Ottawa, Ontario, Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Happy birthday, Canada!

What a privilege it is to be here, on Parliament Hill, for Canada Day.

And what a delight it is to be with all of you!

Today, July 1st, is a day for all of us to come together as a nation, for us to rejoice and to revel in all that is great and good about our country.

And we have so many reasons to celebrate!

Over this past year, my wife, Sharon, and I have met with thousands of Canadians. And everywhere we have been, we met impressive, hard-working people.

Time and again, we saw how much you care.

How much you care for each other, for your communities, and for your country.

One of my predecessors, Lord Byng, once urged Canadians to “Be as big—with minds as large and souls as great—as the land in which [we] live.”

And so many of you have risen and are rising to this challenge, thinking and dreaming big, and making a difference in your communities and around the world. 

This has always been the case, of course—Canadians have always been practical dreamers.

Take, for example, Clara Hughes, whom we’ll hear from in a moment. As you are all likely aware, she’s an Olympic speed skater and cyclist who has won a total of six medals, and has competed in both the summer and winter games. But her athleticism is not the only reason she inspires us. She also cares a great deal about others, and has just completed a bike ride across Canada to raise awareness about mental health.

Talk about a big dreamer!

There are so many reasons for Canadians to feel proud of their country this year: the achievements of our Olympians at Sochi; the contributions made by our veterans and soldiers across the country and overseas; and the anniversaries of the historic Charlottetown and Québec Conferences that led to Confederation.

As we celebrate Canada’s birthday and the accomplishments of Canadians everywhere, let us all take the opportunity to dream big, and to think about how we can help to build a smarter, more caring nation.

A nation that is fair, just, ambitious, compassionate, prosperous and responsible.

Let us think about how we can give back to this country, a country we are so lucky to call home.

And now, on with the celebrations!