Dear Editor,
This year is an extra special birthday for our country as we celebrate Canada 150! I wish you all a happy Canada Day!
Alongside this great country, Pontiac has evolved. Our forestry and agriculture heritage have proven the region’s resilience. Our proximity to the national capital has always been a geographic advantage, enabling a tourism economy that welcomes city dwellers to the country to hike, to bike, to boat, to fish and to breathe the fresh air of our hills and valleys. But our rural soul has always shone most brightly.
While Canada’s rural and urban communities are distinct, there is no denying that they complement one another. Over the course of this country’s history, our rural communities have played a key role in the development of our nation. Including right here in the diverse riding of Pontiac, a riding many farming families still proudly call home.
Our collective Canadian identity, including the communities we have built here in the Pontiac, is something we are proud of and what sets us apart on the world stage. We look after each other; generosity is an essential part of our identity. When rivers flood, our communities step up and help out. This was made clearly evident this spring.
However, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau often says, Canada is strong not in spite of our differences, but because of them. Diversity has always been core to the Canadian experience. Pontiac is no different.
Let us not forget that we stand here on the traditional Algonquin territory. And the past 150 years of Canadian history – from residential schools to forced displacements onto reserves – have included some very dark, unjust stories. We cannot ignore these. To move forward, we must be open to critical self-reflection. These are the original inhabitants who have been living, hunting, fishing and maintaining a proud cultural legacy since time immemorial.
And we owe our Indigenous peoples more than a debt of gratitude and respect. The honour and fiduciary obligation of the Crown towards our indigenous peoples is constitutionally protected, and we know that reconciliation is the only way forward.
I wish you a wonderful day of celebration with family and friends as we embrace Canada 150!
William Amos, Member of Parliament, Pontiac
