Fiercely Canadian

I am very patriotic. My grandfather was proud to fight in the Second World War as a paratrooper and he left a lasting image on my life. I joined Cadets as a teenager and the Reserves as a young adult. I still snap to attention when I hear the national anthem play and I shed a tear when I hear a bugle play taps or the bagpipes in a parade.

I am also a Westerner through and through. I live in Black Diamond, AB because I absolutely love it. Today I had to stop my car on the highway to watch ranchers on horses heard cattle across the road. It was a finely tuned machine of men in wranglers and animals moving in perfect harmony. Horses, cows and a couple of dogs all working together.

Black Diamond is one of the few places in the world where chivalry is not dead. As a woman I have walked down the street as a cowboy literally tied his horse to a post and then rushed his quick bow-legged body ahead of me to get to the bank door first so he could tip his hat as he opened the door and utter a polite “Mam.” Seriously this place rocks! Where does that happen?

People ask me why I don’t move to Calgary because I am in the city almost daily to do networking meetings or to work with social media clients but if they saw what I see they would all move to Diamond Valley. The drive is nothing anyway. I love to drive. I have put 70,000 km a year on my car and I enjoy every minute of it. I love the city. I love the country. It is easy to make the drive each day and it is refreshing to think and plan as I drive. I get to see the country that makes me feel so blessed to live here. The foothills are a peaceful backdrop to a hectic life.

Living near Calgary reminds me daily of being Canadian. Prairies on one side, mountains on the other. It goes together like maple syrup and bacon.

It was absolutely natural to me to name our new network the Canadian Imperial Business Network. It is Canadian. It is the best and it is business networking. What else would we call it? It is as delicious as Grade A Alberta Beef with bannock and then beaver tails for dessert!

Why not enjoy my favorite band playing one of my favorite songs.

Canada Is Really Big