Fellow Newfoundlanders, men and women of our Island and of Labrador,

On this first day of July, in the Year of Our Lord nineteen hundred and seventy-two, we meet upon the threshold of history to proclaim the birth of the Republic of Newfoundland.

After centuries of struggle and twenty-three years of renewed self-government, our nation at last takes its full and rightful place among the free peoples of the world.

From the fishing coves of the Avalon to the iron ranges of Labrador, from St. John’s harbour to the headwaters of the Churchill, our land and its people have endured hardship, earned prosperity, and built a democracy founded on courage, faith, and fellowship.

We do not cast aside our past — we complete it. From the pioneers of Cupids and Ferryland, to the patriots of 1949 who restored our Parliament, every generation of Newfoundlanders has carried the flame of self-government through storm and trial. That flame burns brightly today, for it belongs no longer to any crown or empire, but to the people themselves.

Henceforth, sovereignty in this land shall rest with the citizens of Newfoundland — of the Island and of Labrador alike — united in one nation, indivisible in purpose and equal in dignity.

We remain steadfast in our devotion to parliamentary democracy, the rule of law, and the peaceful fellowship of nations. We remain a partner in the Commonwealth, an ally in the North Atlantic community, and a guardian of the ocean that has ever been our lifeblood and our highway to the world.

The Dominion’s chapter closes with honour. The Republic’s begins with hope. The Green, White, and Pink Tricolour shall henceforth stand as our banner — the emblem of liberty, unity, and confidence for every Newfoundlander, from the southern bays to the northern coast of Labrador.

Let this day, Restoration Day fulfilled, remind us that freedom is not a trophy to be stored away, but a trust renewed in every generation. May our children inherit not only the land we love, but the spirit that has sustained it.

Together we shall govern with justice, labour with purpose, and live in charity toward all.

God bless our Republic, and God guard Newfoundland.