a moment of contraction.

It was a decision to grow, to be more connected, visible, and united at a time when fragmentation would have been easier.

That instinct, to come together while remaining distinct, is deeply Canadian.

Canada has always been built on the idea that different communities can retain their identities while contributing to something larger. Provinces remain provinces. Cultures remain cultures. But together, they create something stronger.

We see it in moments of celebration, when a jersey becomes a symbol of collective pride.

We see it in moments of challenge, when people and institutions choose to step forward.

And we see it in the growing recognition across this country that the dignity and belonging of any group is not a niche concern. It is a measure of the health of our society.

It is also a reflection of core Canadian values: mutual responsibility, equal protection, and a shared commitment to one another.

Strong countries are not built by those who stand apart.

They are built by those who take part.

At a time when Canadians are asking what citizenship requires, the answer is becoming clearer.

It requires participation.

Participation means paying attention.
It means speaking up.
It means choosing to build rather than withdraw.

For more than 160 years, Jewish British Columbians have done exactly that, helping to shape the civic and cultural life of this province, strengthening its charitable sector, and contributing to its broader social fabric.

These efforts have been guided by enduring Jewish values: responsibility for one another, community, and a commitment to repairing the world.

Like so many others who have helped build this province, these contributions have always been rooted in a belief in its future and in the future of this country.

That belief remains.

The energy of Canada Day does not come from the celebration itself.

It comes from what it represents.

A country where people continue to choose connection over division. Participation over indifference. Possibility over cynicism.

The story of the past several weeks is not just about one community.

It is about what happens when people choose to come together, whether in a crowd, in conversation, or in the work of building something that lasts.

Because the future is not something we inherit.

It is something we build.

Together.