Toronto, Ontario, Thursday, October 29, 2015

It’s wonderful to be here in Toronto to open the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Forum.

I’m also pleased to see that so many of you have come to Canada to be part of this discussion. The last time Canada hosted this conference was in 1986. Twenty nine years later, here we are again!

We’re proud to host you here because of what these awards represent. And we hope that you will take the time to truly discover Canada. We have such a diverse people, with a mosaic of cultures and languages. We are a welcoming country, and we hope that you take that message back home with you, and are encouraged to visit here again.

As you know, next year will mark the 60th anniversary of the creation of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh helped to create a program in which young people would have the opportunity to challenge themselves, to get fit and healthy, to contribute to the community, to find out how they fit into the world.

I am grateful to His Royal Highness, to the members of the Royal Family—including the Earl of Wessex, who is here with us today—for their continued support and dedication to young people’s well-being.

Today, you are here to speak about the future of these awards.

First, though, let me applaud what you have accomplished thus far.

In Canada alone, more than 500 000 young people have participated in this program since its inception. And around the world, 8 million young people have learned from and grown with this award.

These are familiar numbers to you, but let’s not overlook the amount of work it has taken to get to this point.

And let us not overlook the impact that you have with this program.

You are helping our young people develop into responsible citizens, ready to participate in our society.

I’ve seen the results of your efforts first-hand.

Since becoming governor general five years ago, I’ve had the privilege of presenting hundreds of Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Awards.

As such, I’ve had the chance to meet with the young men and women who are creating a smarter, more caring world.

What they achieve with the help of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award—with your help—is impressive.

How they achieve it is inspiring.

They show values of inclusiveness, tolerance and respect; they are innovative and hardworking; they take nothing for granted.

And they take their cues from all of you in this room, those who create and craft the program; who decide on its criteria and the desired outcomes.

You are more than administrators, though.

You dedicate yourselves to upholding the highest standards of this award in your countries.

You keep these awards vibrant and relevant and important to our countries.

You embody the spirit of these awards.

Each award recipient is proof of how effective this program has been and how much of an impact you’ve had on the next generation.

The country to which we aspire—indeed, the world that we want to live in—is a goal, not a given.

That is not an unfamiliar concept to all of you.

That’s why in addition to the discussion you will have, I also hope that you take this time to celebrate coming together from around the world. You gather in common cause, in camaraderie and collaboration and optimism for the future.

That future, particularly in Canada, looks very bright.

We look forward to further growth of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in our country, and I invite you to share new ideas and best practices with your peers.

You are leaving your mark on an ever-changing world and I congratulate you on all that you have accomplished.

All of you here with us today have already shown yourselves to be conscientious citizens. I have no doubt that you will continue to give back and to help young people see their role in building a better future for the world.

Thank you—all of you—for sustaining the momentum of these awards in Canada and around the world.

I wish you a fruitful and productive conference.