A Report Card On Canada Day

So how is Canada doing these days? According to the Conference Board of Canada so-so. It pretty much sums up what I've observed. The Board examined six areas: Economy, innovation, environment, education, health and society. Here's a snippet of what you'll find. This is from the society section:

Is Canada really a “kinder, gentler nation”?

"Many Canadians take pride in Canada’s image as a “kinder, gentler nation.” Canadians like to think of themselves as having policies and programs that differentiate Canada from other countries in a positive way—that programs such as employment insurance, social assistance, the Universal Child Care Benefit, and universal health care make Canada a better place to live in than any other country.

Society is a category the Conference Board likes to call a “myth-buster.” The self-image of Canada as kinder and gentler is largely based on a narrow Canada–U.S. comparison. Yes, Canada’s social safety net results in lower rates of poverty and income inequality along with higher rates of self-sufficiency of vulnerable populations than in the United States. But many Canadians would be surprised to find out that the U.S. has a lower burglary rate, a lower suicide rate, and greater gender equity than Canada.

Self-satisfaction is also not justified when Canada’s social performance is compared to many of its peer countries. Nine countries rank above Canada overall, and Canada’s relatively poor record on child poverty, income inequality, and assault would be shocking to some."