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Dinner in Honour of the Banff Centre's 75th Anniversary Banff, Saturday, April 26, 2008 First of all, thank you. Thank you to The Banff Centre and its entire team. Thank you to Sarah Iley, with whom we have been working for several months to prepare for these two days of passionate Art Matters discu...

Bordeaux, Saturday, May 10, 2008 Thank you so much for coming out in such great numbers to add your voice to those seeking to promote intercultural dialogue, particularly on this day, which France has chosen to honour the memory of the millions of Africans deported and reduced to slavery. Later, I w...

Bordeaux, Saturday, May 10, 2008 As the great-great-granddaughter of slaves, I have come here, at the invitation of the Mayor of Bordeaux, to this former slave port, to pay tribute to the memory of the millions of Africans deported to the Americas where, with complete disregard for humanity, they we...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 16, 2008 The story of the Canadian Victoria Cross, which we are unveiling today, is a beautiful story. It is a story that began with the desire of an entire nation to recognize military valour at its noblest and most respected. In 2005, thousands of people made their way to ...

Rideau Hall, Thursday, May 22, 2008 We have come here today to honour 60 members of Canada’s police services who are about to join the ranks of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. I am delighted to see so many of you here, but this occasion also brings back memories for me that I would like to ...

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saturday, May 24, 2008 Today is a wonderful day. A day that puts me in mind of another day: November 13, 1952. On that day, 56 years ago, my predecessor, Governor General Vincent Massey, opened the Royal Military College Saint-Jean, just as we are doing this morning. On tha...

Rideau Hall, Monday, May 26, 2008 Excellency, Mrs. Yushchenko, my husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I wish you a very warm welcome to Canada and are delighted to have you here, at Rideau Hall. We hope that during your stay, you will feel a bit at home. Not simply because of the strong ties between our ...

Rideau Hall, Monday, May 26, 2008 Excellency, Mrs. Yushchenko, my husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I are so delighted to welcome you here to Rideau Hall where, beginning in the reception room, a Ukrainian vision of Canada awaits. As soon as I was installed as governor general of Canada, I wanted the w...

Rideau Hall, Tuesday, May 27, 2008 You are about to set out for the far corners of the Earth to represent our country abroad, and I am so pleased to be able to share this occasion with you, as you begin this next step in your career. For me, you are truly agents for bringing peoples together and con...

The Citadelle, Tuesday, May 27, 2008 What a pleasure it is to welcome you to the Residence of the Governor General at the Citadelle, as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the City of Québec. You know, it takes time for a house to have a soul. It is as though time itself leaves beh...

The Citadelle, Thursday, May 29, 2008 I think you will agree: one need only look out from high atop the western bank of the Cap-aux-Diamants promontory to understand why Frontenac chose to build a redoubt on this site. The role that this military structure played in the city’s defence strategy is ob...

The Citadelle, Friday, May 30, 2008 The Citadelle is abuzz with excitement, ready to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the City of Québec. The grounds are shaking off their winter slumber, the river is thundering along in the light of the day, and it is with great joy that my husban...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, May 21, 2008 It is a pleasure to welcome you here to Rideau Hall, and to Canada, at this time of year, when the residence gardens are in bloom, reawakening after a long winter. This morning, we welcome the Ambassador of El Salvador, the Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea, the Hi...

The Citadelle, Friday, May 30, 2008 Jean-Daniel and I are delighted to welcome you here to the Citadelle. As we open the annual Conference of Lieutenant-Governors and Commissioners, and before we get down to work, it gives us tremendous pleasure to be able to celebrate with you the artistic talent o...

June 2, 2008 I am pleased to send my warmest greetings to all of the women and men currently serving at home and abroad today, on Canadian Forces Day. Today’s young Canadians are driven by a powerful sense of compassion and a broad view of our global community. Rather than merely observe, the women ...

June 3, 2008 OTTAWA—My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I have just learned of the death of Captain Richard (Steve) Leary of the Second Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Manitoba. We are saddened by this tragic news. Captain Leary lost his life while on patrol ...