Being a new author I was surprised and pleased to have been asked to be the key-note speaker by President Jean Forde of The John Brooks Community Foundation & Scholarship Fund at the 28th Annual Awards of Excellence dinner and presentation in Toronto on a recent Saturday evening. This organization helps students with funds to move forward into college or university.

To me this is an area that needs all the help it can get and I am willing to assist in any way that I can. When I hear through the media daily of the negative things that some of our youth are involved in, I find it very sad. However, and this is why I’m writing about it here, there are people who are willing to help our youth but never given any exposure in our media.

The John Brooks Foundation is one of those organizations that is doing the job for us. They want to help students who show a willingness and the need to move forward. That is what Canada is all about.

I was very proud to have been able to speak to the students and others present about my own experiences in Canada. My message was that it takes a good attitude, staying positive, and a willingness to work towards our goals — while never giving up on the struggle to survive with dignity.

Writing about my life experiences in Canada was worth doing to help the next generation of new Canadians to respect the sacrifice made by the people and veterans who came before to make Canada a better place for all.

The way I see things in Canada today is how it has evolved as a society that is trying to encompass all other societies and people. That to me is an impossible task for any country to take on. Because the people who usually come to Canada, come by choice, so the new comer has to be flexible and willing to blend in with their new environment. I ask why do people come to Canada if not to have a better life for themselves and family. I see Canada today as a society that offers freedom of thought and respect for others within the Canadian structure, which was built by the people who came long before us. I say to you as an author, that we should try and preserve a respect for Canada’s past and keep improving this society which gives us all so much to be proud of with many opportunities to improve ourselves and leave something good for the next generation.