The document highlights the significance of various cultural objects and traditions in shaping individual identities within a Canadian police service context. Contributors share personal anecdotes related to their heritage, family practices, and memories attached to items like food, music, and rituals. Ultimately, these stories illustrate how cultural identity is constructed and celebrated through shared experiences and personal histories.

1. *This is What Matters
*Cultural identity inside a
Canadian police service

2. Making identities for ourselves…
We have chosen the object that best explains
where we’ve come from, and who we are.
Then we explain why.
Thank you for enjoying.

3. Accordion
A few of my uncles played.
Once an instrument came
out, dancing would soon
follow, and every family
gathering ended in a sing-
song.
Whenever I hear accordion,
it brings back fond
memories of my Slovenian
family together, in times of
need or celebration.

4. Smudging Fire
Brushing the sacred smoke across your
brow clears the mind and spirit.
Smudging the space around me - work,
home, wherever - feels like washing my
hands and splashing water on my face.
I carry my smudging kit pretty much
where I go. Colleagues often ask to take
part when I do this at work; you don’t
have to be native to find this
comforting.

5. Akee and Salted Cod Fish
This is Jamaica's National Dish.
I visit my mom almost every
Sunday and she always seems
to know when to make it for
me. Mother's intuition?
I love it with fried dumplings.
The smell and taste brings back
pleasant memories of growing
up in Jamaica.

6. U-Pick Apples
Some of my happiest childhood
memories revolve around apple
picking. My (English immigrant)
parents loved “picking our own”
at Al Ferri’s, and we’d always
come home with multiple
bushels.
Now, I share that joy with my
family.

7. Coal
For generations, my
ancestors risked their lives
and suffered lung diseases
in the mines of Wales,
digging coal. It was
regarded as a major source
of heat, employment,
wealth and economic
prosperity.
Today, it’s my personal
symbol of sacrifice,
dedication, family and
warmth.

8. The Cottage
My family has enjoyed this
view for four generations.
That motorized raft has
always been my family’s
transportation of choice for
the lake, for fishing,
swimming or just coasting
around.

9. Going Fishing
One of my earliest
recollections is of fishing.
The time we spent on the
lake in the boat is what I
remember most about my
father.
I try to give my children the
same experience because of
how it has it has moulded
my life.
Sometimes it’s just me and
Trooper. That’s ok too.

10. Getting Outside
My family’s enjoyed
Canadian winters over
generations. When I was
little, it was tobogganing,
shinny and snowballs.
These days I love a day
outside with my kids for
any reason.
It’s great for the soul to be
at one with nature, and to
take a break from our
increasingly 'electronic'
lives!

11. Golden syrup
Lyle's Golden syrup is like
dessert in a can. As
children we spread it on
our parathas (flatbread) or
crepes (we called skinny
pancakes).
Fifty years later, our
children & grandchildren
enjoy Lyle’s golden syrup;
only difference is it comes
in a bottle and not a tin.

12. Guitar
The fifth generation of my
family is now learning guitar
from their parents. It’s a family
tradition that started during
the Depression.
As long as I can remember,
every family gathering features
a jam session. Music is
resonating through my family.

13. Keep Calm and Carry On
“Keep calm and carry on”
is a motto that I try to
use in my everyday life.
The bottle is an excellent
reminder that nothing is
so bad that a cool head
and purposeful action
can’t help fix it.

14. Lukken
I decided to choose
Belgian lukken.
I've never seen them
available in stores, at
least not like my mom
makes.
She makes them for
every family occasion
and they've been a part
of my life since I can
remember.

15. Bob Marley
When I was a 13 year
old boy, Bob Marley
and his music gave me
a sense of where I
came from, who I was,
and what I could be.

16. The flag I wear
We left the Phillippines
when I was a little kid.
2014 is my family’s
40th year in Canada
and PRP’s 40th
Anniversary. This ties
together two of the
most important things
in my life: being a
Canadian citizen and
being a police officer.

17. Open Water
Born in Halifax to a
Navy Man father.
I served 15 years in the
Navy and 10 years on
the PRP Marine Unit.
I own 3 boats and fish
like a madman.
Water speaks to me, it is
a large part of my
identity.

18. Paddle
200 years ago my ancestors made
their living in the fur trade with this
tool. It has always been a symbol
of independent mobility to me.
For them it was a means of getting
to a new place or opportunity, for
me a way to get somewhere quiet.

19. Passport
My grandfather emigrated
from Ireland in 1912, and
like many Irish immigrants
to Toronto, he spent the first
30 years living in a
neighborhood called
Cabbagetown. This is his
Canadian passport, issued
1921 and it reminds me of
my Irish heritage.

20. Jamaican
Pimento Berries
My father harvested the
branches, and we’d all sit on
the verandah picking the
berries off and talking. Then
he’d dry the berries and sell
them at market.
Today, the smell takes me
right back to family time.
Here, they call it Allspice.

21. Playing Cards
My background is a mix
of Italian and American
culture. When our two
families got together
we always loved to play
cards.
Whether it be Gin
Rummy, Poker, Euchre
or Solitaire, playing
cards still dominates
family functions today.

