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Amsterdam, Netherlands, Monday, April 29, 2013 Thank you, everyone, for being here today. As governor general and commander-in-chief of Canada, I am pleased to have this opportunity to honour Canadians who helped liberate the Netherlands in the Second World War. I am also pleased to be able to say t...

Toronto, Ontario, Friday, April 26, 2013 I’m thrilled to see all of you and grateful to the Canadian Club of Toronto for giving us this opportunity to gather together. A revered public institution for more than a century, the club has been a platform for generations of Canadians to meet, share ideas...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 Let me greet you in your native Estonian: Tere Tulemast Kanadasse —welcome to Canada! To you and your wife, Excellency, I say welcome back to the country you called home for a brief period. The experiences you had in this country, I hope, prepared you in some sm...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 Excellency, I am so pleased that you are undertaking a visit to Canada, or perhaps I should call this a homecoming of sorts. You know this country so well, having worked here for many years, as well as having served as ambassador to Canada. And we are pleased to...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 3, 2013 Welcome all of you to Rideau Hall, the home of the people of Canada. This has been the home and workplace of every governor general since Confederation. In fact, the Viscount Monck, Canada’s first governor general, would often travel by boat from Rideau Hall to Parli...

May 6, 2013 Message from Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston on the Occasion of Mental Health Week OTTAWA— In a given year, one in five Canadians experiences a mental health problem or illness. These challenges come in myriad f...

Ottawa, Ontario, Monday, May 6, 2013 It is nice to be among friends who support and raise awareness about mental health. And I would especially like to say congratulations to the Champions, who have personally committed themselves to this cause. Thank you for your service to all Canadians. David and...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, May 8, 2013 Welcome to Rideau Hall, the gathering place of the Canadian people. The past 12 months have been special ones in the history of our country. Canadians of all ages and from all regions and backgrounds have joined together to celebrate the 60-year reign of Her Majes...

London, Ontario, Thursday, May 9, 2013 Thank you, Ian, for your kind introduction. And thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your very warm welcome. I’ve anticipated coming to London for today’s luncheon. My family and I spent five wonderful years in the Forest City while I served as dean of the Facu...

Accra, Ghana, Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Thank you for your warm welcome. I am delighted to be in Ghana—Canada’s partner in the Commonwealth and truly one of Africa’s leading lights. Indeed, that status is reflected in the star at the centre of the Ghanaian flag—the symbolic lodestar, or guiding light, o...

Accra, Ghana, Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Thank you for your warm welcome to this country and to this wonderful university. I am delighted to visit this wonderful institution of higher learning and to take part in this discussion. Our topic today is one that is of considerable interest to me. Prior to bec...

Accra, Ghana, Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Sharon and I are delighted to be here with you today to celebrate our long-standing friendship. It is a pleasure to follow in the footsteps of my predecessor, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, by undertaking a State visit to Ghana. In fact, this is not my first...

Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana, May 15, 2013 It is a pleasure and an honour for Sharon and me to join you for this celebration of culture and friendship. Already during this State visit to Ghana, we have encountered so many people who are working together to build a stronger society and to improve th...

Accra, Ghana, Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Thank you for welcoming Sharon and me so warmly. What a pleasure it is to meet with so many friends of Canada here in Ghana. Our two countries are partnering in a variety of ways. Indeed, there is a reason Ghana is a country of focus for Canada—there is so much ...

Gaborone, Botswana, Friday, May 17, 2013 Thank you for your warm welcome. I am delighted to have the opportunity to tour this impressive military education facility during my visit to Botswana. As governor general and commander-in-chief of Canada, I feel it is a special privilege to visit the Botswa...

Gaborone, Botswana, Friday, May 17, 2013 Thank you for giving Sharon and me such a warm welcome. We are delighted to be here in Botswana, a country with which Canada is excited to find opportunities for further collaboration. While in your country, I hope to meet with many of its people, to discover...

Gaborone, Botswana, Saturday, May 18, 2013 Thank you for welcoming Sharon and me so warmly. What a pleasure it is to meet with so many friends of Canada here in Botswana. Our two countries are partnering in a variety of ways. Indeed, in Botswana there is so much potential for a greater and more pros...

Orapa Mine, Botswana, Saturday, May 18, 2013 Thank you for your warm welcome. I am delighted to have the opportunity to participate in this kgotla. As you know, the Kerowe Diamond Mine, which I have just visited, is owned by a Canadian company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. In Canada, meanwhi...

Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, May 20, 2013 I’m thrilled to be in South Africa among so many colleagues. I consider you all peers, having spent some 45 years myself as a university professor, dean and president. So even though I have a new role now, I’ll always remain a teacher at heart. Before I ...

Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Thank you for welcoming me so warmly. I am pleased to have the opportunity to visit this modern stock exchange and to meet with business leaders during my State visit to South Africa. Those of you who have gathered for this luncheon are a reflection of...