Today, we celebrate an incredible country that spans three oceans, six time zones, and ten million square kilometres of breathtaking landscapes.

A nation of monumental scale and diversity built and bound by a great conviction: that we are strongest when we are united.

A conviction that was declared in 1867, when four colonies became one country.

Betting that together, they could build something greater than the sum of their parts.

A conviction that was laid down in steel in 1885, when we built a national railway linking east to west. A conviction that crossed a continent, when the Trans-Canada Highway opened in 1962, connecting communities from St. John’s to Victoria.

Canadians have never just imagined a stronger, more united country. We have picked up our tools and built one.

And, at this decisive moment, Canadians are once again turning our conviction into action.

Choosing to build big, with Canadian workers, Canadian materials, and Canadian values. Choosing Canadian produce.

Rediscovering our country, from the Cabot Trail to the Columbia Icefield, from the Bay of Fundy to the northern lights.

Small acts of solidarity, repeated millions of times, proving that together we can give ourselves far more than anyone could can take away.

Look – there will always be forces that want to divide us.

But they forget a founding insight of our country: that unity is not uniformity, that our differences are strengths to be nurtured, not risks to be managed. That our values serve as our unshakeable foundation, that no one can take away.

Inclusivity. Sustainability. Solidarity.

Today, we celebrate each other. A land of kind, compassionate, and hard-working people as remarkable and diverse as the landscapes we all call home.

A people who are determined to build.

In a country as vast as ours, our strength comes from what brings us together.

When we show kindness, kindness grows. When we seek unity, unity grows. When we are Canadian, Canada grows.

That’s our conviction. And it has never been stronger.

Happy Canada Day.