Grant - Open Borders and Open Minds
Let's not be protectionist and inward looking. Let's lead locally and internationally and be fearless.
The My Canada Project (2017): For the 150th anniversary of Canada, I asked many of my friends, colleagues, and neighbours to describe their Canada and what Canada meant to them. These are their stories.
Grant Goodwin is the CEO of Docupet. Grant and a bunch of us created The Breakout Project in Kingston in 2017 as a social impact project at the Fort Henry in Kingston and ended with a concert by Sam Roberts Band in the Kingston square. There are many who say “you know our town could be better, could be greater”, there are few that actually get up and gather the people around them to get it done.
Q. Tell me bit about yourself and your life in Canada?
I am an entrepreneur based in Kingston, Ontario, working a few too many hours on a number of organizations. I’m here because I love Kingston and all that it has to offer for my family. I grew up in East Gwillimbury, a rural/sub-urban region near Newmarket, Ontario and spent most of my youth in the town of Mount Albert.
As a kid, I spent most of my time outside playing sports, riding bikes, GTing, etc. all within the confines of my community. Most of the neighbourhood was the same with kids being free to roam our town of 2000 freely. Play and social life was unstructured and, for the most part, the kids were a close-knit community though the parents were not. Most of the adults worked closer to Toronto and our town didn’t have much a community feel outside of the public school social scene.
In grade nine we moved to Newmarket where I attended a newly-opened high school. I didn’t enjoy it much though I met with and connected with a small group of like-minded athletes. I wasn’t very out-going. Not the partying type, really.
I took a year away from school to travel to Whistler (with high school friends) and Europe (on a bike, on my own) before heading to Queen’s University to study engineering.
Before leaving university, I started my first business, a clothing company, with friends. It was an amazing thrill ride, though something of a flop, and I knew immediately that academia was not my intended path. I didn’t return for fourth year and have been starting and running businesses ever since.
I moved between Kingston and the GTA a few times over the first 8 years after university getting businesses going but eventually settled here with my wife for good to raise a family. We have two kids, Angus is eight and Eliza is six. We have a bunch of close friends from our university days here, and have met a slew of other great people we are close with today
Q. When you think about being Canadian what does it mean for you?
I’m proud to be Canadian. I believe mostly due to the values that I attributed to its “brand”. I believe that we are modest, accepting, progressive, empathetic, hard working, willing to lead, and willing to listen. I like that we all try to “get it right” most of the time and that our motto is about “good government” and not “pursuit of happiness”. I like our quirks: our “corner of the globe” location, our stupid climate, our “hoser” traditions (curling, cottages, coffee), as much as I like the role we play internationally.
I think most Canadians are proud to be Canadian because of some version of those values, and its nice to be part of a confident “team” of citizens who are generally aligned on the overall purpose or mission of our country.
Q. What makes you happy about Canada? Where do you feel the happiest in Canada?
Our geography is number 1. I like that we can be both urban and remote at once. I believe most Canadians, though I wish it was true for all, experience both leading-edge modern technology and “switched off” natural frequencies on the regular.
I’m most happy at my cottage with many family or friends enjoying unorganized time. Laughing, singing, playing, puzzling, napping, imbibing, etc.
Q. What frustrates you about Canada?
When we get it wrong, especially politically. I don’t like it when we become protectionist, when we move backward, when we close our doors or minds, or when we wimp out. We need to lead locally and internationally, and be fearless in doing so, and not allow ourselves (and associated elected leaders) to rest on laurels, turn back time, slow down progress, or opt out of helping or doing the hard thing. Think about our first nations people, our innovation-led economies, our environmental reputation — these are things we can be better at (must be better at) and I really do get frustrated when our “brand stewards” forget about what we stand for (or at least what I feel we stand for).
Q. Where would you like Canada to be in 25 years when we celebrate 175?
I’d like us to be leading the globalization, unification and environmental movements. I’d like Canada to have set the example for open borders and open minds, to have doubled down on education and equal human rights, and to be at the forefront of solving real world problems, always by example.
Q. If you have one piece of advice to give someone being born in Canada today, what would it be?
Don’t take it for granted. You’ve been given a lottery ticket and, like all gifts, it should be received with a notion of reciprocity. See the world, study it, and get on with helping others as part of your work. I wish I did more of this when I was younger. I spent a bit too much time getting my own path sorted out and I think learning and helping would have taken both me and many others around me a lot further and faster.