As you’ve no doubt garnered by now, I’m proud to be a Canadian. While I’m definitely patrioticfor all those high-minded ideas that Jim Elve et al (thanks for the banner, Jim) describe, I’m particularly proud of a nation that has a guy like this as its hero:
I can’t name a single Canadian war hero (except maybe for John McCrae, and he’s a poet), but every Canadian, young and old, knows who Terry Fox is.
While searching for this image, I found another poignant photo (it’s a bit Time magazine, admittedly) that I wanted to reference.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
Point taken, but what about Billy Bishop? Or am I showing my age?
I’m ashamed to say that I don’t really know much about Billy Bishop. I’m vaguely familiar with the popular Canadian play, but that’s about it.
This page filled me in, though: http://www.billybishop.org/bishop.html.
While not Canadian per se, he did die while in the service of the RCAF: John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/prewwii/jgm.htm
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings…
…and let us not forget Gold, Sword and Juno:
http://www.eriksvane.com/dday2.htm
For some reason, I saw the play “Billy Bishop Goes to War” in 1988 in Berea, OH (of all places). It’s less a play than a mini-musical (2 characters, one of whom plays the piano). I remember it as being very enjoyable.
Heroes are for Americans. Here in Canada, we value group cohesion above individual expression, and typical heroes contradict that value. Except if their heroism serves the common good, as with Terry Fox and Rick Hansen. In that case, we let them be heroes — social ones, who cohere the society. This dynamic is also why we have a “brain drain.” If you want to be an individualist, and get support for it, you have to go to the US (where they have no end of questionable heroes). But you can be sure we will criticize you, from our northerly perch, for being too individualistic (think how many people in Canada loathe Celine Dion). And God help you if you return (as did Wayne Gretzky).
I shouldn’t be so cynical on Canada Day. But I’m not yet over the election, when like cows to the slaughter we all went to support that old and wasteful bunch (on both sides). It’s the same every time: whoever says “I will keep Canada the same” wins. Simple as that. Great way to manage our role in the changing world.