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Address by
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on
Canada Day
July 1st, 2001
Ottawa, Ontario
Welcome to Canada Day 2001.
This is the 8th time that it
has been my great privilege to be a part of this nation wide celebration. To
join hands with all Canadians. And make a joyful noise, as only we can, about a
nation like no other.
Eight times I have done this. And it
gets better every time. It gets better because the parties get better every
year.
The huge one here on Parliament Hill is
just one of many that will roll across this great land from sunrise to sunset --
East to West, North to South. Where the pure joy of being Canadian will
overflow. Where we will share our feelings of national pride, accomplishment and
good fortune with each other and for all of the world to see.
On Canada Day, we express our pride at
being a force for peace, freedom and justice in an often troubled world. And our
endless gratitude to those who have given their lives defending our values.
This morning, I attended a quiet
ceremony in honour of one of our greatest international statesmen: my friend and
mentor, Lester Pearson. A leader who embodied the very Canadian belief that to
have any real meaning foreign policy must put people first.
On Canada Day, we celebrate our
unmatched diversity. It is a day when Canadians, by birth and by choice,
reaffirm our common citizenship and fundamental equality. And our shared
commitment to making Canada a better and more tolerant place to live, work and
raise families.
In Canada, a land built by new comers,
this tradition is older than Confederation. But it was with Pierre Elliott
Trudeau that it found its most eloquent expression. This man of passion and
vision, this giant of our times, was moved by the dream of a just society. And
he used the power and example of his high office to ensure that our laws and
institutions nurture the array of cultures that give Canadian life its special
energy, creativity and flavour.
A vibrance that will make itself felt
again in just a few days when the National Capital hosts the 4th Jeux
de la Francophonie; that makes any dream possible, including that of Jordin
Tootoo. Who has gone from hunting polar bears to being the first hockey player
from Nunavut to be drafted by the N.H.L; that is the creative energy behind the
work of artists like Zacharias Kunuk, who took the Cannes film festival by storm
this year with Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) -- the first film to be written,
produced, directed and acted by Inuits in their language.
Above all, my friends, on Canada Day we
celebrate the most precious of our national resources: the Canadian spirit.
A spirit of optimism and enthusiasm
that cannot be conquered. That has been more than a match for any challenge that
history, geography and circumstance have set before it.
A spirit that is sparked by innovation
and moved by compassion and generosity for the weak and the vulnerable. That is
never complacent. That is always fixed on a new challenge. A larger dream. A
better tomorrow.
Nourished by generations of doers and
dreamers, the Canadian spirit is the key to the history we have lived and the
values we have embraced.
And it is why -- in Canada -- our best
days are always ahead of us!
Happy Canada Day! Vive le Canada!
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