Duane Nickull: Canada is a powerhouse, indivisible, not because we are all the same, but because are all so different and we love each other for what we bring to our society

My heart is heavy. I fear for the future of our country. To me, Canada is a powerhouse, indivisible, not because we are all the same, but because are all so different and we love each other for what we bring to our society. 

The one end result of this era I want is a strong, united Canada. I embrace the people who live in the arctic, I love our first nations, I embrace the truckers who had the freedom to make a blockade and their right wing supporters, I embrace those who want French first and most importantly, I endorse all Canadians. I want to share some of my family political background to help illustrate the view.

Tommy Douglas (shown with my mom in the photos), whom many consider to be the greatest Canadian ever, was a close family friend. At a time when I was learning how to stack wooden blocks (poorly), my entire family was working hard with Tommy to bring social justice and unity to Canada. If you skip my political posts and think I should just stick to technology, heavy metal and punk, please know what I come by fighting for a united Canada honestly.

Tommy Douglas and my great Uncle Olaf Turnbull served together as elected officials and were very close friends. He was a candidate for the leadership of the Saskatchewan CCF (now NDP) in 1961 and was a member of the provincial cabinet, serving as Minister of Co-operation and Co-operative Development and as Minister of Education. 

Fun Fact - our medical system (a belief that healthcare is a universal and inalienable right for all) was modeled from the Saskatchewan and Alberta farmers. No single farmer could afford a complete set of medical supplies so they worked with all people to create a community model, each chipping in money every year, to build an adequate supply of medicine, first aid and medical supplies and stored them in a central location. No one who required the aid was ever asked to re-pay an unfair share as it was a shared cost for the benefit of all.

My grandmother (Betty Neff - nee Turnbull), the mother of my mother and Olaf Turnbull, was especially dear to Tommy. When my grandfather died, he sent us handwritten letters and offered his sincere condolences. I remember Tommy well from the Nanaimo days. A kind and noble man devoted to the principles of equality, respect and freedom for all, even when the freedom of expression was not his view.

Why is this important to me? Not all the farmers got along and had their individual differences. Despite that, they all pulled together and when the call of an emergency came, all were united. We need to do this now.

We are at a crossroads in Canada. There are those who talk of certain provinces leaving Canada. My wish is this never happens. When we watch the Olympic Games, it does not matter which athletes vote for any specific party. It does not matter where they are from within Canada. All that matters is they are a pride of our nation and all are equally deserving of our respect and praise. 

I am Canadian. I am proud to be Canadian and that means we are all united, despite our differences. Some provinces have conservative leaders, some left wing leaders, but we all work together when it counts and I hope that never changes. If I fear it does, I may have to once again throw my hat into the ring to run for public office because Canada is worth fighting for.

In Tommy's spirit, stand united, stand proud and love each other. 

We are stronger together. 

Our toughest challenges as a country may be ahead of us and if divided, we are less effective. 


Duane Nickull, in his own words, is a politically minded musician with a big heart. In 2013, he ran as a candidate in the provincial election in BC.