Officially today it is a holiday in Manitoba while we celebrate Terry Fox Day. In honor of one of the greatest Canadians who have ever walked the earth, HBIC takes the day free. If I’m completely honest, I have a Bazillion small things that I want to do, so I’m going to perform some of those tasks today. However, let’s not forget the task that Terry Fox was undertaken in the summer of 1980 when he started his journey on April 12 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and was forced to end his Marathon of Hope on 1 September just outside Thunder Bay.
I’m not sure what Desmond Mills of the Ottawa Citizen Thought when he wrote his opinion column of January 6, 2025, but I would like to emphasize that his opinion does not mean much when it comes to his thoughts about Terry Fox appears on the Canadian $ 5 account. According to him, “[o]Your currency must be reserved for those who have built up our nation and have contributed to the development of its identity and culture, which is a daring explanation when one believes that Canada is Bound with Australia for his world -giving index score When it comes to charity – something that associates the world with Canadians.
Terry wanted to change lives for Canadians who are affected by cancer for his purpose. He originally wanted to pick up $ 1 million, but raised the total to $ 10 million and later, intended to pick up $ 1 for each of the 24 million citizens of Canada By inspiring people to make his efforts. Again, this goes directly to our identity and culture of giving and looking forward to each other, so I am hard to understand how Mills missed this obvious feature in Fox. It is as if Mills didn’t know him at all.
Mills also tries to argue that images about Canadian should be money for “non-political figures of fame that contributed to defining the Canadian national consciousness or have contributed or have contributed or contributed to the consciousness for Canada on the international stage” after “stately political figures” have been honored. Again, I’m not sure what Mills thinks here because the Terry Fox Research Institute states that “$ 800 million was collected worldwide for cancer in the name of Terry via the annual Terry Fox Run, held in Canada and all over the world.” I would say that consciousness is on the international stage, and Terry’s name is known from coast to coast in Canada.
Mills tries to prove the work of Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla is superior to Fox’s effort, but it is a comparison of apples-to-organizations. Tesla is demonstrably an important figure in Serbia and that country can place who they want on their banknotes. It is a false equality to compare what Tesla did in Serbia with what Fox has done in Canada, especially when Mills’ arguments above are specific. For the record, Nikola Tesla did all his important performances while he lived in America, after he had emigrated to the country when he was 28 and seven years later became a naturalized citizen.
I will admit that Desmond Mills is entitled to his opinion, and he has certainly allowed it to express it. The commentary about his linked opinion piece speaks loudly about what Canadians think about Terry Fox, and the vast majority believes that he embodied what Canadians are proud. As a commentator suggested, having Fox on the $ 5 account is more Canadian than long-term political figures that are now, as history shows: “A long dead colonizer with blood on his hands.”
Whatever your feelings are towards Terry Fox, I think I made mine clear. I have deeply respect for people who have done their entire bodies, spirits and spirits to make life better for others, and Terry Fox did that while he lived. His efforts have helped millions of people around the world, collected close to a billion dollars for cancer research, and his estate is today lives through the annual Terry Fox Run.
I said my piece, so I’m on my way to get a handful of those tasks. Terry Fox Day is perhaps a holiday in Manitoba, but it is a good day to think about what it means to be Canadian in this strange world.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
#hero