Annual Inspection of the Ceremonial Guard and Storytime

The members of the Ceremonial Guard come from right across Canada, and their record of service is impressive.

The Commanding Officer is preparing the Ceremonial Guard for the annual Inspection.

As a gift, His Excellency was given a snare drum used by the Ceremonial Guard.

The Governor General posed with the 401 Ceremonial Guards.

Corporal Gabrielle Porter read La clé à molette by Elise Gravel.

Storytime is hosted in collaboration with Frontier College, a Canadian non-profit literacy organization. Volunteers invite visitors to settle in under the Reading Tent, near the Visitor Centre, to read books and participate in fun literacy activities.

The Governor General launched Storytime at Rideau Hall. There was stories and snacks as we kicked off this annual outdoor family activity that celebrates reading and literacy.

These men and women have served in Afghanistan, the former Yugoslavia, Cyprus, Haiti and Africa. And some have taken part in relief efforts closer to home, including the Quebec and Manitoba floods, and the Alberta forest fires.

"I’m always impressed by the strength and endurance of the Ceremonial Guard," declared His Excellency. "The sheer will it takes to stand outside, in the harsh sun or the driving rain, and to do so without losing your composure is remarkable. It certainly impresses the thousands of visitors who come to Rideau Hall! People leave here with a greater appreciation for what you and your comrades do for our country each and every day."

"Today, we pay tribute to the men and women standing before us," said the Governor General. "We owe them a debt of gratitude for their service to our country."

The Governor General inspects the Ceremonial Guard.

From June 28 to August 22, come see the Relief of the Sentries on the grounds of Rideau Hall. In this much-loved ceremony, sentries are led by a piper to their posts at Sussex Gate and in front of the residence, every hour, on the hour, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Members of the public were invited to witness the pageantry, precision and colour of the Governor General’s annual Inspection of the Ceremonial Guard, which included members of regiments from across the country.