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Calgary, Thursday, June 5, 2008 It is such a pleasure to be back at the Glenbow Museum on the eve of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference, in the company of women and men who, thread by thread, are weaving the social fabric of this city, this province, this country. Aspiring leaders...

Banff, Friday, June 6, 2008 Finally, here we are in Banff, at the foot of the Rockies, ready to embark on our exciting adventure. It is a pleasure to be here with you today. We have been working for over a year on the 2008 Leadership Conference, for which I will serve as honorary chair with as much ...

Rideau Hall, Friday, June 13, 2008 Welcome to Rideau Hall. My husband Jean-Daniel and I are pleased to be joined this morning by journalists, including a few former colleagues, representatives of news organizations, intellectuals, free thinkers. Welcome to Art Matters, created as a space for reflect...

Rideau Hall, Friday, June 13, 2008 My husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I are very happy to welcome you to Rideau Hall, where earlier today, we held the 27th Art Matters forum. For those of you who are not familiar with these discussions, Art Matters was created as a space for reflection and dialogue o...

Rideau Hall, Tuesday, June 17, 2008 It is a pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall and to wish you a very warm welcome to Canada. We are gathered here this morning in a spirit of sharing, openness and reconciliation among peoples, and I am delighted to be here with you. The horizons of our lives, lo...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, June 18, 2008 Here at Rideau Hall and on Parliament Hill, we are marking the arrival of summer with the return of the Ceremonial Guard, which I had the pleasure of inspecting today. Every year at this time, I have the privilege of inspecting the Ceremonial Guard as it prepare...

Rideau Hall, Thursday, June 19, 2008 I was so happy to see you again this morning. I wanted to hear all about your journey, about the wonderful people you had met along the way, to know what you had learned, what may have surprised or even shocked you, to hear about the conclusions you have drawn. T...

Rideau Hall, Saturday, June 21, 2008 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY How wonderful it is to meet you and welcome you here, to Rideau Hall. You know, I was born on an island, where legends shape our relationship with the universe. And I was delighted to find here, in my adopted homeland, your own legends that...

Wendake, Saturday, June 21, 2008 Joining me here at the table of panellists are Aboriginal women only. Long-time activists, outspoken, committed women whom I salute on this National Aboriginal Day. The fact that you have invited me to join you today at this conference—not only that, you have asked m...

Québec, Monday, June 23, 2008 It is with great pride and joy that I welcome you to the magnificent City of Québec, a world heritage jewel, particularly at this time when we are celebrating its 400th anniversary. From the heights of the Citadelle to the streets of Lower Town, our history is everywher...

City of Québec, Tuesday, June 24, 2008 My husband Jean-Daniel Lafond, our daughter Marie-Éden and I are overjoyed to be here with you to mark the arrival of these friends, who courageously braved the Ocean, from La Rochelle, France, to the City of Québec. I am sure you will agree that their sense of...

The Citadelle, Wednesday, June 25, 2008 I am delighted to welcome you here to the official residence of the governor general of Canada at the Citadelle, in the beautiful City of Québec. It is even more beautiful than ever, filled with the spirit of the celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of i...

The Citadelle, Thursday, June 26, 2008 It is unusual for the presentation of credentials to take place here, at the Citadelle, the governor general’s second official residence. I am pleased to welcome you to the Citadelle this morning, particularly because this year, we are celebrating the 400th ann...

The Citadelle, Thursday, June 26, 2008 It is with great joy that we welcome you here to the Citadelle, the governor general’s second official residence, as the City of Québec bustles with excitement, ready to celebrate its 400th anniversary. Michel Melot, who among other things played a part in the ...

The Citadelle, Friday, June 27, 2008 It is an honour to welcome you here to the Citadelle, where some of the decisive pages in our military history have been written. This is the home of the Royal 22e Régiment, Canada’s only entirely Francophone infantry regiment. As we celebrate the 400th anniversa...

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...

Recorded at the Citadelle, Wednesday, June 25, 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...

Rideau Hall, Monday, June 30, 2008 I am delighted to welcome you here to Rideau Hall, particularly since this is a time of great celebration for Canada. We are getting ready to celebrate our country’s 141st birthday. This is always a time of enormous pride for Canadians. As well, 2008 commemorates a...