Taped at Rideau Hall, Monday, June 25, 2007

On this Canada Day, I would like to tell you about a strong conviction I developed at a very young age, when my family and I had to start our lives all over again, far from terror and tyranny.

I have based my very existence on this conviction. It guides all my decisions, all my choices.

It is the conviction that anything is possible in this world. And here in Canada, we have the greatest opportunities to reach our full potential and achieve our loftiest dreams.

To say what we think without fear of repercussion; to walk down the streets without fear; to be able to give our children every possible means of blossoming; to have dreams as big as Canada itself: that is the freedom we have in this country.

Not a day goes by that I don’t think about how lucky we are to live in freedom while so many people around the world are afflicted by barbarism and misery.

We cannot take this freedom for granted. It is our responsibility to spread this freedom all around us, and around the world, and the commitment of our soldiers in Afghanistan is an excellent reminder of this.

Here in Canada, we are linked by the bonds of solidarity and not the bonds of oppression. They are ties, not chains of misery. Our very presence in the world represents hope.

We must not forget that we bring an important message of hope to humanity. And we must share this message of hope on a daily basis, especially with young people, who are following in our footsteps.

I challenge you, the youth of this country, to do everything in your power to make your dreams come true and to make your actions matter. There is no dream too wild or unattainable for those who dare to dream big.

This country is enormous. I encourage you to explore it and meet the people who make it what it is. This country is amazing. It has so much space, and contains so much generosity and so many ideas, that each and every one of us can do anything we set our minds to.

It is because of you that today’s Canada can assert its originality and daring. Happy Canada Day!