wabigoon;
Good afternoon/evening to you sir - if you are in Ontario then it's time change weekend for you as well as us out west I think?
Anyway as you know about me, I don't answer often and when I do I don't answer "in a few words"....
As I enter the year that I'll turn 55, it strikes me that the Canada I live in now - central BC, still fairly rural but increasingly less so, quite prosperous regionally speaking - has a better idea of who we are then 30 years ago.
It was a bit of a joke that we didn't have a distinct Canadian identity for much of my life and I believe that's declining somewhat.
That said, we're still a big, big place and there's comparatively few of us - so I wouldn't/couldn't begin to answer this for anyone living anywhere else here.
So I'd say that while we still are governed by a strong centrally located Federal government, we feel increasingly regional - at least out here on the western edge we do.
That said, we feel more pride in our armed forces now than 30 years ago and I see this as a good thing for a number of reasons - not the least of which it tends to transcend and somewhat cancel out regional sentiment.
Politically I'm in a "conservative" section of a "liberal leaning" province and we must remember that even our conservatives might be viewed as centerist by folks south of the medicine line. As you know about me, being in a conservative area suits me most times.
We moved here 33 years ago, so we don't have personal family history here and truly the history of the area we're in is comparatively new/recent unless one has First Nations/Native roots here - which I don't. Where we are now was for the FN folks a rich fishing grounds and as such much fought over, so there was no group that could claim permanent settlement here until they traded for firearms in the early 1700's - interesting twist of history there I've always thought.
Geographically we live in a valley surrounded by low mountains, so they're very accessible for a variety of uses both industrial and recreational.
Anyway wabigoon, have I in any way, shape or form answered your query?
I've got to slide out now as it's sign up night for the Hunter Safety course I've headed up at our local gun club for the last 29 years. Since I'm still above ground they expect me to carry on, so that I shall do as I still can!
All the best to you all wabigoon. Safe travels between your two homes, whichever place this finds you.
Dwayne
