Today is Labour Day.

For many Canadians, that means a well-earned day off. For all of us, it’s a chance to celebrate the proud history of organised labour in Canada.

Labour unions have made our economy stronger and our country fairer. They fought for better pay, safer job sites, pensions, benefits, paid leave. They’ve even defended the weekend.

They’ve helped share prosperity amongst the many. Because unions have always understood something fundamental: it’s not just what we build. It’s how we build. And Canada has always been a nation of builders. From the Canadian Pacific Railway to the St. Lawrence Seaway to Confederation Bridge.

And today, in the face of a global rupture, Canada is building big again. New ports, mines, energy and trade corridors. Millions more affordable homes, new roads, railways, and airports. And we’re building it all in solidarity with workers.

That’s why the government has launched the Team Canada Strong: to recruit, train, and hire up to 100,000 skilled trades workers. And central to that plan is expanding union training programs right across the country.

And that’s why, in the face of unjustified, unprovoked tariffs from the United States – we’re stepping up. With large, sustained financial support to protect our workers and our businesses, and help them to retool, retrain, diversify, and build.

That’s another thing unions have always understood: when we look out for each other, when we work together, when we’re united, there is nothing the Canadian workers can’t do.

So happy Labour Day, Canada.