January 15, 2025

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, shared a letter with Canadians. The letter captures the Governor General’s reflections on hope, reconciliation, respect and thoughtful discourse, and features Canadians’ reflections on hope.

The Governor General’s last Letter to Canadians coincided with her one-year mandate anniversary and was published on July 19, 2022, to present Her Excellency’s mandate priorities.

Through all my conversations this year, I have witnessed Canadians who are building bridges between cultures and bringing people together.

Read the full letter to Canadians.

Dear Canadians,

As we embark on a new year, I invite you to take a moment to reflect.

Our nation is going through a period of uncertainty. Many Canadians are concerned about what lies ahead. As human beings, we all seek stability and a sense of belonging within our country.

Winter, for many Indigenous communities in Canada and around the world, is a time to slow down and heal. It is a time when people gather to share stories and to reconnect with their families and with the land.

In the introspective atmosphere of the season, I invite you to ponder an important question: as Canadians, what does hope mean to you?

Now more than ever, we must build on our shared values as Canadians. We must encourage meaningful dialogue within our society and cultivate a renewed sense of pride and hope as we write the next chapters of our national history together.

Hope is looking forward to a better future for the next generation. But hope is now, too. It is about what we do right here, right now. It is about a feeling of connection inside us that keeps us going.

Over the past year, I have met so many of you. You have filled me with hope.

I have heard courageous Survivors of the residential school system share insights about their healing journeys. Because of intergenerational trauma, and because of the harsh living conditions that people continue to endure, there is still a sense of hopelessness in some Indigenous communities across Canada. I am encouraged to see Survivors, Elders and so many people supporting each other as we work to recognize Canada’s true national history. This is crucial for the younger generation to find hope and strength in embracing their cultural identity.

I remain steadfast in my commitment to walking the path of reconciliation with all Canadians. It is a lifelong journey. Together, we are working to make Canada an inclusive space where everyone feels respected and has a sense of belonging.

I am also hearing more about remarkable mental health initiatives taking place across Canada.

For instance, I was impressed to hear from Michelle Pavloff, co-founder of SaskAgMatters in Saskatchewan, about how the Farmer and Rancher Mental Health initiative provides peer support and free counselling services to agricultural producers, workers and their families during stressful times.

There are also people in Canada who are doing groundbreaking work to make social media platforms safer. During my symposium on digital respect, I learned about several organizations helping youth, parents and teachers across the country engage safely and critically with media and the internet. We need safe online spaces where we can have healthy social interactions. We need to engage in genuine and respectful dialogue with people who hold diverse opinions, experiences and beliefs, even if we disagree. It is both healthy and constructive.

Through all my conversations this year, I have witnessed Canadians who are building bridges between cultures and bringing people together.

While in Nunavut, I was honored to invest John Amagoalik into the Order of Canada. Mr. Amagoalik fostered greater understanding between cultural communities in Canada by contributing to the creation of Nunavut 25 years ago and by advocating for Inuit. Wherever we went after the ceremony, I saw the pride of his community, and a renewed sense of unity among Inuit.

As the Royal Canadian Air Force celebrated its 100^th anniversary, I had the privilege of awarding a King Charles III Coronation Medal to General Richard Rohmer for his lifetime commitment to Canada. At 100 years old, this hero—who played a critical role on D-Day—remains a remarkable example of sacrifice and collaboration for peace and democracy.

I was also pleased to present the Order of Canada snowflake insignia to Mellissa Fung, a renowned author, filmmaker and former CBC war correspondent, in recognition of her advocacy for women and girls in conflict zones. She has given a voice to the voiceless and has urged leaders to prioritize humanism and compassion over division and conflict.

So many Canadians are making great contributions to our country. In different ways, in all fields, they work to bring us together as a country. They work to build a more inclusive, more connected and more understanding world.

As we begin this new year, I would like to convey to you the sense of hope and resilience I felt alongside our Paralympic athletes in Paris in August. Every day, they pushed themselves to be their best. We must do the same.

Let us continue building a nation where hope flourishes, and where everyone has a voice.

It is hard work, but it is work worth doing, and it can only be done together.

Mary Simon