22. I am a Reader
I read for pleasure; to
get some ‘alone’ time;
to learn; to waste my
time in a productive
manner; to have great
conversations with
other readers; to focus
on something other
than myself.
To escape.

23. Rice
Rice is the Filipino’s staple
food. Eating it reminds
me of my heritage every
day – my mother worked
on rice fields herself and
my father is a good cook!
Rice for me is not just
nourishment – it stands
for comfort, home and
family.

24. Roasted corn
This is a traditional
Ecuadorian corn. At any
family get-together this is
on the table, as an
appetizer or to accompany
the meal.
There are South American
stores you can find it here,
but anytime family
members come to
Canada, they always bring
us some.

25. Boat
My family goes back several
generations as coastal
Newfoundlanders; so this
boat represents mobility,
access to food and
livelihood.
My father began building
boats in his youth and is a
Shipwright to this day.

26. Recipe
This is my mother’s recipe for
an Irish scone. It brings to
mind Sunday afternoons, a cup
of tea, a piece of scone and
relaxed conversation.
I have often tried to bake her
scone, but somehow it never
tastes as good as hers.

27. Soccer
Maybe soccer is in my blood:
my grandparents were English
immigrants.
But I have played and
watched, driven, coached and
cheered my daughter from the
time she was five.
So now I’m a FIFA fan, but
when I think “soccer”, I think
of her.

28. Warm bacon salad
This is my grandma’s old
family recipe that goes back
at least 4 generations.
The bacon and dressing are
hot when you toss them in,
so it starts wilting instantly.
You have to eat this right
away, which is easy.
A special treat we eat only
at Christmas time.

29. Canoe trip
The thrill of exploring
the wild, the physical
challenge, the mental
endurance, and the
spiritual sanctity.
This is what defined my
ancestors...this is what
defines me.

30. Family Dish
This pottery is made in my
mother’s village in
Portugal.
It sits in the centre of the
table whenever the whole
family gathers together,
birthdays, Christmas
Easter, whenever, it
reminds me of where we
come from, but mostly of
who we still are.

31. Claddagh
I was born and raised in a
small community in
Newfoundland, where family,
friends and neighbours were
valued and treated with
respect. Those values have
shaped the person I have
become and continue to
strive to be. The Irish
Claddagh ring symbolizes
those values.

32. Watching
Coronation Street
This is the *official
coaster that you put
under your tea, beside
the plate of hard
biscuits.
*Must be in place by
start of theme music !

33. Egg with toast fingers
I loved these growing
up: they were Grammy’s
favourite, too.
Warm, comforting,
healthy, delicious and
very simple.
Also quite messy, and
rarely perfect - too
runny or overdone - just
like family.

34. Empanada
This traditional
Argentinian recipe
traces back to our true
origins. It is served as a
traditional celebratory
meal where family and
friends come together.
For me, it will always
be a symbol of family,
joy and happiness.

35. Espresso
For as long as I can
remember, morning to
night, espresso was part of
daily life. Whenever
company came over,
espresso was the only
coffee offered in our
household.
The moka, pictured here, is
an integral part of the
Italian social scene.

36. Microphone
My earliest family
memories? Gathered
around grandparents’ piano,
singing French Canadian folk
songs. I grew up performing,
that music, touring Canada
with my family.
Today, I’ll hear my husband’s
guitar, or my children
plinking on the piano, and it
will resonate, because music
runs through our veins.

37. Red
The colour Red symbolizes
luck, fortune, and joy.
When I was young, it was
only used during special
events like New Years,
weddings, family
gatherings and so on.
Nowadays, although red
is used daily, I still reserve
it for special occasions to
maintain the tradition.

38. Sword & Shamrock
My heritage is Potato Famine
Irish.
My forebears took jobs in
the military and other
“protection occupations”.
Navy wrestler Dad wore a
Shamrock on his robe and his
ring name was “Danny Boy”.
We were raised Irish, and to
look after those around us.

39. Tea
Post WWII British
immigrants; hardworking,
middle class labourers.
There was never an event
where a hot cup of tea was
not present, through times
of mirth or melancholy.
A small reminder of one
generation’s passion to
continue old world
traditions.

40. The family dog
We have always had dogs
as long as I can remember.
A dog is friendly, loyal,
selfless, funny, trusting
and smart. Most
important: they all love
completely and
unconditionally.
My dog is the kind of
family member we all try
to be.

41. The Toast
My family aren’t really
“drinkers” but we make an
exception for Irish Whiskey,
which is the way we show
something is very, very
important at home.
A new baby, Easter, a wedding
or a funeral. All these things
are marked with a “jar”. It may
be the only way we mark our
Irish heritage, but there is no
sign of that changing!

42. Doordarshan
As a child in India in the
70’s there were just 2 hours
of television a day. This
swirling symbol warned us
that the shows were about
to start. By the time the
symbol stopped turning, the
whole neighborhood would
be gathered around my
family’s the set to watch.
TV was a communal affair!

43. This project is voluntary and anonymous.
It was part of Masters degree curriculum at the School of
International and Intercultural communications, Royal
Roads University.
Please add your story to ours by getting in touch:
Andrew.Mizen@RoyalRoads.ca