Beaconsfield, Quebec, Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Thank you for your warm welcome.

It is a pleasure to be here for the dedication of this park in honour of the military personnel, community police officers, RCMP officers, firefighters, paramedics and first responders who bravely serve this community and this country.

One of the great privileges of being governor general comes in honouring courageous Canadians through the presentation of honours and decorations for service and bravery. And on these occasions, I often marvel at the contrast between the courageous acts being recognized and the humility of the person being honoured.

We all know the narrative: someone risks his or her own life for the sake of another, and then afterwards insists that they do not consider themselves to be a “hero.”

Is it false modesty, or simply good manners that lead these brave people to show such humility? Or, is there something more profound to their modesty?

I think there is something profound about it, and that the humility of those who act so courageously points us towards the true nature of service and bravery.

Rather than view themselves as heroes, most of the military personnel, police officers, firefighters, paramedics and first responders who I have met see themselves as regular people, just doing their job.

And indeed that is what makes them so worthy of our admiration, because the job they do is so important to our collective well-being. They do remarkable things on a regular basis. Their sense of duty and courage and compassion makes the extraordinary seem ordinary.

I am so pleased to join you for this celebration today. Each of us would be a lot less safe and secure without the contributions of these individuals. Many of Canada’s most precious values—the rule of law, the protection of human rights, care for the health and well-being of others—would be severely compromised without the support of these exemplary Canadians.

To all of the police officers, firefighters, paramedics, first responders and military personnel who serve, I offer my deepest thanks.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the families and loved ones of those being recognized today. Your care and support is so essential.

I would also like to thank the town of Beaconsfield, the Heroes Committee and all others who worked together to make this park possible. You are also commemorating the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War this year—another occasion for solemn remembrance and reflection.

This park is an eloquent tribute to those who work so hard in the public interest. Congratulations on this new addition to the landscape of Beaconsfield.

May this park be respected and enjoyed for many years to come.

Thank you.