Waterloo, Ontario, Friday, October 30, 2015

If you’re lucky enough to have visited St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, you may know that the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren, the great English architect who helped rebuild London after the devastating fire of 1666, is inscribed with the following words:

“Reader, if you seek his monument, look about you.”

That’s what I’d say about all of you who have helped to build this new Centre of Excellence for Innovation in Aging.

This is your monument.

And what kind of monument is it?

It’s a monument to learning and to caring for others.

It’s a monument to innovation and to excellence.

It’s a monument to a smart and caring community, and to Canada.

In fact, this is a community within a community, and I’d like to extend special greetings to the residents who call this place home.

You make this place so very special. You turn these buildings, corridors and streets into neighbourhoods.

Is there anyone here today from the wrong side of the tracks—by which of course I mean the Johnston neighbourhood?!

I’m delighted to be here for this official opening ceremony.

And I’m so impressed by your progress with this centre of excellence.

I was fortunate enough to have been present for the very early stages of this project while serving as president of the University of Waterloo. And it was obvious even then that something special was going to happen here.

But as they say, the journey from A to B is rarely a straight line! And I know that a great many people have had to work very hard to take this centre from idea to reality.

Let me outline some of what I find most impressive about your achievement. I can think of at least five striking features.

One, this centre puts people first and is rooted in practicality. It’s all about caring, and it answers a pressing need. For the first time in our history, there are more Canadians aged 65 and over than there are under 15 years of age. This is our reality, and the quality of care we’re able to provide for aging Canadians will determine not only their well-being, but also what kind of people and what kind of country we are.

I thank you all for your caring and compassion for others.  

Two, this centre is all about collaboration. It’s the result of a wonderful partnership and brings together older adults, students, educators and researchers. The potential for learning and for a vibrant community is great.

Three, this centre promises to become a pinnacle of excellence. Already, it is home to 6 Schlegel Research Chairs with the ultimate goal of hosting 25 research chairs. It’s hard to imagine any centre in the world with a higher concentration of talent. This approach has the potential to implant excellence in the study of aging right here in Canada.

Which brings me to my fourth point: this centre has an international dimension that can only increase our learning. Already, delegations from China, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Australia have come to visit, and residency programs are in development. This approach holds such promise for so many.

The fifth and final feature that’s particularly exciting about the orientation of this centre is the understanding that research drives innovation. Innovation will be critical to the effort to maintain and improve the quality of life of aging Canadians, but it must be rooted in two things: research and, of course, caring.

Let me close by saying thank you again to everyone who has worked so hard on this impressive centre of excellence. And let me single out one person who will be especially annoyed with me for singling him out because he is all about the team. That, of course, is Ron Schlegel.

Look around you—you are literally helping to build a smarter, more caring country!

Thank you.