Thank you, Doug Saunders, for this very insightful piece! I always enjoy your articles, but this one hit me personally. I grew up in England and came to Canada in 1971. I chose Canada because it was easier to get into than the U.S. and because I spoke French and found Quebec interesting. 

In my early years in Canada, I thought of moving to the U.S., but I've come to appreciate Canada as an incredibly diverse country, free from the hangups of having to be "great" or powerful, yet making huge strides in social progress in a relatively quiet and peaceful way. You beautifully summarized, and gave historical context to, most of the reasons I find Canada a very exciting place to be.

A fitting start to 2017!