August 14, 2024
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Hello,
I am delighted to join all of you here in Truro.
I would begin by respectfully acknowledging that we have the privilege and honour of gathering in the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq Nation.
We strive for respectful relationships with all the peoples of this province as we work towards collective healing, true reconciliation and honouring this beautiful land together.
Your organization speaks to the tremendous power of communities. I congratulate you for all you have accomplished in three-quarters of a century.
Across Canada, all of us can attest to the strengths of our communities and our country.
In Nova Scotia, Indigenous, Acadian, Scottish, Irish, English, African, and other communities contribute, every day, in countless ways—locally, provincially and nationally. The same is true for those who continue to find these shores.
Community connects us to each other. It nurtures ideals. It supports its members in need. Community makes us all more resilient, too, in the face of challenges.
This is precisely what brings us together today.
This anniversary of the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council is a celebration of all the communities, big and small, that you have made stronger, more inclusive, and more prosperous over the decades.
75 years ago, post-war Canada had so much to rebuild.
Across generations, your members have responded with solidarity and optimism.
You have helped local co-operatives and businesses to start up and grow. You have created good jobs. You have helped vulnerable people and families find food and shelter.
Your collective legacy is remarkable.
But before celebrating it, please allow me to share a personal reflection with you on the recent tragic events that have shaken two Nova Scotian communities.
I was deeply sorry to learn of Eli Young's passing, at such a tender age, in a flash flood just a few weeks ago in Wolfville.
My thoughts are with his family and community, in this time of unspeakable difficulty.
I was also shocked to learn that, even more recently, members of the Africville community in Halifax were victims of a vile, hateful shooting as they came together to honour their families during their annual reunion. My heart goes out to their entire community in this time of healing.
While Nova Scotians have been through trauma in recent years, I have seen first-hand how your communities can pull together.
I have seen people here showing exceptional compassion and courage in such difficult times.
Following last year’s devastating wildfires, I met with first responders, firefighters and volunteers at Fire Station 65 in Tantallon. Their altruism, bravery and community spirit swept me away.
I have no doubt rescue workers at the Wolfville Fire Department share the same community spirit, and I look forward to thanking them for their dedication this Friday.
They are among thousands of extraordinary people in our communities who devote their time and energy every day to the well-being of others. Often, behind the scenes.
Like the wonderful mental health professionals and volunteers I met last year at Laing House, a peer support organization for youth in Halifax.
They, too, dedicate their work to making life better for the people in their communities. They know that mental health, just as physical health, can change the course of a life. For young people going through painful difficulties, talking with someone at Laing House can be transformative.
It can turn distress into hope, and doubt into beautiful life projects.
Making our communities better also means daring to bring about change.
And here, I am thinking of the courageous people who are fighting to advance diversity and inclusion in our communities.
Like Dr. Lynn Jones, a well-known figure here in Truro.
Dr. Jones was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2023, for her lifelong work to eradicate racism, and to advance human rights in Nova Scotia. She has mobilized people around the issues affecting her community, to challenge the government and demand change.
This is what Canada is made of.
Our country is made of countless stories of people working every day, in all areas and on every scale, to make our communities better.
People who turn their compassion into ideas, and their ideas into action.
It is so important to honour their contributions.
And this is what we are doing today.
We are honouring recipients of the Distinguished Co-Operator Award for their significant contributions to the co-operative movement.
We are also honouring the thousands of aspirational stories the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council has made possible in 75 years.
Dreams of young students made possible thanks to your Career Rising - Youth Program.
Dreams of young entrepreneurs made possible thanks to financial support from their local co-operatives and credit unions—or thanks to your Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, which has been running for more than 20 years.
NSCC members like Farmworks Investment Co-operative, for instance, have granted an impressive number of loans to young farmers, restaurants and cafes, farmers markets, and other local businesses that provide Nova Scotians with delicious food year-round.
The power and impact of co-ops and credit unions is clear.
In 75 years, the cooperative movement has made so many local economies stronger, and better positioned to seize the opportunities the future holds.
Today, one in three Nova Scotians is a member of a co-op or credit union.
Before closing, I want to congratulate the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council for helping more than 6 000 people find affordable housing so far in New Glasgow, Pictou and other communities.
These are young families, new Canadians and people facing all kinds of challenges who deserve a safe and comforting place to call home.
I find it remarkable that you continue broadening your impact by committing to build 75 new housing units to commemorate your 75th anniversary.
Thank you for helping meet the needs of people in your communities.
Thank you for helping to build stronger, more resilient, more compassionate communities in Nova Scotia and beyond.
We still have so much to build.
In the future, communities will continue battling climate disasters. We will continue facing divisions in many areas of Canadian life.
There will be other difficult times ahead.
But I am confident that your values of solidarity, inclusion and equality will be a beacon of hope when we need it.
Thank you. Merci. Wela’lin. Nakurmiik.