LATEST: Hundreds attend Citizens’ Rally for Canada​ READ MORE / HEAR SPEAKERS' REMARKS
Le samedi 1er mars à midi, sur la place du marché de Stratford, en Ontario, un « rassemblement de citoyens pour le Canada » aura lieu. Il vise à attirer l'attention sur les menaces que représentent les tarifs américains pour notre économie locale et sur l'impact qu'ils auraient sur les habitants de la communauté et de la région. Il permettra également de faire le lien avec les menaces américaines d'annexer le Canada en tant que 51e État et de s'opposer aux menaces proférées contre d'autres démocraties dans le monde. Le « rassemblement de citoyens pour le Canada » vise à renforcer le patriotisme et à mobiliser les citoyens locaux qui sont également encouragés à apporter une pancarte ou à en commander une dans notre boutique Solidarity Merchandise . Les intervenants et le programme seront annoncés ultérieurement. Revenez bientôt.
‘Reasserting what it means to be Canadian’​
Several hundred people of all ages braved the brisk winds and frigid temperatures Saturday to show their support for Canada and to display their patriotism in the face of threats from the United States administration to our sovereignty, our economy and our values.
The March 1st noon rally in Stratford Market Square was part of the initiative Canadians Stand Together, Our True North Strong and Free, organized by Wise Communities, a grassroots organization founded in 2020 by Canadian singer/songwriter and local resident Loreena McKennitt.
​“We all know we are entering some uncharted and difficult times,” she told the crowd Saturday. “The degree to which we survive it will depend on the degree to which we can stand together with a fire in our souls to do so.”
Other speakers at the event included Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae, Stratford’s Deputy Mayor Harjinder Nijjar, Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce General Manager Aaron Martin and Rev. Mark Wolfe from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Stratford.
Remarks written specifically for the rally by Canadian Senator Peter Boehm, a former Ambassador to Germany, former Minister (political and public affairs) at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, with over 30 years’ experience as a diplomat, were also delivered by Deanna Horton, a distinguished fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and a former negotiator on NAFTA.
“We are one of the oldest democracies in the world. The arc of our nation building spans two centuries. Our democracy has risen time and again to the challenge of threats, whether bellicose or economic,” wrote Senator Boehm. “Our support for the rules-based international order is profound; we were there at the creation of the United Nations in 1945, invented international peacekeeping, remain loyal to our friends and engage as best we can with our adversaries, often in close partnership with our allies. We have every reason to be proud.”
Many of the rally goers Saturday carried Canadian flags or wore red and white. The theme of the event clearly offered affirmation, inspiration and motivation.
“No country becomes a better country by accident. No county becomes a better country by its citizens looking out only for themselves at the expense of others,” said Rev. Mark Wolf of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. He went on to say that Canadians are a country of “standers”, who stand up for democracy, as witnessed by their historical military service, who “stand for those who cannot stand for themselves” and who stand up for “what’s good and for the right”.
Aaron Martin, general manager of the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce, reminded people to buy local and support local businesses. “When you purchase goods and services you are voting on who is succeeding,” he told the crowd.
In closing, McKennitt said the rally had been “an opportunity to reassert what it means to be Canadian and reaffirm the values that run as a common thread amongst all of us, from coast to coast to coast”.
The event concluded with award-winning artists Ron Sexsmith, Dayna Manning singing O Canada with McKennitt and others.
MEDIA COVERAGE
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The Beacon Herald: Residents brave freezing cold for Citizens' Rally for Canada
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StratfordToday.ca: From rallying to reactions, civic leaders talk about initial steps as tariffs become reality
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