Rideau Hall, Thursday, November 10, 2005

As commander-in-chief of the Canadian Forces and Chancellor of the Order of Military Merit, I am very pleased to invest 43 members of the Regular and Reserve Force as Commanders, Officers and Members of this Order.

In this Year of the Veteran, I was honoured that my first official overseas function as governor general was to accompany a delegation of First Nations, Inuit and Métis veterans, spiritual leaders and youths on a pilgrimage to battlefields and cemeteries in Europe.

One of the objectives of this Aboriginal Spiritual Journey was to hold a special ceremony in Europe to call home the spirits of fallen warriors.

For me, another goal was to remember and to honour the outstanding contribution and the sacrifice of the many Aboriginal Canadians who fought in Canada’s armed forces.

Given the invaluable work done on behalf of all Canadians by every member of the Canadian Forces, I think we have a solemn responsibility to recognize your efforts, and especially to say thank you to each and every one of you.

All during this week, and especially throughout this special commemorative year, we have been celebrating the achievements and the sacrifices of our veterans.

But it is also important to celebrate our military of today, and their future, and you are the personification of that present and that future.

For you, the words “courage”, “honour” and “self-sacrifice” are not just ideals or concepts; they are part of your daily life.

And in this year that has seen so many natural disasters, the Canadian Forces have been in these danger zones to help save lives, and rebuild communities. As the year began, the world was still dealing with the shock of the Tsunami disaster, the CF DART was on the way, and soon in action.

As the year winds down, the CF DART is once again at work on the ground, and this time helping earthquake victims in Pakistan.

And then there was the CF’s response to Hurricane Katrina, through the work of navy divers, the airlift of Canadian Red Cross personnel to the disaster zone, and the ships that brought relief materials.

And of course—and you would know this better than anyone—our Canadian Forces are also active in a number of operations worldwide, often under extremely difficult conditions. Our service women and men are dedicated to maintaining peace and supporting democratic institutions.

That speaks volumes about our country.

After all, we are a peace-loving country, prosperous and outward looking.

We have the privilege of living in a vast country, one that is rich in diversity. We are a bastion of freedom and democracy. We have inherited a legal system and system of government that are envied the world over.

I was born in a country ruled by instability, repression and insecurity. This is in part why I value so deeply the principles of democracy, rule of law, and freedom that you defend.

On this occasion—this being the first of such ceremonies for me—I wanted to let you know just how proud I am to be the commander-in-chief of the Canadian Forces. I want you to know that I deeply appreciate what you do for our fellow citizens and around the world, for the world and for humanity itself.

All of us look to you and your colleagues to realize our national vision. We are forever in your debt for the exceptional work you do on our behalf.

And so today, we honour those of you who have particularly distinguished yourselves.

So let us cherish the values you defend, let us realize the ideals that you embody so clearly.

And let us also commit ourselves to nurturing a society where every member enjoys the same rights, and the same opportunities.

On behalf of all your fellow Canadians, I want to thank you with all my heart.