Port-au-Prince, Saturday, May 13, 2006

It is such a great pleasure for me to be here with you today. I’m sure you can imagine the emotion I feel every time I return to Haiti. The smells, the faces, the landscapes remind me of my childhood and fill me with joy and just a little sadness.

But this trip is particularly meaningful to me. Because I am returning to my country of origin as the governor general of Canada. At a turning point in the history of a country standing at a crossroads. At a time when, now more than ever, Haiti needs hope as it finally starts down the long‑awaited path toward change.

This country has known so much suffering. Too much. Those of you who live and work here know this. Suffering that should never be accepted as inevitable or deserved. And I know it, too, having been raised under a brutal dictatorship that silenced its citizens using every means possible, even the most unspeakable. Like you, I am ecstatic that the winds have changed and that the democratic spirit triumphed during the recent elections.

This is a good sign of things to come. And what is to come will take all of your determination and courage. Because everything will need to be rebuilt from the ground up, and in some cases, built from nothing. This is just the beginning. But I know that you have the desire to make it happen.

President Préval, whom I met during his recent visit to Canada, told me of his desire to give hope back to the Haitian people, who are in such dire need.

And I have no doubt that you, who are involved with all aspects of this reconstruction every day, share this desire to give hope back to the people of this country who are just barely holding on and know how important it is that we recognize their daily efforts. What I want more than anything today is to thank you sincerely for your tireless efforts to help this country, which has seen such pain.

The task is not always easy. Far from it. But your compassion and friendship for the people of Haiti will see you through any setbacks you may encounter along the way. Whether reducing poverty, easing hunger and slaking thirst, healing and educating, fighting violence and promoting respect for the rights of every Haitian, particularly women and children, or building infrastructures that often do not yet exist, you are answering Haiti’s distress call.

On behalf of myself and all Canadians, I wish to express my deepest gratitude and pride for the amazing, tireless work you are doing. I’m sure you have realized that Haiti will fade from the media spotlight now that it is no longer being torn apart.

Over the next few days, I will have the opportunity to see your work first‑hand. I hope to meet with you so that you can share with me your unique and wonderful experiences of Haiti. I have no doubt that they have been positive.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.