Taped at Rideau Hall, Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Dear friends,

Since being appointed Governor General of Canada nearly one year ago, I have been travelling across this vast country of ours and have been amazed to discover regions I knew little about, breathtaking natural splendours, and stories that touched my heart.

From Charlottetown to Victoria, from Quebec City to Iqaluit, from a disadvantaged neighbourhood in Toronto to Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories, I have met women, men and young people who are proud of what they have accomplished, involved in their communities, and ready to build a future for the good of us all.

Women, men and young people for whom living in a country where we all enjoy equal rights is a gift not to be taken for granted. They see it as a responsibility to uphold within their communities and around the world. A responsibility that requires each and every one of us to do our part to protect that freedom from anyone who would seek to restrict it. A responsibility that places the public good above the notion of every man for himself, and openness to others above withdrawing into solitude.

This is the lesson that the Aboriginal peoples of this country, our deepest roots in North America, teach us every day. It was they who interpreted for us the spirit of these sweeping landscapes and taught us to take root on this continent. And, as the residents of Fort Simpson reminded me, with whom I recently celebrated National Aboriginal Day, they continue to teach us that our future depends on our ability to transcend our grief and our losses to make the forces of creation triumph over the forces of destruction.

This is also what the commitment of our veterans, of the members of the Canadian Forces currently deployed in Afghanistan, teaches us. In years gone by, they fought for justice and freedom; and today, they are still fighting for justice and freedom, battling tyranny and oppression, which particularly bear down on women and steal away childhoods.

Dear friends, let us rejoice in our good fortune, in a world where too many peoples are still struggling with thirst, hunger, misery and violence every day. Let us never take our blessings for granted out of consideration for those who have been so cruelly deprived. Ours is a country of great wealth, from its plains, forests and mountains that nourish us, to the crystal clear waters of our abundant lakes and rivers.

We are rich in the demographic and cultural diversity that make Canada a microcosm of the entire world. We are rich in the ingenuity of our researchers, the influence of our artists, and our two official languages spoken the world over. And we are free. Free to live out our deepest dreams, free to help improve the lives of those around us.

That is the Canada of today. The Canada that I am discovering little by little as I travel from coast to coast to coast. The Canada that we have every reason to be proud of and that I carry in my heart because of your efforts to make it a better place to live. Perhaps the time has now come for us to reflect on the values we share and to celebrate them together.

Happy Canada Day!