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Rideau Hall, Friday, November 22, 2013 Welcome to Rideau Hall, the home of the people of Canada. The Order in which you are about to be invested or promoted was created in 1967, which was, of course, the 100th anniversary of Confederation. The timing was no accident. The Order of Canada was establis...

Montréal, Saturday, September 29, 2012 Today is a wonderful day for the Black Watch, which has been so steadfast in its service to Canada for so many years. In fact, this regiment predates Canada itself, having received its colours 150 years ago from Lady Monck, the wife of my predecessor as governo...

Official Designation of Black Watch Armoury as a National Historic Site Montréal, Saturday, September 29, 2012 I am pleased to be here on this very special day to celebrate the heritage of this remarkable building. One of the wonderful things about this armoury is the degree to which its history is ...

September 28, 2012 Message from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, following the death of the Honourable Sylvia Fedoruk OTTAWA—My wife, Sharon, and I are saddened by the loss of the Honourable Sylvia Fedoruk, former lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan. In...

October 1, 2012 Message from the Governor General of Canada on the Occasion of National Family Week OTTAWA—One of the pillars of my mandate as governor general of Canada is family and children. My wife, Sharon, and I are therefore delighted to extend greetings to everyone celebrating National Family...

Ottawa, Tuesday, October 2, 2012 It is a pleasure to see so many of you here, exploring new opportunities between countries, between universities, between people. Europe and Canada have long been partners in a wide variety of fields. It is wonderful to see that Italians and Canadians are exploring a...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Excellency, distinguished members of the Tanzanian delegation, my wife, Sharon, and I are delighted to welcome you to Rideau Hall, at the outset of your official visit to Canada. We were sorry when your visit was postponed last year, and our hearts went out at...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Excellency, distinguished members of the Tanzanian delegation, it is an honour and a great pleasure for my wife, Sharon, and me to welcome you to Rideau Hall. This building and these grounds have been the home and workplace of every governor general since 1867...

Québec, Tuesday, October 9, 2012 It is wonderful to be here and to have the opportunity to address this assembly, especially during this, the International Year of Co-operatives. I would like to begin by thanking the organizers of this important summit, and by extending a special welcome to those of...

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, October 9, 2012 Thank you for your warm welcome. My wife, Sharon, and I have been looking forward to this visit to Prince Albert, a city with a proud history and a bright future. One of the reasons why I am so pleased to be here is to have the opportunity to learn more a...

Regina, Thursday, October 11, 2012 It is great to be here at the Canadian Club, which reflects the history of Saskatchewan—its historical journey. It was in September of 1905 that banners hung all across Saskatchewan proclaiming “Prosperity and Progress,” “Peace,” or, in the case of one display show...

Regina, Thursday, October 11, 2012 It is a pleasure to be here with you today to celebrate our volunteers. Saskatchewan is a caring province, and there is much evidence to that effect. Statistics show that 58 per cent of the province volunteered in 2010. That’s the highest rate among all the provinc...

Regina, Saskatchewan, October 11, 2012 Thank you for welcoming my wife, Sharon, and me to your legislature for this wonderful occasion. We are delighted to be here to celebrate the anniversary of one of the truly great buildings in Canada. And when I say great, I mean that in every sense: as a place...

Rideau Hall, Friday, October 12, 2012 It is a great privilege to welcome you to Rideau Hall today for this very special presentation of the Decorations for Bravery. Forty years ago, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, my predecessor the Right Honourable Roland Michener introduced these honours to pa...

Kingston, Saturday, October 13, 2012 I am delighted to return to Queen’s to help inaugurate this new lecture series. Long may it contribute to the life and learning of this wonderful university! Let me begin by thanking you for being here. I have spent enough years on university campuses to know tha...

Kingston, Saturday, October 13, 2012 It is a pleasure to join all of you here this evening. First, I would like to thank you for this humbling award and to congratulate my fellow recipients here today. Like all alumni, you know that Queen’s University is more than a place to obtain a quality educati...

Rideau Hall, Monday, October 15, 2012 On behalf of all Canadians and in the name of Her Majesty The Queen, welcome to your citizenship ceremony. One of the great privileges of being governor general comes in welcoming new Canadians to our country. This is a proud moment for all of you, and it is equ...

Ottawa, Monday, October 15, 2012 It is a pleasure to join all of you here to honour three remarkable individuals. Medicine is one of the oldest fields of study in the world, and it has never been a stagnant one. It is constantly changing and evolving along with our technology and our understanding o...

Rideau Hall, Thursday, October 18, 2012 It is my pleasure to welcome all of you to Rideau Hall for the presentation of the Governor General’s Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case. From our vantage point today, it is hard for us to imagine that, at one time, there were differing opinions as to...

Ottawa, Friday, October 19, 2012 It is a pleasure to join you here today as you celebrate the 35th anniversary of Canadian Parents for French and as you chart a new course for second-language education for our children. As a father, I well know the importance of teaching children both of Canada’s of...