Politics Plug-in: Is there more to Canada than bacon and beer?

Faye Roberts, Scout Public Affairs

Last Wednesday, we raised our Canadian-brewed suds in red cups to celebrate our great country. Flags were raised, hot dogs were abundant and fireworks sparkled in the night sky.

We love celebrating Canada and everything that comes with it, but have you taken a moment to consider the real meaning of Canada Day?

As with other holidays, some years we are more thoughtful and introspective than others. Is Canada really defined by beer, bacon and BeaverTails, or is there something deeper that we are overlooking in the sea of Maple-Leaf temporary tattoos, Frisbees and cowboy hats?

The pride we feel in Canada is a reflection of our Canadian values, values that we entrust to our government to uphold and evolve with the world around us. Have you considered why you do (or should) appreciate Canada as an entrepreneur?

Here are five reasons to be proud of your Maple Leaf as a Canadian business:

1. 1. 1. We live in a rules-based civil society. What does that mean for business? For one thing, our federal, provincial and municipal governments have clear lines of responsibility which enable each level of government to serve its constituents (that’s you!) without duplication or complication.
      2. In cases where there is role confusion between levels of government, the way to resolution is through dialogue and discussion – and that’s a good thing as it avoids costly legal action or other activities that can slow things down and ‘keep the trains from running on time,’ so to speak.
      3. Our regulatory environment is focused on protecting the health and welfare of Canadians and our great country in an effective, responsible and transparent way. This means the government seeks input from businesses (and others) when updating, amending and adding regulations.
      4. The process is open. There are multiple ways to stay informed about the progress of legislation and regulations, as well as provide input. This means the regulatory framework rarely contains surprises, which are costly for those who must comply.
      5. And all understand that Canadian businesses must navigate a global regulatory framework to succeed. Providing a service or product to global customers requires awareness of, if not alignment with, other jurisdictions’ regulations. Gone are the days when each jurisdiction operated in its own silo.

In short, the Canadian Government wants you to succeed. It wants the idea that you turned into a business on Canadian soil to grow and create jobs for other Canadians.

In Canada’s 149th year, we have an opportunity that we won’t likely have in its 150th, 151st or 152nd years, and that is to engage in a federal election that will define the priorities – the key policies and programs that reflect and uphold our Canadian values and help our businesses to succeed – in the next four years and beyond.

Politics Plug-in is a guest column that looks at the importance of political awareness for entrepreneurs in the lead-up to the Canadian federal election on Oct. 19, 2015.