Whitehorse, Sunday, June 17, 2007

When I was installed as governor general of Canada, I decided that I wanted to visit all four corners of this enormous and beautiful country of ours.

And here we are. Nineteen months later, I can finally say, “Mission accomplished!” Today I crossed the sixtieth parallel for the third time. It almost makes me dizzy.

I am so very happy to be here with you to celebrate the final stage of my official visits to each province and territory in Canada.

And even more so because, in my opinion, this time of year, with its endless light—which I also experienced last year in the Northwest Territories—is absolutely the best time to take in your larger-than-life landscapes and experience the unique and admirable ways in which you inhabit them.

They say that many people come to Yukon for a few years but end up staying in this captivating land for a lifetime.

I grew up on a Caribbean island where the tropical forests were decimated and the mountains were left bare and exposed; I understand very well that your Nature here in the North is a precious gift that casts a spell on us.

From Mount Logan—which is the highest mountain in Canada and the second tallest summit in North America—to the majesty of the Yukon River—the great river as it is called in Gwich’in—this territory seems to be made for that race of people who, as the poet Robert Service wrote, “can’t sit still” and who “don’t know how to rest.”

This taste for adventure has driven so many free spirits to come here and is no doubt the reason behind the gold rush that captured the collective imagination of this country.

But Yukon is so much more than a legend. It is a place where—if my impressions thus far are correct—solidarity is a way of life.

Solidarity between the Aboriginal people, who were the first to share the spirit of this generous land with us, and the Anglophones and Francophones who have put down roots here.

You are extremely lucky to live in one of those rare parts of the world where Nature has been preserved in all its splendour and still has all its rights.

This passionate attachment that Yukoners have to their territory is, and must continue to be, a promise to preserve it for generations to come and for all humanity.

Premier, I congratulate the commitment that you and your government have made to protect the still almost virginal environment of Yukon and all its ecosystems.

I want to hear about the climate change strategy that you are trying to implement; I understand it is an innovative approach to the threat facing the entire planet.

I would also like to congratulate you and your government for your efforts to fight alcoholism and drug abuse among young people.

I know that one of the greatest challenges facing young people in Yukon is finding the right balance between the traditional ways of life here in the North and the demands of the modern world.

We must help young people find this balance so that traditional knowledge is perpetuated, knowledge that is so uniquely linked to the understanding and wealth of this territory.

We must also help young people acquire new knowledge so that they have the tools they need to fully participate in all sectors of society here at home, in the rest of Canada and all over the world.

Finally, Premier, I would like to congratulate you for your commitment to arts and culture, which you emphasize in your efforts to create a strong and diversified economy, as well as for your willingness to make creativity a key factor in development.

I know that during the Canada Winter Games, which were held in Whitehorse in February, you wanted people to learn about Arctic culture and to celebrate friendship, and I congratulate you on behalf of all Canadians and all the young people who, thanks to you, were able to gain a new perspective on the North.

At this point in our history, we must rely on the wide range of experience that humans possess and explore new means of doing things, creating, dreaming, living together, and ensuring the integrity of our natural heritage.

And continue the dialogue on the values we share and want to defend on the international stage. That dialogue is essential.

Over the next few days, my husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I will go and meet the people of this territory. Artists, young people, women and men who are involved in their communities.

We will go to Kluane National Park and Dawson City. We will take part in a community feast with young people and elders. We will meet the Yukon Francophones that I have heard such wonderful things about. And we will celebrate National Aboriginal Day with you.

Premier, my husband and I know how incredibly lucky we are to be here today; so many Canadians never get a chance to visit your territory because of the great distance.

But wherever I travel in Canada and abroad, I will echo your words with pride and determination.

It is here, Premier, that I complete my official tour of Canada as Governor General. The sheer size of Canada is—literally and figuratively—no longer an abstract idea: it is embodied in each and every one of you.

The governor general who stands before you is also your friend, and as your friend, I will come back to visit you again before the end of my mandate.

Thank you all very much for the warm welcome you have given us.