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July 1, 2008 Dear friends, For almost three years, I have served as governor general. This time with you has flown by! When I look back over the road I have travelled, I see it as a journey. A journey that has taken me from one end of this extraordinary country to the other. As I travel from coast t...

Parliament Hill, Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 I am thrilled to be here with you on this day of celebration, as our hearts are filled with joy. Since 2005, I have crisscrossed this country from east to west, north to south. And every time, I am struck by how extraordinary it is. Extraordinary in its scale...

Ottawa, Wednesday, July 2, 2008 I would like to begin by telling you how happy I am to be here with you today. I would also like to commend the military personnel here this morning and their families. We can never overstate your contribution to the success of the Forces and its missions. As commande...

City of Québec, Thursday, July 3, 2008 The time has finally come, on this July 3, 2008, for us to have l’âme à la tendresse—for our souls to be filled with tenderness—as Pauline Julien magnificently sang, and for our hearts to join together in celebration! Because it is not just the 400th anniversar...

July 5, 2008 OTTAWA — My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I are saddened to learn of the death of Corporal Brendan Anthony Downey, a Military Policeman from the Military Police Detachment in Dundurn, Saskatchewan, on assignment in the Persian Gulf region. Corporal Downey always wanted to serve his c...

July 7, 2008 OTTAWA—It is with a very heavy heart that I learned of the tragic death of Private Colin William Wilmot, who perished while on patrol in Kandahar. The driving force behind the international convention against antipersonnel landmines, Canada is pained to see another of its sons struck do...

July 19, 2008 OTTAWA—The terrible news of the death of Corporal James (Jim) Hayward Arnal, an infanteer serving with the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group, is another cruel blow to all of us, wherever we may be. Like his comrades, Corporal Arnal always faced the...

The Citadelle, Wednesday, July 2, 2008 It is wonderful to see all of you here this evening. My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I are delighted to welcome you to the Citadelle, the governor general’s official residence in the City of Québec. This residence holds a very special place in our hearts; w...

The Citadelle, Saturday, July 5, 2008 While on tour, you have travelled the world’s highways. One of which led you to us and, since then, has brought you back time and again, through song and film, over the years. Did you not say, in 2001, that it was your last tour in Quebec? Well, it may have been...