Saturday December 26, 2020 | NATIONAL
by Mary P Brooke, editor | Island Social Trends
Ahead of the Christmas weekend, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed Canadians through three year-end interviews with major TV media including CBC (Rosemary Barton), CTV (Evan Solomon) and Global (Mercedes Stephenson).
During those interviews he indicated the challenges of managing COVID-19 this year including some of the things he and his government might have done differently.
Among his personal comments he said he misses his father (former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau) every Christmas, and that this year he has missed visiting his “BC roots” (his mother Margaret Trudeau grew up in BC). He mentioned that he will miss his mother’s turnip-and-carrot dish — apparently a mainstay of the Trudeau Christmas dinner. Trudeau himself was born on December 25; he is now 49 years old.
On Christmas Eve, Trudeau issued an official statement about Christmas in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic in which he steered clear of specific mention of COVID, the economy, and vaccines.
Here is the full text of the official message:
“Merry Christmas, Canada! Today, our family joins Christians across the country and around the world to celebrate the birth of Christ.
“This time of year is full of joy, light, and traditions. As a family, we usually get together to eat too much food, share laughs and stories, watch cheesy holiday movies, give each other gifts, and most importantly, spend quality time together.
“This year, as we continue to deal with the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Christmas traditions will be different. Families aren’t getting together for big dinners and friends aren’t stopping by for cookies and eggnog, but we can, and should, give thanks for everything that unites us. Today is a time to recognize all the good that we have in our lives. It’s a time to celebrate Christ’s message of compassion and show people we love them – and right now, that message is more important than ever before.
“2020 has been a difficult year for all of us, but through it we’ve seen Canadians meet these challenging times with generosity, kindness, and hope. Neighbours are helping neighbours, kids are giving up play dates and birthday parties, and businesses are retooling their operations, all to help in the fight against COVID-19. We’ve seen this leadership and dedication from our front line workers, who have put themselves at risk to keep all of us safe and healthy and our families fed. And we also recognize the work of our Canadian Armed Forces members, both at home and abroad, and thank them for their sacrifice and service to our country.
“This year everyone has done their part, because as Canadians we show up for one another. And today, as many spend this holiday away from the ones they love, we need to continue to support and reach out to friends, neighbours, and those in need in our communities. As a country, we will come out of this challenging year stronger and more united, and we will continue to stand together – both today and into the New Year.”
~ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Watch the Prime Minister’s Christmas message on Twitter.
