Canada
Day Celebration
Remarks
by the Hon. David Kilgour,
P.C., M.P.
Council
of India Societies of Edmonton
July
1, 2002
Edmonton
Good
afternoon everyone, and happy
Canada Day!
Our
city embodies so many of the
values that frankly make this
the best country on earth.
We are a community
of people from diverse backgrounds
who have learned to live,
work and grow together in
mutual respect.
Canada
Day is much more than a commemoration
of our country’s birth.
You only have to be
away from Canada for a short
time to realize why people
around the world want to come
here. It’s not just our high
standard of living.
We’re not the only
country to enjoy peace, order
and good government.
What’s
unique about this land is
our respect for differences.
This is one of our greatest
strengths—one that has enabled
us to encourage understanding,
friendships and peace around
the world.
Canada
Day is a time to think about
this uniqueness.
To think about the
Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms and the rule
of law and what they really
mean to us. Many of the world’s
populations are not so lucky.
Canada
Day also reminds us of the
fundamental values which together
make our country unique: equality,
respect, peace, democracy
and social justice.
Despite some domestic
challenges we face, this day
urges us to look forward to
a promising future for the
whole nation.
The
Indo-Canadian community, which
is fast approaching the one
million mark—although Dr.
Kalia indicates the precise
figure is 800,000—is a vibrant
part of our cultural kaleidoscope.
In fact, as you know,
India is now the second largest
source country for immigrants
to Canada.
The Indian community’s
contribution to the social,
political and economic aspects
of Canadian and Edmonton life
is large and becoming more
so each year.
Finally,
I’d like to thank the Council
of India Societies for inviting
me to participate in this
afternoon’s festivities and
I wish you all a safe and
happy Canada Day!
Thank you.
