Why is Canada the most tolerant country in the world? Luck – Ibbitson

John Ibbitson nails it with respect to the culture of accommodation, brought on by our French and English heritage (and to some extent with aboriginal peoples given the Royal Proclamation of 1763 setting a different tone than south of the border):

We are as lucky in our cultural geography as we are in our physical. Canada was originally a union of French and English, who had been at war with each other in Europe for much of the past 800 years. The only way to make the dominion work was for each to give the other plenty of breathing room. That respectful distance made it impossible for Canada to gel as a nation, but it also prevented immigrants from feeling they were outsiders in some nationalist club. Multiculturalism is the greatest gift of our Constitution, even though the Fathers of Confederation hadn’t the faintest clue they were bequeathing it.

That same culture of accommodation makes it possible for sexual minorities in Canada to feel safe, even welcomed. There is not a city, town or village in Canada where my husband Grant and I would hesitate to live.

Of course, things are far from perfect. The legacy of intolerance and abuse by the Europeans toward the aboriginal community is Canada’s shame.

Why is Canada the most tolerant country in the world? Luck – The Globe and Mail.