In his annual Canada Day address, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised the country for what he described as its commitment to pluralism, inclusion and fairness, while noting ongoing efforts to right past injustices and pursue reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
“Those are the values that hold us together as Canadians. It’s the reason so many people around the world save up everything they have and leave behind everything they know to be part of our story. It’s a story that includes injustices, ones that we are confronting on our shared path of reconciliation,” Trudeau said in the video, recorded in British Columbia.
“It’s a story of learning. Learning that we’re stronger not in spite of our differences, but because of them. And it’s a story that’s still being written by incredible Canadians who step up for their community and country.”
Trudeau praised the ongoing efforts of health-care workers, first responders and the armed forces. He said the freedoms Canadians enjoy are “never guaranteed” but are safeguarded everyday by people in this country.
Justin Trudeau’s 2024 Canada Day message
In his annual address marking Canada Day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised Canada for what he described as its commitment to pluralism, inclusion and fairness, thanking Canadians from a wide range of backgrounds for their work building the country and safeguarding its rights and freedoms.
In a written statement, Governor General Mary Simon reminded Canadians that the country is shaped by many different points of view.
“I encourage Canadians to embrace and celebrate all our voices and all our stories,” she wrote. “Lead with empathy, curiosity and dialogue. Advance reconciliation at every opportunity — incorporate it into your work, your school and your lives. This is a lifelong journey, and one that is a shared responsibility. Together, we can shape an inclusive Canada.”
New Canadian citizens share what Canada Day means to them
CBC News spoke to five Canadians who received citizenship on Monday in Ottawa. They expressed the emotional significance of this Canada Day; one noted she’s ‘grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the diversity and cultural richness of this country.’
Trudeau and Simon addressed the country as Canada marks its 157th birthday.
Celebrations are taking place from coast to coast to coast on the national holiday. People in Newfoundland and Labrador are marking Memorial Day on Monday as well.
Ottawa crowds in good spirts
In Ottawa, the capital once more held the official Canada Day ceremonies.
Ongoing construction work on Parliament Hill once again pushed this year’s main stage to LeBreton Flats Park, about 1.5 kilometres to the west. The major rehabilitation of Centre Block reduced the amount of space available for public events on the lawn in front of the Parliament Buildings.
Under a cloudless July sky, thousands of people dressed in red and white made their way to Ottawa’s LeBreton Park Flats for the annual Canada Day celebrations in the national capital.
People were in high spirits as they strolled down Wellington Street to the festival site, taking the airport-style security checks and porta-potties in stride. The sun was blazing by the time things got underway at noon, and many ducked under umbrellas they brought for shade.
Canadian singer Marie-Mai, centre, performs during Canada Day celebrations at LeBreton Flats in Ottawa, on Monday, July 1, 2024. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)
Algonquin elder Claudette Commanda opened the events with an Indigenous reflection. With a small wooden canoe on stage beside her, Commanda spoke about its importance to Indigenous Peoples.
Using the canoe as a symbol of hope and healing, she said Indigenous and Canadian children will journey together.
“Learn from the past, appreciate the present and honour the future, for the future belongs to the children. Together let us journey in peace and friendship,” she said.
A young Indigenous dancer in regalia, an Inuit drummer and a Metis dancer performed during the reflection before they were joined by three children. The elders and children passed the canoe to one another as a drummer performed an honour song.
Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland delivers remarks during Canada Day celebrations at LeBreton Flats in Ottawa on Monday. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)
Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland also spoke. Freeland was greeted with loud cheers as she said it was time to set aside “our national modesty” and declare that Canada is the best country in the world.
“Most importantly, ours is a country of good, kind people,” she said.
Freeland was there in place of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who offered greetings via a recorded video while he attended events in St. John’s, N.L. There was a ripple of surprise through the crowd when Freeland introduced the Liberal leader and he appeared on a screen instead of in person.
The Royal Canadian Air Force performed a ceremonial flypast, featuring dozens of aircraft. The RCAF this year is celebrating 100 years since its founding.
Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds and a CF-18 fly over Parliament Hill during a flypast celebrating the RCAF centennial, on Canada Day in Ottawa, on Monday, July 1, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
Canada Day in the U.S.
Celebrations also took place across the border at the Canadian Embassy in Washington.
Families dressed in red and white gathered to celebrate home away from home. The embassy’s Canada Day celebrations aimed to recreate a block party north of the international border with food, friends and family. Canadian music played as kids attempted to throw a beanbag in a giggle-filled game of cornhole.
“Today is about celebrating Canada. It’s about celebrating our people, our values,” said Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S.
Hillman thanked Americans for taking part in the party. She said the relationship between Canada and the United States is the envy of the world.
“We are friends. We are partners. We are allies,” she said. “It’s something that we shouldn’t take for granted.”
Trudeau in N.L. for Memorial Day
The prime minister and Governor General participated in several ceremonies in Newfoundland and Labrador today, including the entombment of Newfoundland’s Unknown Soldier, who died over 100 years ago in France during the First World War.
He’s home. Unknown Soldier entombed at Newfoundland’s National War Memorial
From the fields of France to official repatriation ceremonies, the Unknown Soldier was laid to rest at the refurbished Newfoundland National War Memorial on Monday. Thousands in total bore witness to the final part of the Unknown Soldier’s journey. ‘No one can have a greater love than to lay down their life for their country,’ said Canadian Armed Forces chaplain Lt.-Col. Shawn Samson at the ceremony.
CBC marked Canada Day with two CBC News specials, a radio special paying tribute to a Canadian musical icon and an evening show to unite music lovers across the country.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
