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Rideau Hall, Friday, April 4, 2008 It is with great joy that my husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I welcome you to this residence, Rideau Hall, where the past and the present are interwoven in our memory. And to that memory we can now add the memories of artists who turned their gaze to an island large...

April 4, 2008 OTTAWA—Canadians join together in grief today as we mourn the loss of Private Terry John Street of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, who was killed in the Panjwayi District, in Afghanistan, the victim of an improvised explosive device. My husband, Jean-Dan...

Ottawa, Monday, April 7, 2008 As I stand in this place of contemplation, of unity and gathering, I cannot help but be filled with emotion. Whenever I enter a cemetery, I feel as though I am opening the door to a library. Every tombstone is a book; every person at rest, a story. I often stop and take...

Rideau Hall, Friday, April 11, 2008 My husband Jean‑Daniel Lafond and I are delighted to welcome you to Rideau Hall to recognize the excellence you embody in our society. We are privileged to be in your company today—you, who represent the best in all of us. Since my appointment as governor general,...

Inuvik, Sunday, April 13, 2008 As soon as you set foot in Inuvik, what is perhaps most remarkable is its astonishing diversity. Inuvik is about the people: elders, youth, the Gwich’in, the Inuvialuit, the Métis, Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals, Anglophones and even some Francophones, living together...

Inuvik, Monday, April 14, 2008 It is an immense pleasure for me to be here tonight with people, yes from Inuvik and nearby areas, but also from as far away as Alaska, Greenland and Chootka, Russia. Let me start by saluting the students of Sir Alexander Mackenzie School for the beautiful illustration...

Inuvik, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 From near and far, we have answered the call to come together to discuss a national strategy on Inuit education. With that in mind, I would like to get right to the heart of the matter. My personal story has taught me that education is the key to freedom. The freedom ...

Inuvik, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 What a fantastic idea to have a lab on wheels! The idea is so ingenious in its simplicity and so perfectly suited to life in the Far North, where communities are spread out over vast terrain and are sometimes difficult to access. I am delighted that this project has b...

Tuktoyaktuk, Wednesday, April 16, 2008 This is the second time that I have travelled here, to the Northwest Territories, and the fourth time that I have crossed the 60th parallel since my installation as governor general. But I have never travelled this far into the circumpolar region. We are in the...

Banff, Thursday, April 24, 2008 Thank you for responding to our invitation. The idea is simple: bring together artists, women and men from the cultural community who are committed to and passionate about the arts and culture. Create a space for debate, dialogue and discussion: a national forum to ex...

Banff, Saturday, April 26, 2008 I wish to begin by recognizing the elders of the Blackfoot Nation—Elder Tom Crane Bear and all the others—who offered me their blessings under a painted tipi this morning. I was honoured by their words, honoured by their gestures and a ceremony that dates back to the ...

Opening Ceremony of the National Art Matters Forum Banff, Thursday, April 24, 2008 Good evening, In the past year or so, the Governor General and I have held over 20 editions of Art Matters, not only at Rideau Hall when awards celebrating artistic talent are presented, but also during our visits acr...

April 28, 2008 Canada is greatly admired around the world for so many reasons. One reason in particular is the unsurpassed generosity and social commitment of Canadians. We believe in helping one another and in reaching out to those most in need; we are always ready to respond in times of crisis, to...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 I have always believed 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. You cannot put a price on what you do. Lighting a spark of joy in the eyes of a sick...

Dinner in Honour of the Banff Centre's 75th Anniversary Banff, Saturday, April 26, 2008 First of all, thank you. Thank you to The Banff Centre and its entire team. Thank you to Sarah Iley, with whom we have been working for several months to prepare for these two days of passionate Art Matters discu...

April 15, 2008 by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean We left on Sunday for the Far North, where we will meet with people from Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk in the Beaufort-Delta Region, which has an extremely diverse population comprised of Gwich’in, Inuvialuit, Anglophone and Francophone communities, as well a...