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What we have accomplished together
Letter to the Editor
Today, millions of people across our vast, beautiful land – from Bonavista to Vancouver Island, from the Arctic Circle to the Great Lakes waters – are celebrating Canada Day.
People will gather to enjoy food and fireworks, as well as parties and parades. This is a wonderful time for communities to gather and celebrate our peaceful and democratic country.
This Canada Day is unlike any other in recent memory, as we face unprecedented economic and political threats. Those dangers have sharpened our appreciation for what we have accomplished in building the Canada we love, including such monumental achievements as a public health-care system. To be Canadian is to be proud of the way we take care of each other.
The challenges we face in improving our country are many. We do so confident that we will find solutions by working together. Even as we debate our differences with vigour, we keep in mind far more unites us than divides us.
The Canada of today is the result of a long history of compromise and negotiation, reflecting the Canadian values of fairness, generosity and humility. We should be proud of the role Canada has played in the world. We have answered the call to combat tyranny, and have also been ardent peacekeepers in troubled lands. We have welcomed waves of newcomers throughout our history, and we are proud today to be able to offer sanctuary to people from war-torn countries who seek peace and security.
The pride we feel for our country does not mean we ignore our own troubled and complicated history. Canada Day offers an opportunity for reflection on the impact of colonialism on generations of Indigenous Peoples. Our government is dedicated to addressing these matters in a spirit of reconciliation in partnership with Indigenous Peoples.
The work of building a better Canada is never done, as nation building is an assignment without end. We will always seek to make a country that in every way is more peaceful, more prosperous and more democratic for ourselves, our families, our neighbours, our communities and for all who call this land home. An important part of that is our desire in British Columbia to build an economy that works for everyone.
Let’s take the opportunity this Canada Day to remind ourselves of what we have accomplished together. Happy Canada Day!
Premier David Eby
