Regina, Monday, May 8, 2006

Thank you, Mr. Premier.

By the time I complete my first official visit to Saskatchewan, I know I will have learned many things about your province and the wonderful people who thrive here.

Already, I feel better equipped to share your story with the rest of the country than I was when I arrived this morning. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of your veterans and war brides. We’ve been inspired by the energy of your children and all the citizens who greeted us outside and inside the Legislature today, including new immigrants. And we are also impressed by the commitment of your elected representatives.

Tomorrow, I will “answer the call” of Fort Qu’Appelle by meeting with Elders, Council leaders and youth representatives of the Treaty 4 Nation.  There, I hope to hear about their perspectives and learn about their concerns and aspirations. Upon my return to Regina, I will bear witness to the revitalization of the city’s North Central community.

But tonight, I wish to celebrate Saskatchewan in your own words. As someone who has a profound appreciation for the literary arts, I must pay homage to one of your richest resources: your community of writers. Inspired by the mesmerizing surroundings, your writers give voice to who you are. Swift Current-born poet Lorna Crozier has said that “the sheer enormity” of your province defies words.

She asks, “How can the small letters you compose, standing as tall as possible on any page, make themselves visible in a landscape that diminishes the human? … Long before you hear any thunder, you can see the weather coming at you from miles away… Standing under a sky so blue it would ring if you threw a penny up into the air, you feel yourself vibrate like a tuning fork.”

Here in Saskatchewan, “Where the skies [do indeed seem] bigger than anywhere else,” as Connie Kaldor sings, there’s obviously something in the air. Something that inspires Joni Mitchell, Lorna Crozier and Sharon Butala, Guy Vanderhaege, Glen Sorestad and Rita Bouvier, Andrea Menard, Jack Sures, Maggie Siggins, and Colleen Bailey, and all of the other distinctive artists who bring Saskatchewan to life.

And may I mention here how much my husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, is looking forward to his discussion with Saskatchewan documentary filmmakers and producers at the Sound Stage.

Your artists’ perseverance at capturing the essence of this place in words is reflected across your land. Flying over the fertile checkerboard of wheat, canola and flax fields, one can’t help but be struck by the steady perseverance of the farmers and ranchers who somehow overcame the Great Depression and drought. They remained here through tremendously difficult times. It is thanks to them that today, your great province continues to feed people across this country and around the world.

We, in the rest of Canada, are indeed fortunate that you joined Confederation a century ago. We will continue to learn and benefit from your contributions to our shared future.

Moreover, I would be remiss if I did not now honour the vitality and exuberance of Saskatchewan’s French-speaking communities who, through their commitment and very existence, are contributing to the development of the Francophonie here in Saskatchewan. The Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise, the first model of governance within Canada’s Francophone communities, is a success story to inspire other Francophone communities outside of Quebec.

It is indisputable. Canada owes a lot to your generous spirit of giving and co-operation that has left an indelible mark on our institutions, our sense of community, and, most importantly, our collective identity.

So please rise and join me in a toast—to the people of Saskatchewan!