Thanksgiving Day, the second Monday in October, officially declared in 1957 as a day for our country as a whole to give thanks to God for a plentiful harvest, has a long history. It is a national holiday, which often for most people is simply an extra day off work and for many, not even that anymore. I wonder how many people even use it as a day to really be gratuitous for all we have here in Canada?

Canadians live in a free country where growing produce and raising fish, meat and poultry is not only possible but also done at such a rate allowing it to be exported to countries where it cannot be done. For the most part we enjoy four seasons, each one unique in its beauty and splendour and each one producing some sort of food product. With today's technology we even grow fruits and vegetables in hothouses in the dead of winter.

We don't suffer from massive starvation; we have no internal or external wars and no fear of persecution for our beliefs. Our citizens live in relative safety, where lawlessness is kept in check and lawbreakers are punished as a deterrent. We are a multicultural society where we are accepted regardless of our skin colour, country of origin and religious beliefs. We are free to travel anywhere, have freedom of speech, access to a decent education and we receive healthcare regardless of our financial means. Sure, there are flaws in some of our systems but at least we have them. So today join your fellow countryman and be truly grateful for just being Canadian and have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!