Occasionally, I make the (accurate) observation that the weeks leading up to Canada Day are to elected officials what the Christmas season is to the clergy. It is a time filled with weddings, graduations, picnics, barbecues, annual meetings, celebrations and flag raisings. It is a time when Canadians remind themselves of what a great nation we have become, and what fine people we are. We may not be perfect, but we are less imperfect than other nations and other peoples. And in life, we compare ourselves not with the almighty, but with the alternative. more... See more text