Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on Sir John A. Macdonald

January 11, 2011

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement in recognition of Sir John A. Macdonald Day:
 
“Today, Canadians celebrate the lasting legacy of our first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. 

“A principal architect of Confederation and of Canada’s Constitution, Sir John A. Macdonald was instrumental in laying the foundation of the Canada we know today, including the post-Confederation addition of three provinces, Manitoba (1870), British Columbia (1871) and Prince Edward Island (1873).  
 
“Among his many nation-building accomplishments over almost nineteen years as prime minister are the foundation of the Northwest Mounted Police, Canada’s first national park and the transcontinental railway.
 
“Macdonald’s statement that Canada stands ‘amongst the first of the nations in the world in credit, in resources in standing, in reputation, and in fruition,’ rings true with Canadians as much today as it did when he made it in 1881.”