At Home
Throughout her mandate, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean has worked to create strong ties with all Canadians, to encourage us to forge bonds of fellowship and to help strengthen the social ties between the different populations that make up today’s Canada. She would like to meet their realities head-on, and validate and encourage their initiatives. It is in that spirit that she has travelled to every province and territory, visiting people, associations and organizations; she is always ready to listen to their concerns and is attentive to the efforts they are making.
During these visits, Their Excellencies participate in a wide range of activities, from large-scale public events like citizenship ceremonies, to school visits and events that feature innovative community projects and round table discussions on youth, women’s issues, the arts and other social issues critical to the communities she visits.
These visits incorporate such program elements as Caring Canadian Award presentations, and discussions with Aboriginal leaders, women at risk, immigrants and new Canadians, community leaders, social workers, artists and youth.
His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond addresses issues related to French-Canadian culture, and leads various Art Matters discussion forums across the country.
In October 2005, Governor General Michaëlle Jean and her husband, His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond, began their provincial and territorial visits by travelling to Manitoba. They continued on to visit Prince Edward Island in November 2005. In 2006, they travelled to Quebec and Ontario in February; British Columbia in March; Nunavut in April; Alberta and Saskatchewan in May; the Northwest Territories in June; and Newfoundland and Labrador in July. In 2007, Their Excellencies visited Nova Scotia in February and New Brunswick in May. The official regional visits concluded in Yukon, in June 2007.
In January 2008, Their Excellencies visited Calgary, Vancouver and the Okanagan region of British Columbia. Her Excellency then visited Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories, in April. While in the Beaufort-Delta Region, she met with leaders, Elders and youth from the Gwich’in, Inuvialuit and Metis communities. That year also provided several opportunities to visit the Citadelle to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of the City of Québec. Their Excellencies also attended specific events during visits to Calgary, Montréal, Halifax, Banff and Toronto.
In May 2009, Their Excellencies met with women, men and youth in Nunavut and Nunavik. They then travelled to the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of Quebec in June, where, on the occasion of National Aboriginal Day, they visited Mashteuiatsh, the only Aboriginal community in the region. In August, Their Excellencies travelled to New Brunswick, where the Congrès mondial acadien was in full swing, before venturing on to Summerside, Prince Edward Island, to take part in the opening ceremony of the 2009 Canada Games.
Their Excellencies continue to meet with Canadians in communities across the country.