By Cameron MacKay
On July 1, all across the northern half of North America, 34 million Canadians are celebrating the 144th birthday of our nation with barbeques on the Pacific Ocean beaches of Vancouver, traditional aboriginal games high above the Arctic Circle in Nunavut, and sailing regattas in Nova Scotia’s Atlantic Ocean harbors. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is hosting the biggest party of all in Ottawa, with special guests the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, representing our Queen, enjoying an all-day music festival on the front lawn of Canada’s Parliament buildings.
On Canada Day, Canadians do not celebrate our victory in a war of independence or a revolution. We celebrate a fundamental step in our national evolution. It was 144 years ago that Canadians joined together in Confederation to form a single nation called Canada.
This was a crucial development in our history. But the story of our nation began long before that: with the arrival of our aboriginal ancestors more than 20,000 years ago, and the Vikings building their settlements in Newfoundland in 1,000 C.E.; with the French and English settlers establishing their early farms, villages and towns; and with the first election of a democratic government in 1758, in Nova Scotia, to name a few early highlights in the making of our nation.
Of course, Canadians are equally proud of our accomplishments since Confederation in 1867: our nation’s defense of law and order through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, one of the world’s most respected professional police forces; our contribution to the defense of freedom in the two great wars, and our troops’ ongoing efforts to ensure peace in Afghanistan, military commitments for which more than 100,000 Canadians have given their lives; and our longstanding support for freedom, democracy, rule of law, good government and the defense of human rights around the world.
These are but a few of the accomplishments that make Canadians proud, and that helped to make us what we are today: a prosperous, democratic and law-abiding nation of peoples and cultures from across the planet.
Of course, we also face all the same challenges as other nations. Despite our successes, too many Canadians still suffer from poverty, crime and discrimination. But we have always found a way to overcome our differences, to meet our challenges, and to make our union stronger and more prosperous, as our nation and our democracy evolve to face the newest challenge.
The Canadian people have much in common with Costa Ricans. We are both proud of our democracy. We both seek good government, rule of law, an end to corruption and the security of our citizens. We are committed to our public health and education systems, and to the protection of our environment. We support multilateralism and international law as fundamental means to ensure peace and stability. And we both seek out new markets and economic opportunities around the world to help build the economic prosperity that underpins our great societies.
In the past, Canadians saw Costa Rica as a country that needed our help to develop. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) was here for many years, investing many tens of millions of dollars, in projects to help Costa Ricans develop their economy and society. As just one example, through the Fundación Costa Rica – Canada, Canadian development assistance helped to finance the construction of more than 40,000 homes, benefitting 160,000 people, here in Costa Rica. And now, long after the Canadian government funded the initial seed capital, the Fundación remains a world-class example of sustainable development assistance that continues to provide home financing to Costa Ricans in need.
Looking at Costa Rica today, a country with prosperous entrepreneurs and solid prospects for economic growth, it is clear that Costa Ricans no longer need traditional development assistance from Canadian taxpayers. Of course, Canada still cooperates very closely with Costa Rica, for example to help ensure citizen security, but it is now Canadian companies that are making our most important contribution to Costa Rica’s growth and development. Since the implementation of our Free Trade Agreement in 2002, our bilateral trade has grown more than 70 percent, and Costa Rica is Canada’s most important commercial partner in Central America. Canadian businesses have invested more than $1 billion in Costa Rica, and are supporting thousands of high-paying jobs.
With so much in common, it is no wonder that more than 110,000 of us visit this beautiful country every year as tourists. When Canadians think of Costa Rica they smile. I like to think that Costa Ricans do the same when they think of Canada.
With all these things to celebrate, I wish a happy Canada Day to all Canadians in Costa Rica, and assure you that the embassy team and I will continue to work hard to make the Canada-Costa Rica relationship stronger and more prosperous, year after year.
Also, I encourage Canadians to register on the Canadian Embassy website so we can provide you with urgent consular assistance when you need it.
Cameron MacKay is Canadian Ambassador to Costa Rica.
