Waterloo, Saturday, September 17, 2011

It is such a pleasure to be here at the opening of the new Stephen Hawking Centre at the Perimeter Institute.

Professor Hawking once said that he had one simple goal: “a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.”

Perhaps it is only me, but I consider this a somewhat daunting task!

Today, we are closer to answers to some of those questions than at any other point in our history because we have invested in learning and innovation, not only through government funding, but also through the generosity of organizations and individuals who strongly believe that new discoveries are a vital part of technological advancement.

Consider the leaps our society has already made in such a short amount of time. I often like to use of the example of the printing press in 15th century Western Europe, which took almost three centuries to reach a majority of the population. The Internet—the latest communications revolution—took less than a decade to reach over half of the globe. We are moving faster than ever, and dedicated researchers and scientists are leading the way.

I am proud, as a former president of the University of Waterloo, that this city has drawn some of the most pre-eminent minds of our time to conduct research here. In fact, Professor Hawking was in Waterloo just last year on a six-week research visit. This place, which bears his name, will attract others who are driven to ponder the nature of this universe and to make new discoveries that will impact our lives.

In 2017, Canada will mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation. This is a chance to look back on our history and our evolution as a country, and also to look forward to the new possibilities that will be afforded to us by today’s focus on learning and innovation.

Indeed, I have always believed that learning and innovation are vital to our country’s future and to the future of humanity itself. This is why I enthusiastically applaud this expansion of the Perimeter Institute. Here, today’s premier theoretical physicists are able to set their minds free, to learn, and to envision what is and what can be.

Professor Hawking often likes to speak of the future: the future of science, the future of the planet, the future of the universe. To this I would add that we must think of how we relate to the earth and to each other, and we must consider the future of our communities and of our world.

To understand the nature of the universe and everything in between is no small undertaking. But those here at this institute are confronting these questions head-on.

I think it is fitting to end with the words of George Bernard Shaw: “Some people see things as they are and wonder ‘Why?’. We dream of things that ought to be and ask, ‘Why not?’.”

To those who are constantly finding ways to make our world a better place, and to those who strive to answer the very basic questions of “why” and “why not,” I welcome you to the Stephen Hawking Centre, where science and imagination meet.

Thank you.