Mr. Speaker, yesterday was the 51st anniversary of Canada's national flag.
On that day in 1965, our flag was raised on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and in communities all over Canada for the first time.
Today, Canadians know that the maple leaf represents a free, bilingual, democratic, and diverse country, a country that we are proud to call our own. All around the world, it symbolizes openness and optimism. The Canadian flag unites us and represents our values and has done so for the past 51 years.
I encourage Canadians to gather together to celebrate this precious symbol not only on National Flag of Canada Day but throughout the year.