During today's class, Erika showed us a video of Douglas Coupland and his "Canada House" .. what is means to be Canadian and the souvenirs/symbols defining Canada. A major symbol of an artificial leg was shown to represent a Canadian hero -Terry Fox.  

Growing up, my elementary years consisted of an Annual Terry Fox Run. We ran the perimeters of our school to raise money for cancer research. Nowadays, this hero is still being remembered all over the Lower Mainland and across Canada. 

There is a Terry Fox Foundation, a high school in Port Coquitlam called Terry Fox Secondary, and many other things dedicated to Terry Fox.


In terms of a connection to Atwood's The Year of The Flood I thought this passage was suiting. 

Saint Terry and All Wayfarers
Year Twenty-Five

OF THE WANDERING STATE
SPOKEN BY ADAM ONE

Adam One addressing his dear friends, fellow creatures, fellow sojourners.
"Saint Terry’s Day is dedicated to all Wayfarers - prime among them Saint Terry Fox, who ran so far with one mortal and one metallic leg; who set a shining example of courage in the face of overwhelming odds; who showed what the human body can do in the way of locomotion without fossil fuels; who races against Mortality, and in the end outran his own Death, and lives on in Memory (403)." 

Further down the passage..

“It is fitting that we remember those whom we have lost so far on our journey [...] we thank for them showing such praiseworthy concern for those of us who remain healthy (404)."

Atwood labels Terry Fox as a Saint, in which they celebrate his memory, like we do today all across Canada.