After the final speech as Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau exited the stage and made way for former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to spend some time with Canadians once again. He was the first PM that I really remember in any meaningful way, coming in to office after Kim Campbell’s short stint and Brian Mulroney before that. From 1993 to 2003 the nation was very accustomed to hearing Jean’s francophone accent on the news. The world is vastly different now, and Mr. Chrétien is in his 90’s, but it was a little bit of a flashback for me and for many of us as he approached the microphone.
And for a 91 year old, he seemed more than able to outpace several of the still-active policy makers we see sundowning in press conferences in the States. During his nearly 30-minute speech he offered wisdom, along with hope and the wish for Canada to continue to be a good neighbour in the world. He also shared several points of Canadian history where we have had friction with the United States, and in each case proven our strength and independence.
If you need a quicker clip, here is an absolute highlight from the address.
While this was at the Liberal Party first ballot announcement event, I wanted to share this as purely a reflection on Canada’s history compared to current tensions and hardships. A federal election to set the mandate for governance by the Canadian people is expected in the very near future, and then we’re off to the polls.
