Ottawa, La Cité collégiale, Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Good morning. Thank you for joining us and thank you to La Cité collégiale for so graciously welcoming us here today.

I could not have hoped for better. How appropriate that we should launch a new Rideau Hall initiative here, in an institution that embraces modern and innovative teaching methods.

One year ago today, I officially walked through the doors of Rideau Hall as Canada’s 27th governor general. One year already!

And in that time, my enthusiasm for this new adventure has not waned in the slightest. In my installation speech, I expressed my desire to make this institution a place where citizens’ words will be heard; a place where our country’s youth would be given special attention. I expressed how eager I was to start meeting the women and men of this vast country.

Since then, I have met with people from every region across Canada, from west to east, south to north. Everything I have heard, the experiences shared with me, the actions I have seen with my own eyes have greatly impressed me. To my mind, all of the stories I heard along the way are such a wonderful treasure for us all, one that everyone should be able to enjoy. For they are our greatest treasure and tell who we are as a country.

About my journey across Canada…what struck me most was the determination with which we all search for solutions to the challenges facing our communities. From one province to another, one territory to another, many of the challenges are the same, and many of the solutions deserve to be shared with all Canadians.

I think the time has come to change the way we look at Canada into a vision for the future. To do so, we need to focus on all that we have in common rather than continue to work, and live, cut off from one another.

In this day and age, communication technologies allow us to create a bond of fellowship. Let us not turn these technologies into instruments of exclusion. And let us not waste the opportunity they present to explore new possibilities to connect to each other.

With these technologies, we can now reach others instantly, share our thoughts and ideas freely, without being troubled by the distances and time zones that have separated us for so long. These technologies also allow us to express the values of openness and tolerance, so dear to us all.

Which is why I am so delighted to be here with you today to announce the launch of a new component of the Rideau Hall Web site. We call it Citizen Voices. My deepest wish is for this site to quickly become your site. I want you to take it as a place of dialogue and exploration; it is available to anyone looking to share their experiences, ideas, dreams and aspirations with others to build a better country, a better world.

What is so wonderful is that I am standing before a group of young people from across the country who have agreed to take part in a discussion on civic engagement and the role that the Internet can play. Your opinions are so important, and I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.

But first, my husband Jean‑Daniel Lafond and the team that developed this new component of the Web site will tell you a little more about it. And then, it’s over to you!

I look forward to hearing what you have to say and to “chatting” with you tonight, beginning at 7 o’clock.

Thank you.