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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