This Canada Day celebration will look different. Most communities in our region are opting for virtual celebrations or drive-in style firework displays. We do this to protect each other. As Canadians, many of our systems are designed that way: to look out for each other. These systems though are not perfect.
Advocates have long seen the cracks in our systems. The pandemic and recent events have further exposed those cracks and vulnerabilities in our economic, social, and health systems. As a region and a country, we are presented with an opportunity to reflect on how we care for each other and ensure access to necessities like food and housing. To address the systemic ways racialized Canadians and Indigenous peoples have been left behind. To protect the health of our environment and our economy. We can celebrate our progress as a country but must acknowledge that there is more to be done.
Our government has made significant investments to address inequity, economic uncertainty, and the climate crisis and will continue to move our country forward. There is work to do at all levels of government, for all organizations, and within each individual. It will take the collaborative spirit we are known for to confront and face the challenges ahead of us. The pandemic has taught us that we can come together in pursuit of a collective goal and I believe we are capable of the hard work ahead of us.
Let’s continue to come together as a country to protect each other. And in our pursuit for a better Canada, let’s remember to be kind to each other. Always.
