Canada Day is always a time of joy and pride. A time when we come together, in all of our extraordinary diversity to savour the many blessings of a nation and a people that are favoured as few others.

The 135^th year of Confederation has been one in which we have met great challenges in stride, with confidence and resolve. One in which our shared values of freedom, tolerance, sharing and compassion, as always, have been a sure and steady guide to our actions and our choices.

After the calamity of September 11^th, we opened our hearts and homes to thousands of stranded visitors. And we stood shoulder to shoulder with all civilized nations to defend freedom as part of the international campaign against terrorism.

In a year of global uncertainty, the steps we have taken as a people to restore vitality and dynamism to our economy have been rewarded with continued growth and expanded opportunity.

And in the last few days, Canada has taken a leadership role, through the G8, in the cause of ensuring that the benefits of globalization are truly global. As we endorsed a concrete Africa Action Plan, whose goal is to help reverse generations of social and economic decline on that troubled continent.

As we savour a year of tremendous achievement, our shared goal for the future must be to harness the sense of optimism and confidence that have been sparked during this extraordinary year to meet the unique challenges that lie between us and the realization of our full potential as a nation in the 21^st century: the challenges of maximizing opportunity for all Canadians, of investing in their hopes and their dreams, and of ensuring that our quality of life remains a model to the world.

Aline joins me in wishing each and every Canadian the best Canada Day ever.

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