Rideau Hall, Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Welcome all of you to Rideau Hall, home of the people of Canada!

It is such an honour to be here in the presence of those who are continuing the great traditions of McGill University. I was proud to have once played a role in this great institution. Indeed, a part of me and my family will always be in Montréal.

I hold such fond memories of our time at McGill, one of this country’s oldest and best learning institutions. Some of the proudest moments of my career happened when I was principal there; some of my most humbling moments happened there as well, but we won’t get into those stories!

I must begin by thanking you for presenting me with the F. R. Scott Award for Distinguished Service. My time teaching with the Faculty of Law was both challenging and rewarding. It made me appreciate all the more how important it is to give young people a quality education, one that so many have received at McGill. 

That this award bears the name of F. R. Scott—a believer in education and in the law, a great Canadian and a friend—is even more meaningful. He once wrote:

“The world is my country
The human race is my race”

Like all of us, he dreamed of a better world, a world where Canadians and others from around the world could freely pursue the knowledge that those at McGill prized most highly.

And so, it is my pleasure to be installed as Visitor of McGill University, to call for the sharing of knowledge and to rekindle the close ties the school has with the office of the governor general and the Crown.

I believe that it is fitting that we renew these ties, especially this year, as we celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen. In fact, this is the first such milestone since the days of Queen Victoria, who signed the Royal Charter of McGill University in 1852. The Charter, in turn, not only predates Confederation, but also enshrines the role of Visitor of McGill University.

As representatives of the Crown, many governors general have become a Visitor of McGill, encouraging the university’s success and the advancement of learning.

Although the role has evolved since the time of McGill’s creation, I believe the Visitor still has an important role to play. This includes promoting the importance of education at all levels, including at institutions like McGill. It includes speaking with audiences abroad about the great opportunities a Canadian education can afford. It includes supporting the sharing of knowledge in all its forms.

As governor general, I have made it a priority to strengthen learning, to support the work of our universities and colleges and to encourage institutions to tackle the challenges facing many of today’s students.

I will continue to speak to diverse audiences in Canada and around the world about the possibilities that arise with education. Universities are a vital part in developing these centres of higher learning, where education evolves to meet the needs of today’s students. That is why places like McGill, a leader in this business, are so important.

You are the bastions of learning, protectors of traditions, guides of the next generation. I also urge you to be unconventional in your thinking and go beyond what has already been done.

When James McGill left behind his vision for the university, he also left behind a responsibility. For our country’s future, for the future of our youth, we must continue to create a strong public education system that can help us build the Canada we all desire.

Thank you for these wonderful honours.