Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement to mark Canada Day:
“My best wishes to fellow Canadians across the country and around the world on the 143rd anniversary of our great country. It is a privilege and an honour to be hosting Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh on this national day of celebration. Their presence makes this a special Canada Day indeed.
“Canada Day is a time for Canadians of all ages to reflect on what we have accomplished as a nation, especially this past year. We hosted world-class Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games where our athletes won the most gold medals in the history of any Winter Games, including the first gold medal won on Canadian soil. We hosted back to back G-8 and G-20 Summits promoting our values and economic leadership on the world stage, including championing a maternal, newborn and child initiative that will help save millions of lives in developing countries. And we also led the world in responding to the Haiti earthquake, taking swift and decisive action to help the country deal with the immediate aftermath of the disaster and mobilizing world efforts to help rebuild the country and forgive its outstanding debt.
“On this day I would also pay tribute to those brave Canadians Forces members and Canadian civilians working in Afghanistan and other countries around the globe to make this world a safer, better place. We continue to be enormously proud of your accomplishments and our thoughts and prayers are always with you.
“On behalf of my family, Laureen, Ben and Rachel, and on behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish everybody a Happy Canada Day and encourage all Canadians to join in celebrations marking the birth of our great country.
