Every year we are fortunate to be able to celebrate the great privilege we have to live in the country of Canada. July 1st is not only Canada’s birthday; it is the day we set aside to join with Canadians across the country in being thankful for all that our country gives us in freedom and opportunity.
The Canada that we experience today is the result of the dedication and vision that men and women over the past many decades had for Canada. Many came here from other countries in the hopes of building for themselves and their families a better life. Many also fled persecution and found in Canada a place where they could live freely and maintain their beliefs and traditions.
The Canada of even a century a go was an incredibly different place than the one we will celebrate on Friday. There were just over 136,000 people recorded living in Winnipeg at the time, many times less than its population today. The average monthly rent cost $20.15, with a farmhand earning roughly $35.55 a month.
There was only one telephone for every 15 Canadian households and a sirloin steak cost 49 cents, milk 53 cents and a dozen eggs cost 34 cents. The Montreal Canadians beat the Portland Rosebuds of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association to win their first Stanley Cup. The centre block of the federal Canadian parliament buildings in Ottawa burnt down and Nellie McClung presented a petition to the Alberta Legislature demanding women’s suffrage, with women in Manitoba being given the right to vote shortly after.
Today Canada is among the most technological countries in the world and our democracy and economy are the envy of most nations. That growth and development has been mirrored in our local communities in the southeast which have moved beyond primarily farm and subsistence living. Canadians from a century ago would hardly recognize the landscape but they would see the same dedication to hard work, family and neighbours reflected in the values of today’s residents.
And they are values that are allowed and encouraged to flourish in Canada. As we celebrate our countries 149th birthday, we can do so knowing that we are part of the continuing story of Canada. A story that grows each and every year and one which we as Canadians today, work to better for future generations of Canadians.
On behalf of my family, we wish each of you a wonderful Canada Day. Take time to remember our great fortune to live in this amazing country and the many people, past and present, that have made it the greatest country in the world.
