Opening of the 2008 Conference of Lieutenant-Governors and Commissioners

The Citadelle, Saturday, May 31, 2008

I said yesterday that within these walls, some of the decisive pages of our history have been written. To that, I would add that it is a history that we are continuing to shape together this morning.

I am especially pleased to be here with you because last year, my health prevented me from joining you. Allow me, if you will, to share a few thoughts with you as I begin the second half of my mandate.

When we first met in the early weeks of my appointment, I expressed my hope that we would work together. That we would consider pooling our efforts. Some of you recall that wish, an idea that had been favourably received.

Many of you assumed your mandates a year ago: His Honour the Honourable Pierre Duchesne, His Honour the Honourable Mr. Point, His Honour the Honourable Mr. Onley, His Honour the Honourable Mr. Crosie. I am very happy to welcome you to the viceregal family around the table today.

I am also very pleased that the three commissioners from Canada’s North are with us. I understand that Mr. Whitford’s mandate has been renewed for another three years, and I congratulate you.

I also understand that His Honour the Honourable Herménégilde Chiasson believes that his mandate will be extended by one year. The year ahead, 2009, will be an important one for New Brunswick’s Acadian community, as they host the World Acadian Congress.

When I was installed as the 27^th governor general, I established in my installation speech the parameters of the actions I intended to take and charted the course—dare I call it a crusade?—that I intended to embark upon. Since then, I have never deviated from my intentions or the spirit of what I expressed on that first day. I invite you to reread some of those passages: see for yourselves and think about all that I have said, said again, done and proposed wherever I have travelled, at every opportunity, over the past 18 months.

“The time of the “two solitudes” that for too long described the character of this country is past. The narrow notion of “every person for himself” does not belong in today’s world, which demands that we learn to see beyond our wounds, beyond our differences for the good of all. Quite the contrary: we must eliminate the spectre of all the solitudes and promote solidarity among all the citizens who make up the Canada of today. As well, we must make good use of our prosperity and our influence wherever the hope that we represent offers the world an extra measure of harmony.”

“And that is how I am determined that the position I occupy as of today will be more than ever a place where citizens’ words will be heard, where the values of respect, tolerance, and sharing that are so essential to me and to all Canadians, will prevail. Those values, which are paramount for me, are linked inextricably with the Canada I love. Along with my husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, I hope to rally our creative forces around those values that unite us all and that are universal in scope.”

“(…) As governor general, I shall place special emphasis on the generosity that Canadians have shown throughout our history, from our veterans and our Canadian Forces, who have often sacrificed so much, to the many volunteers in humanitarian actions, who often work in the shadows in the name of a peaceful ideal of freedom and justice.”

“Most of all, I want our young people to be our standard-bearers. I want them to dip into the enormous treasure trove that is Canada (…).”

“Nothing in today’s society is more disgraceful than the marginalization of some young people who are driven to isolation and despair. We must not tolerate such disparities. After all, our young people are helping to redefine the great family we all belong to, in a world that is less and less impermeable, more and more open. They are the promise of our future and we have a duty to encourage them to join us in this reinvention of the world. We must communicate to them the spirit of adventure that our ancestors, regardless of their origins, have passed on to us. We must give our young people the power and, even more, the desire to realize their full potential. I shall do everything I can to see to that, and I invite each and every one of you to help me in this vital task.”

“I am eagerly looking forward to meeting my fellow Canadians very soon. I am convinced that Canada will continue to accomplish great things if we work together for a better quality of life—for our own population and for all humanity. Our country is vast and it is blessed with a wealth of colours and the varied music of its tongues and accents. Many have not had the good fortune of measuring its full extent. I know how privileged I am.”

Eighteen months later, as I have carried out my duties, I am as committed as ever to these guiding ideas. In many different ways, whenever I have occasion to speak, whenever I meet with others, whenever I am able to take action or put forward new initiatives, I do everything I can to stop the indifference to exclusion and aimlessness; to eliminate the spectre of all the solitudes; to promote solidarity; to encourage and recognize the acts of solidarity and generosity within our communities; to rally the creative forces of civil society, to bring them together; to ensure that citizens’ voices are heard and can make a difference; to advance the idea of working together, building stronger communities, uniting our efforts, forging partnerships, expanding networks.

It is in this spirit that I travel across this country and abroad.

It is from that perspective that I listen very closely to those I meet.

It is for these reasons that I bring people together to raise awareness and try to better our understanding of certain social and global realities of today.

This is what guides me in choosing which invitations to accept, which activities to take part in.

This is what our fellow citizens are responding to in such great numbers, with such enthusiasm: to the relevance that I try to bring to the institution and will continue to bring until the end of my mandate.

It is in this spirit that I exercise my role when meeting with decision makers and, in particular, with the head of the government.

Jean-Daniel Lafond’s contribution and the projects he has initiated stem from that same intention: to bring people together, to give them a voice and to be constructive. These include the Citizen Voices site, the discussions held as part of the Art Matters forums, and his consultations with Francophone communities across Canada.

I have remained committed to youth and have sought every opportunity to hear what they have to say and to speak to them, both here at home and in my travels abroad.

I also remain committed to helping women, not only with respect to domestic violence, but also in their efforts to achieve full emancipation. Without a doubt, Aboriginal women are facing the greatest challenge in this regard in our country.

I believe profoundly in the duty to remember and in the importance of questioning History to give a stronger foundation to our relationships with one another, to better shape the present and find solutions to the challenges of the day. Putting together memory, appreciating its facts, restoring all of the stories that make up our History and celebrating the richness of this heritage: the institution of the governor general is at the crossroads of all of these paths.

I believe that cultural and demographic diversity is an asset for our country. Nevertheless, I believe that we should move toward a philosophy of living together in harmony that emphasizes the values we share, the universality of experiences, the principles and institutions that we must collectively defend, promote and preserve and that define our civic belonging.

This should give you an idea of the thrust of my mandate. Rest assured that I will not deviate from this path.

It is in this perspective that I hope that we will draw up the initiatives, prioritize the projects, define the directions that we will take together.

We have succeeded in placing the institution of the governor general at the heart of the concerns of our fellow citizens. We have succeeded in making its role relevant to our modern world. We have “popularized” it. The number of invitations and demonstrations of support are more than proof of this.

We should rejoice in this unprecedented favour and ensure that we continue to live up to this level of confidence.

Jean-Daniel and I are counting on you as we move forward.

The motto I chose is Briser les solitudes, or breaking down solitudes. In this increasingly complex world, where individualism continues to hold sway and solidarities are crumbling, the number of people who are pushed to the margins continues, unfortunately, to rise. Indifference and the “fend for yourself” mentality do nothing but reinforce inequalities and deepen the gaps between us. Now more than ever before, we must instead come together. And what has struck me most as I have travelled across this country are the efforts of Canadians to live together in a more just society.

Living together in harmony is not a problem but rather a work in progress, where every day, citizens reflect, speak out and take action for the common good. In the forums, blogs and live chats on the Citizen Voices site, we have the opportunity to talk about what we can do to live together in even greater harmony. So let’s get started!

The enthusiasm with which I set out on this great adventure nearly three years ago is no less today, and I am eager to continue the work begun with you, regardless of what those who would seek to undermine the civic nature of the institution I proudly represent may think.

I hope that you have a wonderful stay in the City of Québec, a world heritage site and the cradle of French civilization in the Americas, as it celebrates the 400^th anniversary of its foundation.

May your discussions be enriching, inspiring and full of promise for the future.