Mr. Speaker, today is Heritage Day.
Canadians know that our nation's diversity is our nation's strength. Just the very word heritage must in this diverse Chamber instantly evoke different personal thoughts and memories.
As individual Canadians, the details of our lives, our families and our communities, our backgrounds are different. But for all Canadians, our tremendous and unwaivering pride in Canada is the same.
These are the feelings that every Canadian shares when we think about our wider heritage which inspires us as individuals, enriches us as a society and defines us as a nation.
If we were born here, we inherited it. If we chose to come here, we sought it out. It is ours to remember, to treasure, to learn from, to draw strength from and to be proud of.
Our Canadian heritage is a binding force which transcends geographical distances and unites all Canadians.