Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a campaign-style speech focused on his Liberal governmentB次元官网网址檚 successes over the last four years as he delivered his Canada Day remarks on Parliament Hill on the countryB次元官网网址檚 152nd birthday.
Speaking to a jovial crowd clad in red and white gathered under a hot sun, Trudeau reminded the assembled masses about last year, when he skipped the festivities in the nationB次元官网网址檚 capital and instead visited communities impacted by steel and aluminum tariffs that had been imposed as part of a trade dispute with the United States.
In those communities, Trudeau said he saw people helping and supporting one another B次元官网网址� a key Canadian quality to celebrate, he said.
But he also dropped a not-so-subtle reminder of how his government was able to renegotiate a new free trade agreement with the United States and Mexico, and eventually got the U.S. tariffs lifted.
B次元官网网址淲e put up a united front, we leaned on each other, we had each otherB次元官网网址檚 backs and we didnB次元官网网址檛 get pushed around,B次元官网网址� Trudeau said.
He also highlighted some rosy numbers sure to be regularly touted in the upcoming election campaign: the number of jobs created since his Liberals took office in 2015 B次元官网网址� one million; the number of long-term boil-water advisories lifted since 2015 B次元官网网址� 85; and the number of kids who have been lifted out of poverty B次元官网网址� nearly 300,000.
His support for diversity was also a focal point of his remarks, saying he is proud to be part of a country that values multiculturalism while also looking to the future to meet what he called B次元官网网址渢he great challenges of our timesB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� climate change, reconciliation and gender equality.
B次元官网网址淎s a country, itB次元官网网址檚 important that we celebrate our accomplishments, that we take pride in how far weB次元官网网址檝e come. But we canB次元官网网址檛 forget that Canada did not happen by accident and wonB次元官网网址檛 continue without effort and hard work. We can and we must continue to make our country even better,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚 have no doubt that together, we can continue to build a country we can all be proud to call home.B次元官网网址�
Trudeau wasnB次元官网网址檛 the only high-profile Canadian at OttawaB次元官网网址檚 celebration, which Ottawa police said swelled to approximately 16,000. In addition to Governor General Julie Payette and a smattering of cabinet ministers, actor Ryan Reynolds watched the festivities from the VIP section on Parliament Hill.
And astronaut David Saint-Jacques, freshly back from a stint in space, made a surprise video appearance from a hospital in Houston, TX., where heB次元官网网址檚 recovering from his trip back to earth.
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In rainy Halifax, meanwhile, the occasion was marked with a 21-gun salute on Citadel Hill, sending the sound of cannon blasts echoing through the sky like thunder.
Jihan Estrella was happy to be in Halifax for the holiday after immigrating to Canada from the Philippines just a month ago.
B次元官网网址淓ven if we donB次元官网网址檛 know anybody, we talk to people at church and they help us with what we need. I think thatB次元官网网址檚 something Canada has that weB次元官网网址檙e very fortunate to have experienced,B次元官网网址� she said.
Torontonians had their pick of celebrations like the annual Yonge-Dundas Multiculturalism party, which celebrated the countryB次元官网网址檚 diversity with jazz bands, a B次元官网网址淧arade of NationsB次元官网网址� and live performances from multicultural groups.
Terence Hampton Junior, 21, was visiting Toronto for the first time on a family vacation from Memphis, TN, when he found the Yonge-Dundas celebration. The differences between Toronto and his hometown, he said, are palpable.
B次元官网网址淕oing around in different places and just seeing all of these people of different colours and different races and backgrounds together and just enjoying each otherB次元官网网址檚 presence, thatB次元官网网址檚 something thatB次元官网网址檚 really important I think that Canada symbolizes well,B次元官网网址� said Hampton Junior.
Though the celebrations were little less grand than they were two years ago for the countryB次元官网网址檚 sesquicentennial birthday, 2019 is an anniversary year of sorts: the 140th official holiday celebrating Confederation.
The Canadian Press
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