On Canada Day, Trudeau and other political leaders urge Canadians to strike a difficult balance between joy and introspection.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is asking Canadians to take time this Canada Day to reflect on the country's historical shortcomings and resolve to build a more just and equitable society. "Today, we celebrate our country and everyone who calls it home," Trudeau said in a message to the media.

"However, as we applaud our accomplishments, we must also remember that, for some, Canada Day is not yet a day of joy." The prime minister's uncharacteristically sombre Canada Day statement follows the discovery of children's bodies and unmarked graves at former residential school sites in British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

The disclosures, according to Trudeau, "have appropriately prompted us to reflect on our country's historical mistakes, as well as the injustices that continue to exist for Indigenous peoples and many others in Canada." The news of the discoveries at the former residential schools sparked a national awakening about Canada's historical mistreatment of Indigenous people and shed focus on the disadvantages that those communities continue to face.

Those discussions have put a long shadow over a holiday that has always been embraced as a pleasant occasion by political leaders. Traditional Canada Day celebrations, which have already been virtually halted owing to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, are not on Trudeau's official July 1 schedule.

Instead, the prime minister intends to meet with Phyllis Webstad, executive director of the Orange Shirt Society, a non-profit organization that advocates for residential school reconciliation.

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