View From the Legislature

While a great deal of time is often consumed in politics talking about the things that divide us, often overlooked and perhaps undervalued are the things that unite us. One of those things can be sports. It’s something that I have observed in a number of different ways these past few weeks.

At the local level, this year I spent more time then ever attending school sporting events as my son was active on his school team. Visiting other schools and watching tournaments, it was great to see how parents supported both their children and others on their team as well. In addition, the players themselves supported each other and at the end of the game congratulated their opponents, regardless of the outcome. Those lessons of unity and support are important life lessons being learned at an early age.

And of course, this past week hundreds of thousands of Manitobans were united in cheering for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as they represented the West in the 107th Grey Cup in Calgary. The victory for the Bombers sent fans onto the corner of Portage and Main and on Tuesday it was estimated that up to 10,000 people watched the Grey Cup parade in Winnipeg. Coming through a major storm this fall the Blue Bombers victory has helped provide something positive to unify around and it is undeniable that it is a positive for the province whether you are a fan of football or not.

My family and I made the last minute decision to drive out to Calgary to watch the Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup. As long time fans of the team, it was a life long memory that we will always share. And while the game and Bombers victory was of course the highlight of the quick weekend trip, it was also enjoyable to watch as Canadians from every part of our country came together to celebrate both a game and a country.

While there is a great deal of discussion about regional divides in Canada following the recent federal election, it was heartening to see, in the heart of Alberta, just how Canadians can come together and unify around an event, not as those from the east or the west, but as Canadians. The Grey Cup celebration, from the Tim Hortons coffee to the team socials, really was a celebration of our country. It is something that is also experienced by Canadians during Olympic years as we cheer on our athletes not based on their individual home province, but as Team Canada.

There is good reason to examine and try to alleviate those things that divide us a nation. It is critical that these issues are not ignored or overlooked. But it is also important to revel in those things that unite us and bring us together as a community, a province and a country. We have much to be proud of as a nation, and many reasons to work to ensure that those things remain.