Several months ago, there was a joint meeting of Jesuit superiors from French and English Canada. We are preparing to unite into a new Jesuit province in Canada. A few of the older Jesuits there spoke of the famous "two solitudes" notion that is an element of the history of this country. The references were often in the broader context of the linguistic and cultural distinctions between English and French Canadians.

One English Canadian Jesuit summed it up by stating that even if we all became bilingual in French and English overnight, we really would not bridge the cultural divide. They really are two cultures. I would say that there was an unspoken assumption by a few people that we are all either French or English.

Thus, it was an eye-opener when a young Jesuit, who is a Filipino from Vancouver, suggested that is incorrect to speak as if Canada is limited to two cultures and languages. Five of the 23 superiors present at the meeting were obviously neither English nor French – their origins were China, the Philippines, the Middle East and Africa. It is certainly true that a historical reality of this country is the French/English question. But we have long since passed such a simplistic view of the make up of Canada. Sensitivity to the First Nations, alone, would show that we cannot let ourselves be exclusive.

The word bilingual no longer implicitly means that a person speaks English and French. He or she is as likely to speak Polish, Hungarian, Mandarin, Tagalog, Spanish, Hindi, or Farsi. In her investiture speech as Governor-General, Michaelle Jean stated that the time of the two solitudes had finished.

If a typical Canadian from several decades ago emerged from a time warp and took a walk down a major street of most Canadian cities, he'd be struck by the incredible diversity of cultures and languages in evidence. Take a ride on the subway in Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver and it will just take a few seconds to figure out that we live in an amazingly diverse population. That time traveler would wonder where he woke up.

I recently read the account of a young Iranian man who spent four years as a refugee in Turkey, getting away from a situation in Iran that threatened his life. He was awaiting the results of hearings into the possibility of coming to Canada. He writes, "I have thought of suicide. I have thought of different ways to end this miserable waiting. But there is a hope in the name "Canada." It conjures imagery in my mind that is both vivid and uncertain. A better life. Freedom. Safety in a distant northern land."

There are men, women and children living in their homelands or refugee camps who fantasize of life in a place of safety, wealth, health and opportunity like Canada. I wonder if those of us who live here really grasp that, but also grasp the fact that we are so blessed. My personal experience is that it is only when I step out of my own milieu that I comprehend the truth. It happens when I encounter the reality on our First Nations reservations. Or, when I hear the stories of new Canadians or hear the stories of those who work in refugee camps around the globe. The reality comes alive in a graphic way when I travel to lands where people have only their dreams and hopes to live on. “Canada. A better life. Freedom. Safety in a distant northern land.”

But, when I sip my latte in a comfortable Starbucks, I'm a long way from grasping the good fortune I have. As we celebrate our 147th birthday, let's take time to rejoice in the great diversity of this land: our cultures, languages, and geography. The world of two or more "solitudes" can only be eradicated when we grow in an understanding of the reality that twenty-first century Canada is made up of many cultures and languages. We all celebrate today!