Perfect Timing: Canada Day Celebrations Offer Welcome Reprieve

June 29, 2005

As I’ve stated many times before, Canada Day and Remembrance Day are my favourite days of the year to be a Member of Parliament. These two national days of commemoration provide the best opportunities for me to join with my constituents to show our appreciation for our country, its proud history and those who dedicated themselves to maintaining the way of life we enjoy today.

This year, I am finally able to report that the new Canadian War Museum is one of the thousands of sites at which Canada Day celebrations will take place. The very reason we have a nation to celebrate is largely due to the sacrifices of our war veterans, and while the museum officially opened in May, the first on-site Canada Day event there is sure to be a moving and fitting tribute.

While this year marks Canada’s 138th birthday, it is the 125th anniversary of the first time ‘O Canada’ was sung publicly for the first time. Ironically, our national anthem was actually written and sung in French adjacent to Quebec’s National Assembly in 1880 as part of the province’s patriotic St. Jean Baptiste celebrations.

It wasn’t until ‘O Canada’ was translated into English and sung by schoolchildren to the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall (the future King George V and Queen Mary) during a royal tour of Canada in 1901 that the song became better known.

Though it is probably the best-known song throughout Canada today, ‘O Canada’ wasn’t actually proclaimed as Canada’s national anthem until July 1, 1980. This Friday, it will be sung by millions of Canadians across the nation.

For me, this July 1st follows a very tumultuous and grueling session in the House of Commons. Frankly, I could hardly wait to “get back home” to our beautiful riding.

The federal Liberals’ use of closure this week to shut down debate and ram through passage of the $4.6-billion NDP-Liberal spending deal and the same-sex marriage legislation was not only distressing, but I believe ultimately harmful to the future well-being of our nation.

The abrupt and pre-mature end to this emotionally-charged and divisive parliamentary debate is not something that will be ‘shaken-off’ quickly. However, the battle to protect the traditional definition of marriage is not over. The next federal election will be Canadians’ opportunity to demonstrate to Prime Minister Paul Martin how they feel about his failure to protect religious freedoms under Bill C-38.

I can’t think of a better way to re-group and re-charge than to celebrate our country’s birthday with my constituents, who always help to remind me what’s important in the “real world” outside Ottawa.

This year, I’ll be taking part in Canada Day celebrations in Prince George. Then, I am eager to “hit the road”, travelling throughout the riding as I do each summer, meeting with local mayors, councilors, business groups and residents to discuss a wide array of issues important to our unique corner of British Columbia.

-30-