Rideau Hall, Tuesday, May 31, 2016

What a pleasure to see you all here at Rideau Hall, the home of the people of Canada.

When I began my mandate as governor general, I called on all Canadians to join me in building a smarter and more caring nation.

Our friends at Community Foundations of Canada answered that call.

In fact, you went above and beyond!

You established Smart and Caring Community Funds, which are helping people across Canada develop their talents and succeed to their fullest potential.

I’ve had the immense pleasure of seeing the results of these funds right across this great country and of meeting the people who make them possible. It’s inspiring!

You provided such essential and remarkable leadership. The Community Foundations of Canada partnership made the Rideau Hall Foundation possible and brought it from its infancy to robust adulthood.

Without your help, the Foundation would not exist. It’s as simple as that.

Today, I want to offer you my sincere thanks for helping to make the Foundation a reality.

It has been a pleasure and a wonderful learning experience to work with members of Community Foundations of Canada who were so generously loaned to the Rideau Hall Foundation.

We started with an ambitious goal: to gather, align and mobilize ideas, people and resources to move the Canadian spirit and our shared aspirations forward.

How’s that for a mission statement?!

But as I’ve said before: great nations are built on great challenges.

Establishing a new foundation in the middle of a busy mandate was an unprecedented undertaking, but thanks to your expertise and enthusiasm, we did it.

Working collaboratively with the Board of Directors and Rideau Hall staff, you helped to incubate it and bring it to a strategic place of strength and potential.

Doing so involved risk and required considerable time and effort, but together we built something special and lasting for Canadians.

Today, the Rideau Hall Foundation is entering a new phase, and I am confident it will long help Canadians to build a bright future.

With 2017 just around the corner, I often ask Canadians what they will give Canada for its 150th birthday.

I thank all of you for giving Canada a wonderful gift: the Rideau Hall Foundation.

I wish you the very best.