Owen Sound, Ontario, Friday, May 20, 2016

When I became governor general, I challenged Canadians to join me in building a smarter, more caring nation, and I have been overwhelmed by the positive response of community foundations—including this one, which has done such great work on behalf of the people of Grey and Bruce counties.

You have taken up the cause with such enthusiasm!

You are donors and supporters, community leaders, charitable partners, volunteers and organizers—and you are all making a difference.

I’m especially delighted to see that the focus of your smart and caring initiative is on education.

It’s something I know a little about!

Before becoming governor general, I spent more than 40 years working at universities.

Before that, I was a student.

So prior to coming to Rideau Hall, I hadn’t even left school!

Education is so important to me. In fact, learning is one of the pillars of a smarter, more caring nation.

I’m pleased to see we’re of a like mind in this regard.

And what great ambition you have, to grow the education fund to nearly $2 million by 2017 and to create new scholarships and awards for Grey Bruce students.

That’s the type of investment that will make a difference to young people in this community.

That’s the kind of forward-looking action that will pay off in many different ways.

That’s being smart about our caring.

Let me tell you a story.

Some two decades ago, Mother Teresa came to Montréal, where we were living at the time. One of our neighbours, moved by her work with the poor in Calcutta, asked Mother Teresa how she could help. She replied: “Just look around you. In your own neighbourhood there is a family who needs your care and love.”

Shortly afterward, I read a criticism of Mother Teresa’s work. Her shelter in Calcutta gave succour to perhaps 200 people in a city where millions lived in abject poverty. Her work was described as one small drop in an ocean.

A few weeks later, I realized the shortcomings of this criticism. It was looking at her work from the point of view of physics, rather than chemistry.

I came to this realization in an unusual way. At that time, my children were aged 2 to 9, and they were unsatisfied with the entertainment I was providing at their birthday parties. They would ask me, “ Why can’ t you do a magic show like Dean MacFarlane instead of telling us ghost stories that no one believes?”

In those days, Andy MacFarlane was the Dean of Journalism at the University of Western Ontario, where I was the Dean of Law. Being quite competitive, I attended the next birthday party at the MacFarlane home, where Andy was dressed as a magician, with a long cape and flowing sleeves. He was performing a magic trick, turning water into wine. He took a glass of clear water, raised it in the air, and uttered that magic phrase, “Abracadabra!”  He then swept the glass into his sleeves while whirling 360 degrees, surreptitiously adding a few drops of red vegetable dye into the glass, and emerged with a glass of a lovely rose-hued liquid.

At that moment, I realized that the work Mother Teresa was doing was changing the culture of Calcutta, and indeed that of the world. It was the transformation of the water— not the addition to it— that was improving the lives of so many families.

Community foundations across Canada are involved in a similar kind of transformative work and in the best kind of nation building, one where people come first.

The Community Foundation’s 2015 Vital Signs report surveyed the residents of Grey Bruce, who said that the three best things about this place are the natural beauty, the sense of community and the people.

From all I’ve seen, that’s certainly true.

The most vibrant communities, like the most successful countries, are those whose public institutions draw on the talents and contributions of all citizens regardless of class, income or any other artificial distinction.

Canadians have thrived because our institutions encourage the great mass of citizens to participate in activities that enable them to make the choices they wish and put their talents and skills to best use.

This essential inclusiveness didn’t just happen. It took—and continues to take—clear vision, sharp focus and constant work.

Community Foundation Grey Bruce has had real success in inspiring and supporting people to reach their full potential. I salute you and thank you for that.

And I encourage you to go even further in reaching out to others and building this community.

It’s my hope that this celebration today can be the catalyst for even greater things to come.

Thank you again for all that you do.