Rideau Hall, Friday, October 26, 2007

My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I are thrilled to celebrate today’s ceremony with you, as it is an especially historic one.

It will be the 100^th investiture ceremony of the Order of Canada, which is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year.

Let us now hear what my predecessor, the Right Honourable Roland Michener, governor general at the time, said to the first members of the Order at the very first investiture ceremony.

(video clip)

It was a first in the history of our country, which was celebrating its centennial. Before that, Canadians could only be honoured within the British system.

In 1967, 149 Canadians were made members of the Order of Canada.

Two of those Canadians—two Companions of the Order—have joined us here today.

They are Alex Colville, renowned worldwide as one of the most outstanding painters of his time—and some of whose works are displayed here at Rideau Hall—and Dr. Jacques Genest, an internationally renowned specialist in arterial hypertension and founder of the Institut de recherches clinques de Montréal.

Mr. Colville, Dr. Genest, thank you for honouring us with your presence at this 100th investiture ceremony, which will no doubt bring back fond memories for you.

We are looking forward to hearing all about your experiences and your vision of the Order of Canada 40 years after its creation.

We are also joined today by some of the people who were employed by, or had ties to, Rideau Hall 40 years ago and played a role in that first investiture ceremony. They are:

Bruce Beatty, who was the creative force behind the snowflake design of the Order of Canada and who has attended every investiture ceremony;

Joyce Bryant, a long-time employee of Government House and a former administrator of the Order of Canada secretariat;

Gilles Carrière, a footman at the first investiture ceremony who is currently Rideau Hall’s Maître d’Hôtel;

Denise Gosset-Bergeron, who knows every nook and cranny of this house. Madame Gosset-Bergeron is a member of our housekeeping staff who was working here when that first investiture ceremony took place;

And Anthony Smyth, a member of the original Order secretariat who later became Deputy Secretary to the Governor General and is currently president of the Canadian Museum of Aviation.

Thank you for joining us today to reminisce about that event, which is forever engraved in our memory.

We learned this morning that David Adams, Officer of the Order of Canada, Canadian ballet star, choreographer and founding dancer of the National Ballet of Canada, passed away on Wednesday following a long illness.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

The people of this country—wherever they are from and whatever their background—are not used to stepping into the spotlight.

We are very modest, very reserved in our self-appreciation.

I have seen it time and again in my travels across the country.

Everywhere I have been, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and all the way to the First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities of the Far North and Arctic, I have met extraordinary people.

Women and men who are intensely passionate about what they do, but humble and reserved when it comes to themselves and their achievements.

Reading the discussions that preceded the creation of the Order of Canada, you realize that behind the controversy it sparked is an element of modesty, an uneasiness about the notion of excellence and recognition.

Do we need to be given a medal to appreciate how much we are worth?

Shouldn’t the satisfaction of having done our duty be enough?

Forty years later, I can tell you that the snowflake-shaped medal is the very best symbol of an ideal to strive for.

And we all thirst for this ideal. Especially the youth of this country. Their minds are filled with ideas and dreams, they have things to say and do, lands to explore and places to conquer.

It is our duty to be the role models that inspire them. We must instill in their hearts the confidence, pride, audacity and desire to push themselves to their limit.

Those of you being honoured today are those role models. Never underestimate the hope that you inspire in our society.

Through your actions and your ideas, you encourage us to push ourselves and to discover how much power we have to change the world.

The women and men who are members of the Order of Canada have accomplished remarkable things in every field imaginable.

But how many amazing Canadians —people who are greatly appreciated by those who have benefited from their actions—have never been invested into the Order of Canada?

Forty years after the creation of Canada’s highest honour, there are two challenges facing us.

First, Jean-Daniel and I firmly believe in mentorship. We have to build bridges between the generations so that they can enrich one another. We must build strong and constructive ties between the members of the Order and the youth of this country.

Second, I think we must do everything we can to raise people’s awareness of the Order and its members. It is obvious that we must find a way to increase the number of nominations all across the country.

I would love to share some of my ideas with you with regard to these challenges.

On occasion, young people and members of the Order hold discussions on our Citizen Voices Web site. And do you know what these young people say when they communicate with a member of the Order of Canada? They say, “to me, you are a hero.”

And this dialogue must continue.

I dream of a mentoring program that would unite young people and members of the Order in a spirit of reciprocity, one in which the generations can learn from one another and create relationships of trust and sharing.

We are, in fact, working on that right now and will be creating mentoring ties between 20 young people and 20 members of the Order by 2008.

I was very pleased to learn that four of our new members—Roland Gauvin, France Itani, Autin Mardon and Hector Jacques—have been recognized for their role as mentors to young people.

These mentors are living proof that such a program is possible and feasible.

I also dream of a foundation, a foundation created and run by members of the Order, a foundation that provides support programs for young people and runs projects that promote the Order and its members.

I hope we can all work together on this. If one of you were to take the initiative, this dream could easily become a reality. It would be an amazing legacy for the members of the Order of Canada.

Today, we welcome 40 more exceptional citizens into the Order of Canada.

I know that your example inspires others to push themselves beyond their limits and to follow in your footsteps in their own lives, in their own way.

It is now time for us to shine the spotlight on those of you who represent the very best in all of us.

You are the people who help make Canada such an amazing country, a country in which every citizen can give fully of themselves.

Thank you.