REPORT from OTTAWA Rapport d’Ottawa

by/par Carol Hughes Federal member of Parliament Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing

WeareonlyafewdaysawayfromCanada Day,andtherecertainlyisalottocelebrate.While last year's celebrations were marked as a homecoming of sorts after a long couple of years dealingwiththeCovid-19pandemic,thisyeartruly feelslikeareturntoform.

Onthe156thanniversaryofConfederation, we once again see the fabric of our nation grow, change,and evolve.WhileCanadaDay celebrates the anniversary of Confederation, many may remember that Canada Day itself only officially existedsince1982,whenitwasrenamedfromthe former Dominion Day. This also means that this yearistechnicallythefirstCanadaDaywhereour HeadofStateisnotthelateQueenElizabethII,but KingCharlesIII.

We've celebrated some pretty remarkable milestones since last Canada Day. Prince Edward IslandofficiallybecameCanada's8thprovince150 yearsagoonJuly1,1873.Yukonofficiallybecame the second Canadian territory 125 years ago. Last September marked the 50th anniversary of the '72 SummitSeries,whichremainstothisdayasoneof themostsignificantsportingeventsinournation's history, one that established Canada as the dominanthockeynationonEarth.Mayofthisyear markedthe150thanniversaryofthecreationofthe Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which was originally established as the North-West Mounted Police.

It feels as if our nation is further coming into its own, and while many of us celebrate Confederation,othersmaychoosetomarktheday in a different context. In the two years since the discovery of unmarked graves from former residentialschoolscaughtnationalattention,many peoplehavechosennottocelebrate,buttomourn, reflect, and learn about the lives and history of Indigenous peoples. It's certainly possible to do both. We must acknowledge the errors of our nation's past and work towards correcting them. Canada has a troubled legacy of colonialism, racism and discrimination towards Indigenous peoples. For many of us, Canada Day can act as a catalyst to spend more time learning about these issues, reflecting on how we can better address these generational traumas, and work towards reconciliationwithFirstNationspeoples.

Canada Day also marks the real start of summer. It's certainly the best time of the year for people to decompress from a busy year, connect withfriendsandfamily,andtakethetimetoenjoy our own back yard in Algoma-ManitoulinKapuskasing. Our neck of the woods has a wealth of fantastic events, festivals, and celebrations that