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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING CANADA AS IT CELEBRATES ITS SESQUICENTENNIAL
WHEREAS, in 1867, the British North America Act united Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into the Dominion of Canada; and
WHEREAS, Canada continued its growth, adding five provinces to the confederation: Manitoba (1870), British Columbia (1871), Prince Edward Island (1873), and Alberta and Saskatchewan (1905); and
WHEREAS, Canada fought on the side of the Allies with the outbreak of World War I in 1914; and
WHEREAS, the National Hockey League was founded in Montreal in 1917; and
WHEREAS, from 1916-1919, Canadian women won the right to vote in federal elections; and
WHEREAS, in 1923, Frederick Banting and J.J.R. Macleod (born in Scotland) became the first Canadians to win a Nobel Prize for their work that led to the discovery of insulin; and
WHEREAS, in 1931, the Statute of Westminster granted British dominions complete autonomy; and
WHEREAS, Canada and the United States agreed to develop the St. Lawrence River into a seaway capable of taking ships into the Great Lakes in 1932; and
WHEREAS, Canada declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939 and declared war on Japan in 1941 after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor; and
WHEREAS, in 1949, Canada became a founding member of NATO. Newfoundland, until then a British dominion, became a province of Canada; and
WHEREAS, in 1950, Canadian forces participated in the United Nations war effort in Korea; and
WHEREAS, in 1962, Saskatchewan’s Medical Care Insurance Act created Canada’s first comprehensive public healthcare program; and
WHEREAS, in 1965, a new Canadian flag-a red maple leaf on white background between two red bars-replaced the flag that had incorporated the British flag; and
WHEREAS, Expo 67, a world’s fair held in Montreal, was considered one of the most successful world fairs of all time and provided impetus to Canadian national identity; and
WHEREAS, in 1982, Canada adopted its new constitution, completing Canadian independence; and
WHEREAS, Canada and the U.S. agreed to establish free trade in 1989; and
WHEREAS, in 2010, Canada hosted the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Canada went on to win 14 gold medals, an all-time high for a host country in a Winter Olympics; and
WHEREAS, the 150th anniversary of Canada, promoted by the Canadian government as Canada 150, will be celebrated with an estimated half-billion dollars in anniversary events and projects, including such things as infrastructure, social science and humanities research, parks, arts, and much more-throughout the country and throughout 2017.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby congratulate Canada on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be tendered to the Consul General of Canada in Chicago in recognition of Canada’s contributions on the world stage and its long history of cooperation and friendship with the United States.
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