Rideau Hall, Friday, October 24, 2008

It is a pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall for the official presentation of the armorial bearings of the Federal Court.

On July 2, 2003, the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal became two separate courts. That decision led to a fundamental rethinking of the mandate, role and identity of this new legal entity.

These arms, this flag, these badges are the result of that rethinking. They are the heraldic representation of an institution that is firmly planting its roots in our democratic system, which is based on the rule of law, while continuing to evolve like the society it represents.

I believe that Justice O’Reilly will explain in detail the significance of each element.

When I was appointed governor general of Canada three years ago, I had the privilege of creating my personal coat of arms because I am also, by virtue of my position, the head of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

This year, my husband, Jean‑Daniel Lafond, also created his own coat of arms, which I saw for the first time this summer.

For him, as for me, this was a unique, moving and unforgettable experience.

In a way far more profound than we had initially expected, we had been given the unique opportunity to be part of a long tradition.

It is an exercise that one cannot enter into lightly and which requires total involvement. Because to choose the elements that go into armorial bearings–regardless of which type–a number of key questions need to be asked.

Questions that the Federal Court representatives who were involved in creating these armorial bearings had to consider as well.

Who are we?

How do we express in symbols our roots, our history, our values, and our vision?

How do we ensure that the proposed message is at once powerful and meaningful?

How do we express the essence of our family, our institution or our society and the place we hold in it?

Finally, how do we succeed at this endeavour while respecting the rules of blazonry, because nothing in a coat of arms is left to chance, and because each colour and charge carries the message that we choose to give it?

Like you, my husband and I were able to count on the heralds of arms of Canada to aid us in this process, and today, I applaud their work, their commitment and their passion.

The other day, Claire Boudreau, the Chief Herald of Canada and currently the only woman in the world to hold that position, said something that made me smile. She said that we need to let armorial bearings “age.”

So let us allow these new arms that represent you to age, for their meaning will only deepen over time.

Let us hope that with each use, they will grow ever more evocative, ensuring that they take their rightful place among the important symbols of Canadian justice, alongside the arms granted to the Superior Court of Justice, to the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada, and to the Canadian Bar Association.

This is a very poignant moment in our history, and I am so happy to be a part of it.

Thank you.