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The Citadelle, Wednesday, June 25, 2008
I am delighted to welcome you here to the official residence of the governor general of Canada at the Citadelle, in the beautiful City of Québec. It is even more beautiful than ever, filled with the spirit of the celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of its founding.
Everywhere you look, from here to the streets of Lower Town, history is alive and revealed in the traces that time has left behind to enrich our present.
Located in the historic district of Québec, the Citadelle for me is a jewel, a priceless treasure. It is the only military fortification in North America that remains intact.
If its walls and ramparts could talk, they would tell you of our military past under different regimes; of the challenges of setting down roots in a new land of harsh extremes; of the sometimes brutal meeting of European and Amerindian civilizations, cultures, languages, lifestyles and viewpoints.
If these walls and ramparts could talk, they would whisper the details discussed around the table between Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and William Lyon Mackenzie King, as they developed their martial plan to defeat the Axis powers during two historic conferences, held right here at the Citadelle.
And these walls and ramparts would boast of the Royal 22e Régiment, of its commitment to bringing peace and stability to the troubled regions of the world, of its tradition of excellence that it endeavours to uphold across Canada and beyond our borders.
So many school children, students, history and architecture buffs come here every year along with thousands of others, visitors from the four corners of the world, to discover this city, this country, and the beauty contained herein.
These visitors come to discover the charms of the Citadelle, most often because you, representatives of the tourism industry, have stoked their imaginations and planted the seeds of curiosity to learn more about this fortification, and I wanted to thank you so much for doing that.
This year, as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the City of Québec, I know that you are making an extra effort to promote the very best that the city has to offer, and I commend you for this. I can assure you that the Residence of the Governor General at the Citadelle of Québec will be a key partner in your efforts.
As part of these celebrations, we are presenting two exhibits: one featuring the pioneers of this city who have received national honours, along with the coats of arms and flags of the various regimes; the other bringing together some of the exceptional works from the Peter Winkworth Collection—etchings and paintings depicting the City of Québec at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries—which I will be opening tomorrow.
And, what I am most proud of, after years of hard work and with the collaboration of several partners, we have succeeded in transforming the Cap-aux-Diamants Redoubt into a museum space, a cultural space in which we can showcase our heritage.
It is one of the rare remnants of the City of Québec’s earliest fortifications, built under Frontenac, and one of Canada’s oldest military buildings.
Within the walls of the Redoubt stands Le Grand Livre de Champlain, a gift to the people of Canada from the cities of La Rochelle and Rochefort and the Agglomération Royan Atlantique in France as a sign of the friendship that binds us on both sides of the Atlantic.
The celebrations for the 400th anniversary will kick off at the Citadelle on June 28, beginning with our annual open house. There will be something for every taste and all ages: food and drink, music, family activities, exhibits, to name but a few.
I invite you to join us and to extend this invitation to every visitor you meet. You won’t want to miss it!
Québec—it is something to be experienced, and it is an experience that each and every one of you helps to enrich. Thank you for your support.
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, Québec!