To borrow from our southern neighbours...
Canada: Fuck Yeah!
So let's get the cliches out of the way. I don't drink, but when I was a drinker beer was my beverage of choice; in particular, I drank Blue (Labbatt's to all the Americans). I don'e eat donuts, but I used to make them. I haven't played hockey in years, and sadly my talent for the game was never enough to make it worth my while to pursue anything beyond backyard shinny, but at the same time I make no secret for my love of hockey, which is the only reason I still own a television. I say 'eh.' I can also pick out an American who says 'eh' to fit in; there's a subtlety to the use of that particular syllable that isn't readily apparent to outsiders. I remember seeing beaver dams and lodges in the creeks around my home as a child. I am socially and politically fairly liberal, with a dash of libertarianism thrown in. I am fascinated by guns in a technical sense, but have no desire to own one; the only guns I've ever see were police-issue sidearms or hunting rifles.
Am I patriotic? In a sense, yeah. See, I think Mr. Shaw got it backwards. It's not that I think Canada is the best country in the world because I live here, but rather that I'm incredibly thankful that I have the good fortune to live here because I think it's such a great place. Canada has a lot going for it, and when I consider my alternatives I was come back to realizing that there is no other place on Earth I'd rather live. You might be able to talk me into moving to the UK or Australia, but it'd have to be for a damn good reason and I suspect I'd always miss home.
A few years ago I dated a Catholic girl from Detroit, as some people here may recall. That was an interesting relationship partly because of it's contrasts. We had many a discussion on issues such as this, and on the distinctions between us. She was constantly stymied by our Parliamentary system and I was (and still am) similarly baffled by the US electoral college. The sorts of things that were issues in our daily lives were completely different; the idea of needing some sort of protection when I go anywhere, for example, was an alien concept, and it always confused me that she insisted on locking my door when we were in the apartment.
So, yeah. I love Canada for what it is. If I had the power there are certainly things I'd change; all the same, I can't fathom even wanting to live anywhere else. I could list reasons, but punkmusicfan21 has done a pretty good job of that. A lot of what makes Fredericton interesting applies to the country at large; our diverse natural resources, our multiculturalism, our social and political liberalism. I can't even imagine trying to deal with my health problems in a country where I'd have to pay for every hospital visit, x-ray, or consult; Id've gone destitute years ago, and probably have dragged my poor mother down with me. I feel safe in the streets, even at night. And I know that I can travel almost anywhere in the world and be welcomed with open arms. And these are the things I'm grateful for.
As an aside, Canadian patriotism is very strong, but I think it's largely an internal thing. We talk about it amongst ourselves, but don't shout about it to the rest of the world. The ad punkmusicfan21 mentioned is a prime example of this, and I present it below for anyone who hasn't seen it.
What's particularly notable about this is how it takes pains to make distinctions between Canada and the US. I think there's always been a sort of underlying paranoia here that we're going to be culturally assimilated. Given how much we're inundated with American media, I'm not at all certain it's unfounded.
EDIT - Trawling related videos to the one above, I came across this. Does this guy get to be patriotic?