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Ottawa, Monday, April 16, 2007 In Canada, we are free. Free to express our views openly without fear of persecution. Free to worship in our own way. Free to choose who will govern our country. Yet, when we examine our shared past, we realize that freedom did not come to us overnight. Our ability to ...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, April 18, 2007 My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I both believe that the true strength of a country lies in its citizens’ willingness to help one another. Those of you we are honouring today are proof positive of that. When you alleviate distress or lend a helping hand, you...

Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday, December 6, 2006 When we think of South Africa, Soweto is always engraved in our memory as Canadians. Soweto where Archbishop Desmund Tutu and Nelson Mandela lived and inspired a whole generation. It’s good to be here with you. It is an honour. I like to think of m...

Ottawa, Friday, April 20, 2007 It is wonderful to join you all today for the presentation of these very prestigious awards. Since being launched in 1956, the Awards have made a difference in the lives of some 3 million young people who have taken up the challenge. Today, 121 countries around the wor...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, April 25, 2007 Mister President, I am honoured and very pleased to welcome you to Rideau Hall. I know that all my fellow citizens join me in offering this warm welcome, but I have no doubt that the over 250,000 Canadians of Hungarian background are especially pleased with you...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, April 25, 2007 Mr. President, last year marked the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution. This was an important chapter in the history of the last century, which saw the people of Hungary stand up in an attempt to throw off the chains of the Soviet empire. The shockwaves of...

Rideau Hall, Friday, April 27, 2007 Thank you for accepting this invitation. It gives Jean-Daniel and me great pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall. As you know, one of the purposes of this institution is to recognize and highlight the excellence, talent, creativity, commitment, bravery, virtue an...

Toronto, Saturday, April 28, 2007 It is a great honour for me to join you this evening, as we celebrate together the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Harry Jerome Awards. Over the last three decades, this event has become much more than an award ceremony. It has evolved into a living testimony to the...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 4, 2007 We have come together today to welcome a few exceptional Canadians to the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada is the centrepiece of Canada’s Honours System and is this year celebrating its 40th anniversary. It is an honour that highlights and celebrates excellence. ...

Rideau Hall, Saturday, May 5, 2007 It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall for this special event. Rideau Hall is a fitting venue for the launch of the Canadian Tulip Festival, that wonderful celebration of spring and international fellowship. Spring is a special time here. Every year, ...

London, Ontario, Wednesday, May 9, 2007 Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for that very kind and warm welcome. I would like to begin this evening with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, a quote that has always guided me; I hope it will inspire your willingness to act and be a source of hope for you during ...

CFB Gagetown, Monday, May 14, 2007 I am especially moved to be here with you today. I was absolutely adamant that this official visit to New Brunswick start with a visit to Gagetown. I wanted to come here in person to hear how you were doing. I take my responsibilities as commander in chief of the C...

Fredericton, Tuesday, May 15, 2007 Elizabeth Brewster, a New Brunswick poet, wrote that “people are made of places.” I can think of no better words to begin an address in a place that is filled with history and dedicated to the greater good. I cannot tell you how happy my husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond...

Ottawa, Tuesday, November 7, 2006 I want to begin by saying “thank you” for that wonderful presentation! Through your songs and dances, you have really captured the history of your school. When I received your letter inviting me to this celebration, I asked myself: why is a 50th anniversary so signi...

Fredericton, Tuesday, May 15, 2007 My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I would like to thank Their Honours Herménégilde Chiasson and Marcia Babineau for graciously offering to host this dinner in honour of my first official visit to New Brunswick as Governor General of Canada. I think it is fair to ...

Fredericton, Wednesday, May 16, 2007 We all know that family violence is a tragedy. But it should not be taboo to talk about it. When I was named Governor General of Canada, I decided I would try to break down solitudes. And I know that family violence is one of the worst solitudes. I have learned t...

Shippagan, Thursday, May 17, 2007 I was born by the sea, so I have dreamed of this trip for a long time. My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I are so proud to have arrived in Shippagan by sea, as so many fishers here do on a daily basis. We know that Shippagan is the commercial fishing capital of Ne...

Ottawa, Tuesday, May 22, 2007 Being a caregiver for an aging loved one can be a very rewarding experience. But as you know, it requires a lot of energy. And the challenge is even greater if our loved one is slowly losing their faculties. Anyone in this situation knows how difficult it can be to inte...

Rideau Hall, Thursday, May 24, 2007 It occurs to me that the most appropriate greeting might be “welcome back” to Rideau Hall, as I’m sure most of you have a long history with this place! And of course “history” is the right word when talking about the Canadiana Fund; since 1990, your organization h...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 25, 2007 Before I begin, allow me to have a special thought for this Canadian soldier who lost his life earlier today in Afghanistan. I am sure that you all join me in expressing our undying gratitude to this soldier, his family and his loved ones for his unparalleled commit...