Coming out of high school, I didn't know too much about Canadian history.
I remember in Grade 12, my brother asked me when the War of 1812 was and I thought it was a trick question.
I know that probably says more about me than it does about the B.C. high school curriculum: Maybe the teachers tried to teach that stuff to me. I don't know for sure.
But I'm not alone.
Poll after poll has illustrated our collective ineptness with regard to history.
In 2012, a Leger Marking poll found that 37% of Canadians think that Canada won the War of 1812 - which they did - 9% think the U.S. won, 15% think it was a tie and 39% know too little about it to venture a guess.
And it's not just the War of 1812. A Canada Day poll, from 2003, is even more damning: Only 53% of us knew what D-Day was while only 40% could name two peacekeeping missions Canada was involved in since 1990. Yes, the survey is dated, but I would suspect things have gotten even worse.
For that reason I commend the Harper government for their efforts in teaching us.
Since 2011, the Tories have spent millions of dollars on War of 1812 commemoration events and memorabilia including things such new plaques, monuments, battle re-enactments, television commercials and websites.
They've also made efforts to circulate historic artifacts - currently housed at the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa - to museums across the country so that Canadians from coast to coast to coast can access this stuff.
I know my colleague opposite is snippy about the Tories promoting our past armed conflicts, but military achievements are a significant part of our history. Battles such as the War of 1812, the Ypres, Vimy Ridge and others signify where we come from as a nation.
To me, Canada Day isn't just about waving the flag and fireworks. It's about sharing and celebrating our common history, stories, heroes and national symbols. We become a stronger nation when we're able to share.
This is a great country. In my opinion it's the greatest in the world. But let's all make an effort to learn why it's so great.
Happy Canada Day everyone.
