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Celebration of the Vitality of Canadian Heraldry and the First Twenty Years of the Canadian Heraldic Authority Rideau Hall, Monday, May 4, 2009 I am delighted to welcome you to Rideau Hall, to this historic residence where a wide range of armorial bearings can be found, to celebrate the 20th anniver...

Presentation of Credentials (Republic of Kenya, Spain,Dominican Republic, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) Rideau Hall, Wednesday, May 6, 2009 It gives me great pleasure to welcome you, your families and delegations to Rideau Hall. I have just recently returned from two State visits: one to Ukraine and th...

Presentation of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Rideau Hall, Friday, May 8, 2009 Today is a day of celebration! Because we have come together to celebrate some of our greatest performing artists. Women and men who, even in these uncertain times, remind us that here in Canada, there is ...

Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala Ottawa, Saturday, May 9, 2009 The Governor General of Canada walks on stage to the sound of music. The music stops and the lights go out. Shh! Long minute of silence. Listen to the silence. Take in the darkness. It is as though the world were devoid of ...

May 14, 2009 Fifteen years ago, the United Nations declared May 15 International Day of Families. Let us make this day an opportunity to reflect on family values in our lives and in our society. The family has evolved considerably, the definition has changed and has sometimes been extended. But one ...

May 15, 2009 Victoria Day provides Canadians with an opportunity to rejoice in our heritage and to pay homage to Her Majesty The Queen. It is also a day to remember past kings and queens who were instrumental in building this country. The Crown in Canada is a vital part of our national identity, and...

Order of Canada Investiture Ceremony Rideau Hall, Friday, May 15, 2009 Welcome to this investiture ceremony, which gives us the opportunity to celebrate excellence in our society and to celebrate women and men whose talent, perseverance and vision are particularly noteworthy. Those who have a passio...

Presentation of the Northern Medal Rideau Hall, Thursday, May 21, 2009 Welcome to Rideau Hall. We have gathered here this morning under the favourable auspices of the Thunderbird and all Manitou spirits that inhabit the water, earth and sky to pay tribute to two northern stars. This painting, born o...

Honorary Doctorate from the Université de Moncton Moncton, Saturday, May 23, 2009 It is an immense privilege for me to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from an institution such as yours. I am deeply moved and thank you very much. On this solemn occasion, the italiana in me recalls Dante’s fa...

LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium Iqaluit, Friday, May 29, 2009 Thank you, Mr. Saul, for such a warm welcome and your kind words of introduction. It is a pleasure to find ourselves once again in this place that is so dear to our hearts. As you know, this is not my first association with the LaFontaine-Ba...

Presentation of Canadian Honours Iqaluit, Sunday, May 31, 2009 For generations, women and men have shaped Canada: artists, researchers, thinkers, teachers, students, journalists, architects, and military personnel, as well as people from all walks of life who have been recognized for their bravery, ...

May 2, 2009 by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean I am back from Ukraine and Norway, still replete with the memories of intense, exciting and often moving places, meetings and forums. Everywhere we went, we were welcomed in friendship, focusing on the importance of not only celebrating and reinforcing ou...

May 2, 2009 by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean I am back from Ukraine and Norway, still replete with the memories of intense, exciting and often moving places, meetings and forums. Everywhere we went, we were welcomed in friendship, focusing on the importance of not only celebrating and reinforcing ou...

May 25, 2009 by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean From May 25 to June 1, I will be back on the road, this time headed to Canada’s Far North. We will be setting off on an extensive journey that will take us to nine communities in Nunavut and Nunavik. My husband, Jean Daniel Lafond, and our daughter, Mari...

Closing of the Conference of Lieutenant Governors and Commissioners Iqaluit, Sunday, May 31, 2009 Let me begin by thanking you all for having made this year’s Conference of the Lieutenant Governors and Commissioners such a resounding success. The decision to hold the event to coincide with the 10th ...

Governor General’s Urban Arts Forum Iqaluit, Saturday May 30, 2009 How are you doing tonight? I must begin by thanking you for such a warm welcome here this evening. It is an honour for my husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, our daughter, Marie-Éden, and me to be with you in Iqaluit to partake in my first ...

Opening of the Conference of Lieutenant Governors and Commissioners Iqaluit, Saturday, May 30, 2009 It is truly a privilege to cross the 60th parallel for the fifth time since the beginning of my mandate, and to find ourselves once again here in Iqaluit, which we last visited in 2006. I am delighted...