October 16, 2006

“What Makes Us Great Citizens of This Country”

“Over the past year, I have had the immense privilege of visiting most provinces and territories of Canada, this vast country that is ours. You have welcomed me, along with my husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and our daughter Marie-Éden, with warmth and friendship. For this, we are truly grateful and thank you warmly.

I embarked on this journey with the desire to discover what you hold dear to your heart, your worries, your aspirations, your accomplishments. I was able to appreciate what Canadians have in common and everything that precisely defines our citizenship. Wherever I went, I recognized the same good will, the same commitment to weighing the interests of some against the needs of others, the same desire for equity and social justice. All over the country, I met caring women, men and youths who dare to dream of a better society and who relentlessly strive to make a difference, to improve our relationships and living conditions.

I paid close attention to what constitutes our greatest resource. It is in all the vigour and diversity of our opinions, in the respect of our sensibilities, our paths and, especially, in the sharing of our experiences. It is also in the immensity and breathtaking beauty of this land that we must protect, a land of endless travels, a land that we continue to discover through the wisdom and ancestral memory of Aboriginal peoples. It is within our capacity to create, innovate and confidently cast ourselves on the international scene. It is in our way of never remaining indifferent in the face of tragedy in this world. 

Our biggest responsibility now is to root ourselves more deeply in the fertile soil of this unique heritage and to build on the fundamental values that we share, values that transcend our differences.

During Citizenship Week, let us remember that our most promising future lies in our willingness to live and forever achieve greater things together.”

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Media information
Lucie Brosseau
Rideau Hall Press Office
613-998-0287
www.gg.ca
www.citizenvoices.gg.ca