View From the Legislature

Canada Day 2021 will likely be a day of reflection that is unlike many in recent memory.

Despite the improving situation as it relates to the pandemic, there are still gathering size limits that will make for a vastly different Canada Day than is traditionally the case. Many communities have again cancelled or postponed traditional celebrations because of these limitations.

Without question, the past year has been a difficult one for many Canadians and while there is improvement and reason for optimism, it will certainly be a time of reflection for many on what has been a year of many challenges and losses. But the discovery over the past several weeks of the burial of hundreds of children at residential schools in Saskatchewan and British Columbia will rightfully cause even more reflection on this Canada Day than might otherwise have been the case.

The discovery of these unmarked grave sites has resulted in many acts of mourning and remembrance. Some have taken place at the Manitoba Legislature and during them I have had the opportunity to speak to survivors of residential schools and First Nations representatives and hear their painful memories. My wife and son joined me at these ceremonies and each of us came away from them both moved and with a better understanding than we had previously. Across the country, Canadians of all ethnic backgrounds have taken it upon themselves to partake in their own acts of mourning or remembrance.

I know that for many newcomers to Canada, much of what they are now hearing and learning seems very disconnected with the country that they have chosen to call home. As the former provincial Minister responsible for immigration, I saw firsthand just how many people around the world were desperate to immigrate to Canada to start a new and better life. So many have come and experienced the tremendous opportunity and diversity that Canada is known for.

But what the discovery of the children reflects is that Canada, like all countries, is not perfect and has made decisions that need to be acknowledged and learned from. Part of that learning is simply acknowledging mistakes and trying to address them. Manitoba, like other provinces, has announced funding to search for unmarked residential school graves. It is a small but important step in a long healing process.

As a result of all of this, it will be a Canada Day that will involve a great deal of reflection for many different reasons. Canadians will look back on a difficult year that has seen their lives altered in a way that they would not have expected only 15 months ago. The discovery of the burial site of children at residential schools requires Canada to both remember and reflect on these lives and the decisions that were made. And even amidst these difficult reflections, there will be many Canadians, both those who have come to Canada and those who have been here their entire life, who will be grateful for the life this country has provided to them and their family.

This Canada Day will feel different for many reasons. But as Canadians, the common thing that binds us is the desire to acknowledge our mistakes, build upon our strengths, and make a Canada that reflects the freedoms and values we all aspire to.