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March 6, 2007 “My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond and I were grieved to hear of the incident that took the life of Corporal Kevin Megeney, a reserve member of the 1st Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders. We salute Corporal Megeney’s commitment and devotion to duty. We also honour our soldiers’ families, w...

March 8, 2007 “I decided long ago that I would come to Afghanistan on this day in particular, the day we celebrate International Women’s Day. It is my way of showing the entire world how much I admire the infinite patience, heroic courage and strong resistance of Afghan women. I came to applaud all ...

Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, March 8, 2007 I can hardly believe I am here with you today, in Afghanistan. I have come a long way to deliver a message of hope to the women of this country. Let me look at you. I want to etch this image of you slowly into my memory. I want this image to stay with me f...

March 9, 2007 I am thrilled to join Canadians in celebrating Commonwealth Day, whose theme, “Respecting Difference, Promoting Understanding,” encourages reflection. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to support the spirit of fellowship and solidarity that motivates women and men of all ages all ...

March 21, 2007 Whether it is based on race, gender, religion, language or any other reason, discrimination is an unacceptable behaviour within our society. On this International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I am very pleased to join all Canadians in taking a stance against racis...

March 20, 2007 The International Francophonie Day is an opportunity to recognize Francophones from around the world—to celebrate the language we all share and to rejoice in the rich cultural diversity of our accents, legends and histories. La Francophonie brings together a global heritage of culture...

Ottawa, Tuesday, March 20, 2007 There are those who shrink from the issue of family violence—who recoil from the thought of one spouse attacking the other, or attacking their children. In part, I can understand their revulsion; as someone who has seen it first-hand, and who has heard many personal a...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, March 21, 2007 Good morning and thank you for joining me as we mark the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in the British Empire. This anniversary is important because it commemorates the day in which trading and enslaving human beings was no longer legal on ...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, March 21, 2007 My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I are thrilled to launch the third exhibit in the Ambassadors’ Room at Rideau Hall—with the help of the country’s cultural and museum organizations—just a few days before the presentation of the Governor General's Awards in V...

Rideau Hall, Friday, March 23, 2007 Explore life and be transformed. That, in essence, is the basis for any artist’s creative process. As we take in the culmination of their tremendous work, here at Rideau Hall, in museums, galleries, studios and elsewhere, we celebrate the fruits of their labour. E...

Toronto, Sunday, March 25, 2007 It is a great pleasure for me to be here with you today at York University. First and foremost, let me tell you what a privilege it is for me to have been granted an honorary doctor of law degree from such a prestigious university. As a world-class institution of high...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, March 28, 2007 Jean-Daniel and I are thrilled to welcome you all in the Ball Room at Rideau Hall, which has been transformed for this festive occasion. A fiftieth birthday needs to be celebrated in style! What a happy coincidence. As luck would have it, the Canada Council for...

Presentation of the Governor General's Awardsin Visual and Media Arts Rideau Hall, Friday, March 23, 2007 Arts Matters is now an established event when the Governor General' s awards are presented. So I can say that, as usual, today’s awards ceremony was preceded by Arts Matters, a forum that brough...

Rideau Hall, Friday, March 30, 2007 It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you here at Rideau Hall today. I stand humbled in front of you, as I reflect on your remarkable ability to respond so effectively to the needs of millions of children in Canada and across North America. I am touched by your...

April 9, 2007 "My husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I were filled with great sadness when we received news of the terrible tragedy that claimed the lives of six Canadian soldiers: Sergeant Donald Lucas, Corporal Brent D. Poland, Corporal Christopher Paul Stannix, Corporal Aaron E. Williams, Private Dav...

Ottawa, Monday, April 9, 2007 It was precisely 5:30. A cold, grey morning in northern France exploded with the impossible sound of a thousand guns firing as one. On this terrible signal, the soldiers of the Canadian Corps—the four Divisions together for the time—climbed from their trenches and began...

Montreal, Tuesday, April 10, 2007 Thank you for inviting my husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I to a place that has given us so much joy. Because the theatre itself is pure joy. It is also a kind of forum for debate. A debate between all those who create the performance. A debate between the players ...

La Citadelle, Thursday, April 12, 2007 As commander in chief of the Canadian Forces, I would like to welcome you to the Citadelle of Québec. High atop Cap-Diamant, where the majestic St. Lawrence River narrows—which is the original Indian meaning of the word Quebec—this is the only military fortific...

April 12, 2007 “This has been a difficult week for Canada. My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I would like to extend our condolences to the families and friends of Master Corporal Allan Stewart and Trooper Patrick James Pentland. Our hearts also go out to the soldiers who were injured during this i...

April 15, 2007 "It has been over 60 years since the Holocaust and we are still shocked by the cruelty, hatred and heartlessness behind the slaughter of millions of human lives. Today, Canadians join with survivors and the entire world in remembering these crimes against humanity. For Jewish communit...