As we approach Canada Day, I continue to be awed by the beauty of our great country. Canada is indeed the greatest nation on earth, and I believe that we have the greatest citizens.
Despite being a relatively young country in terms of world history, we have a very good legacy which we can all take great pride in.
This year, we celebrate our 149th anniversary of Confederation. That was such an important date in Canada’s history as for the first time, the colonies of British North America finally realized that only by uniting as a single entity, could they realize their full potential.
We know that we can be proud of Canada’s past. But we can also be very excited for what the future holds. Our people, vast territory, natural resources, and innovative society mean that the 21st century really can belong to the people of Canada.
Canada Day is an important time to get together with family and friends, in order to celebrate all of the Canada’s achievements. We celebrate pride in country, pride in our history. We celebrate the strength of Canadian culture. We celebrate the contributions of Canada’s First Nations. We celebrate the fact that Canadians are the most open and generous people in the world. I think we can celebrate the fact that we welcome with open arms a high number of new Canadians, who immigrate here to make it their home. This is a country built by immigrants, and they helped make it the great place that it is today.
We can take time to celebrate all the great achievements of Canadians both here and abroad. Think of the Canadarm, which assists efforts in space. A Canadian medical team discovered insulin. Think about the Crash Position Indicator used on aircraft. That was an invention of the National Research Council, a Canadian government lab! Think about Pablum for babies, also a Canadian invention.
I hope that you will have an enjoyable Canada Day spent with family and friends, and I hope to see you at one of the multitude of events occurring across Bow River this year. My staff continue to be available to assist you over the summer months, and can be contacted in Ottawa at martin.shields@parl.gc.ca or 613-992-0761. You can also contact my Brooks office at martin.shields.c1@parl.gc.ca or at 1-844-241-0020.
