All he wants is to be a better Canadian, and hopefully inspire others.
Collingwood newspaperman George Czerny-Holownia has released his latest book, called Kiss The Ground You Walk On, Canada! The ABCs of how to be a better Canadian.
“As a retired newspaperman and as a person who loves Canada, valuing the freedoms we enjoy, I am concerned about voter apathy and how people take so much for granted in our terrific country,” said Czerny-Holownia this week in an interview with CollingwoodToday. He believes the low turn-out of eligible voters in elections at various levels of government equates with the death of democracy, citing recent cases such as York-Simcoe where turnout dropped to 20 per cent.
“That bothers me,” he said. “In Collingwood, in the last municipal election, I believe the eligible voter turn-out was 48 per cent. I consider that low.”
As part of his focus on how Canadians can be better Canadians, Czerny-Holownia sought feedback from people across Canada. He reached out to federal party leaders, First Nations and Inuit leaders. Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, sent in a reply that is included in the book.
“There are 36 contributions from people, most of whom I do not know, in my book,” he said.
Of particular note are two lengthy submissions. The first is from Bill Farley, a man in his late 80s who lives in Dauphin, Man. The other came from a retired Toronto firefighter and former Canadian Navy sailor, Ken Magill, who lives in Mount Hope.
“I note in my book that if people read nothing else in my book, they should read the comments from those two Canadians,” he said.
The Collingwood writer also expands to other topics ranging from philanthropy to traffic, not losing one's enthusiasm, and immigration. He writes about his concern about secrecy in government and suggests a Ministry of Getting Things Done.
An advocate for First Nations' communities which need assistance, he also provides a chronology of communication with federal government representatives as he sought answers to questions about the lack of potable water in some First Nations communities.
Kiss The Ground You Walk On, Canada! is Czerny-Holownia’s 11th book. Previous publications include George’s Georgian Bay, a travel guide and The Collingwood Shipyards.
Overall, Czerny-Holownia hopes his new book will be a conversation starter.
“I hope it encourages people to get the facts about election candidates. I hope it encourages people to get the facts about what candidates, or political parties, stand for,” he said. “I hope people learn more about other parts of Canada and more about Canadians elsewhere.”
Kiss The Ground You Walk On, Canada! is available for purchase online at volumesdirect.com, Amazon and Indigo. A book reading will be taking place on June 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Collingwood Public Library.
