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May 18, 2007 I am delighted, on behalf of all Canadians, to offer greetings and best wishes to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, on the occasion of her official Canadian birthday celebrations, this Monday, May 21, Victoria Day. Although Her Majesty's natural birthday is in April, it ...

May 19, 2007 My husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I are saddened by the news of the accident that took the life of Captain Shawn McCaughey, Canadian Forces Snowbirds Inner Right Wing pilot, whose aircraft crashed during a practice in preparation for an air show scheduled to take place today, in Montana...

Ottawa, Tuesday, May 22, 2007 Being a caregiver for an aging loved one can be a very rewarding experience. But as you know, it requires a lot of energy. And the challenge is even greater if our loved one is slowly losing their faculties. Anyone in this situation knows how difficult it can be to inte...

Rideau Hall, Thursday, May 24, 2007 It occurs to me that the most appropriate greeting might be “welcome back” to Rideau Hall, as I’m sure most of you have a long history with this place! And of course “history” is the right word when talking about the Canadiana Fund; since 1990, your organization h...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 25, 2007 Before I begin, allow me to have a special thought for this Canadian soldier who lost his life earlier today in Afghanistan. I am sure that you all join me in expressing our undying gratitude to this soldier, his family and his loved ones for his unparalleled commit...

May 25, 2007 “It was with great sadness that my husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I learned of the death of Corporal Matthew McCully of the 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, who was killed while on patrol with Afghan soldiers in a village near Kandahar. Our Canadi...

Montreal, Tuesday, May 29, 2007 Education is not a privilege. It is an acquired right in this country. Mind you, this concept is a relatively new one in our history. Historian Georges Langlois reminds us that at the beginning of the 19th century, country schools were set on fire in this province. An...

Rideau Hall, Saturday, October 13, 2007 It gives us great pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall, which has been the official residence and workplace of every governor general of Canada since Confederation in 1867. I am delighted to have Lord Weir among us today, a man whose ancestor, Thomas MacKay—...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, October 17, 2007 I was thrilled to learn that Women’s History Month 2007 is dedicated to women immigrants, especially as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Citizenship Act. The woman who stands before you has experienced the immigration process and she would like to ...

Rideau Hall, Thursday October 18, 2007 We are an interconnected society. Gone are the days in which life in a small town defined a person’s outlook on the world. Advances in information technologies have brought the young b-girl in Iqaluit a mere instant message away from her counterpart in Vancouve...

Rideau Hall, Friday, October 19, 2007 I am delighted to once again be among Scouts of all ages and from all backgrounds. Welcome to Rideau Hall. I was truly honoured to be named Chief Scout by Scouts Canada. And do you know why? Because when I was a girl, I was a Scout just like you. The Scouts taug...

Rideau Hall, Thursday, October 25, 2007 Freedom is never handed to us. It is something we must continually fight for. In the name of freedom you made a total commitment with honour, conviction and loyalty. You left everything behind: your loved ones, your families, your friends, your country. You ga...

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 100th investiture ceremony of the Order of Canada, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Let us now hear...

Ottawa, Monday, October 29, 2007 How are you? What an honour you are bestowing on me today! I never thought that a school would one day bear my name. I cannot begin to tell you how much this means to me. Let me look at you. You are all so beautiful. It is so good to see you, in the bloom of youth, w...

Rideau Hall, Friday, November 2, 2007 In With Open Eyes, one of my favourite authors, Marguerite Yourcenar, wrote that people who love life also must love history, because human memory preserves the past and makes it a part of our present. I am happy this morning to be among people who love life. It...

Rideau Hall, Thursday, May 31, 2007 This year we Canadians have a number of important anniversaries to celebrate. There is, of course, the most important one: the 140th anniversary of Confederation, Canada’s 140th birthday. At the same time, 2007 is also the 25th anniversary of the Charter of Rights...

May 31, 2007 “My husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I were saddened to learn of the death of Master Corporal Darrell Jason Priede, an imagery technician, in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan. Like his comrades in the Canadian Forces and NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, Master Cpl...

June 3, 2007 "This year, we celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a turning point in our country’s history. In many ways, we can say that the esteem in which we are held worldwide is due in large part to the courage and sacrifice displayed that day by the Canadian Forces. And ...

Toronto, Saturday, June 2, 2007 I believe that the true strength of a country lies in its citizens’ willingness to help one another. Those of you we are honouring today are further proof of that. When you alleviate distress, lend a helping hand, or help improve someone’s life you deepen our sense of...

Rideau Hall, Monday, May 28, 2007 The democratic health of a country depends in large part on the vitality of its parliament. And, I believe, that vitality is only possible with women and men who are committed to working tirelessly to improve the living conditions of not only their fellow Canadians,...