| durhamregion.com | This Week | Thursday, June 23, 2022 | 30 Chances are, if you were born in Canada, you don't spend your time thinking about how to become part of the beautiful tapestry of Canadian culture. You are already a part and contribute greatly to its existing vibrancy and joie de vivre. No matter where you live in this beautiful country, it is your birthright to be able to contribute to this collective cultural pattern. Canadians are known for their friendliness. Canadian smiles go right along with Tim Hortons coffee and doughnuts. On the world stage, Canada has a stellar reputation for impartiality and objectivity. In a 2015 international survey, the Reputation Institute reported that Canada had the best reputation out of the 55 countries in the world with the highest gross domestic product (GDP). After analyzing data from more than 11 million Twitter accounts over a period of five years, Klear, a social analytics company, ranked Canadians as the most open and engaging with other nations in their communications. Canada was thus named the friendliest nation. In fact, the penchant for saying "I'm sorry," in every situation has long been recognized as a fundamental part of Canadian identity. These are noble ideals to live up to. As an immigrant to Canada in the mid '80s, I did not have the data above, but I did not need data to inform me about Canadian friendliness and hospitality. In most circumstances, it was woven into the fabric of my encounters, and had a profound effect on my efforts to integrate into Canadian culture. Granted, I also experienced some discrimination and racism, but these incidents did not alter my appreciation of the affability of the majority of Canadians I met. Most newcomers to Canada want to fit in, but they also have a need to hold on to their own cultural heritage. This is not a dichotomy. Preserving one's cultural heritage while also adopting the best parts of Canadian culture is absolutely possible. It is, in fact, essential to the continued growth and evolution of Canadian culture. This, of course, means that all Canadians are going to have to start thinking about what this means to them. This magnificent tapestry must continue to evolve and develop to encompass all Canadians for our beautiful country to continue to prosper and grow. Each new thread woven brings new colour, depth, and significance to what it means to be truly Canadian. Brian Sankarsingh is a Trinidadian-born Canadian immigrant with a passion for advocacy and a penchant for poetry. Arriving in Canada in the 1980s, he worked tirelessly to forge a life and career for himself. A published author and poet, Sankarsingh is unafraid to express his opinion on controversial topics, such as racism, systemic racism and other issues faced by marginalized communities. AN IMMIGRANT'S PERSPECTIVE ON CANADIAN CULTURE OPINION NEWCOMERS PRESERVING THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE IS ESSENTIAL TO CANADIAN GROWTH, WRITES BRIAN SANKARSINGH BRIAN SANKARSINGH Column Post the details for free in our calendar. Hosting an event online or in the community? DURHAMREGION.COM/EVENTS Interest rates have been extremely low for years, and that has hurt investment returns from Income bearing investments like Guaranteed Investment Certificates. Many older adults rely on this type of investment. The result of this extended period of low investment returns means their money has not grown very quickly. Among the challenges facing retirees are: Inflation: It has suddenly come roaring back. Making ends meet is becoming more difficult. Medical costs: Many health-care related costs, including the reality of growing old and needing extended medical services, are not covered by our government. Longevity: The positive reality of better health care and healthy living is people are living longer. From a financial perspective, a longer life means more years of paying for living expenses. Depending on the accommodation chosen, the cost can range from expensive to very expensive. Also, as they continue to live in an assisted living facility, seniors are more likely to require additional care services at an additional cost. As house prices have become exorbitant, many parents have provided financial assistance to their children to purchase their own place to live. Some retirees, through their own generosity to their children, might find they are short of funds to finance their own living costs. Growing old does present some financial challenges. We recommend you consider these and plan accordingly. Peter Watson is registered with Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI) to provide investment advice. Investment products are provided by ACPI. ACPI is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACPI. Watson provides wealth management services through Watson Investments. He can be reached at www.watsoninvestments.com. OLDER ADULTS FACING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES A LONGER LIFE MEANS MORE YEARS OF PAYING FOR LIVING EXPENSES PETER WATSON Column Making ends meet is becoming more difficult.