October 21, 2013

Message from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston,
Governor General of Canada, on the occasion of Citizenship Week 2013

OTTAWA— I am pleased to extend greetings and best wishes to all Canadians on the occasion of Citizenship Week 2013.

Each year, Canada is fortunate to welcome many new Canadians—new citizens—to our country. Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to attend or to participate in a citizenship ceremony knows how inspiring it is to see others take the oath of citizenship, or even to take it oneself. It is a proud moment for all involved, and it is equally a wonderful moment for Canada—a country where immigration is an important part of our identity and social fabric.

Those of us who are fortunate enough to be born and to live in Canada know that to be a Canadian is to participate in a great experiment, one where diversity is celebrated and where peoples from various backgrounds live together in peace and harmony. To be a Canadian is also to accept that citizenship entails both rights and responsibilities, and that we all have a role to play in building the smarter, more caring country of which we dream.

Citizenship Week offers us a useful opportunity to reflect on what it means to be a Canadian, and to renew our commitment to each other as citizens of this country we share. 

David Johnston

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Media information:

Melanie Villeneuve
Rideau Hall Press Office
613-998-7280
melanie.villeneuve@gg.ca