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Rideau Hall, Friday, December 15, 2006 My husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I are delighted to welcome you all to Rideau Hall for this ceremony to recognize excellence in our society. I have just returned from my first State visit, during which I went to five African countries: Algeria, Mali, Ghana, So...

Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, December 7, 2006 I’m sure we all know someone living under the Sword of Damocles that is diabetes. The strict diet; the monitoring of blood sugar levels and the injections; the constant fear of blindness or the possibility of amputation. Diabetes diminishes the qua...

Casablanca, Morocco, Saturday, December 9, 2006 It is wonderful to be here with you. This is my first visit among our deployed forces. I think it is fitting that this inaugural visit is on one of Canada’s finest destroyers. The presence of this ship here in Casablanca, your participation in NATO exe...

Accra, Ghana, Monday, November 27, 2006 Ladies and gentlemen, I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be here today! First of all, it is wonderful to be in Africa, a land that I have wanted to visit since I was very young. Since my arrival almost a week ago, I have gained some understanding of the grea...

Recorded at Rideau Hall, Wednesday, December 20, 2006 Dear friends, Let me start by looking back at 2006, beginning with the year’s most recent events. I have just returned from my first State visit as governor general of Canada. I crossed the African continent from Algeria, Mali and Ghana to South ...

January 5, 2006 “Irving Layton was able to touch the depths of people’s souls through his works. His skills with the pen earned him the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Order of Canada, as well as many other forms of literary recognition around the world. Yet his most precious legacy lies i...

January 15, 2006 “My husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death today of Glyn Berry in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan, which also left three of our Canadian soldiers wounded. Mr. Berry, a Political Director from Foreign Affairs, had been posted to the Provincial R...

January 26, 2006 “My husband and I wish happy Chinese New Year celebrations to all those Canadians who are welcoming the Year of the Dog. A brand new year brings with it new hopes, new ambitions and new opportunities. Canadians everywhere will gather together to celebrate their heritage and keep ali...

January 31, 2006 “It is with pride that I extend my warmest greetings to all Canadians celebrating respect, equal opportunity, and sharing throughout Black History Month. Each year, the many activities that highlight these celebrations provide us with opportunities to learn more about our fellow cit...

February 1, 2006 “It is with much sadness that Jean-Daniel Lafond and I have learned that a great voice for equality, human rights and freedoms has fallen silent. Coretta Scott King, widow of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, was a woman of remarkable resolve. Guided by her convictions, she always fo...

La Citadelle, Wednesday, February 8, 2006 It is with great emotion and pride that I find myself before you today on my first official visit to Quebec as governor general of Canada. I would like to begin by saying to you, the members of the Royal 22e Régiment, just how honoured I am to be here with y...

Montréal, Friday, February 10, 2006 I would first like to say how moved I am to be here with you in the Saint‑Michel district, where I lived as a teenager. Not for very long, it’s true, but long enough that its memories and impressions have stayed with me. I often joke that I could easily be a taxi ...

Montréal, Sunday, February 12, 2006 What emotion and what pride I feel to stand before you today as Governor General of Canada for this celebration of Black History Month. For us, the Black people of this city, this country, this continent and the entire world, the legacy of slavery still holds a ha...

Montréal, Monday, February 13, 2006 No award can repay what you do. Lighting a spark of joy in the eyes of a sick child; giving wings to a young person with a disability; comforting a teen in crisis; distributing food baskets; lending a hand to the immigrant family who has just moved into the apartm...

Montréal, Wednesday, February 15, 2006 Thank you for welcoming me here today. It might not be a place where you would expect to see the governor general of Canada. But as I said in my installation speech, I think it is very important to give young people all of the tools and every opportunity to rea...

Rideau Hall, Friday, February 17, 2006 I would like to begin by drawing your attention to a change in decor in this great hall, where our country’s highest honours are awarded. During my first official visit to Prince Edward Island last fall, I had the pleasure of rediscovering at the Confederation ...

Toronto, Sunday, February 19, 2006 It is with great pleasure and emotion that I join you today as governor general of Canada for the Second Chance Scholarship Awards. This event constitutes an excellent opportunity to highlight the achievements of youth who have come a very long way. They have surmo...

Toronto, Monday, February 20, 2006 It is such a pleasure to be here in Toronto, on my first official visit to Ontario, and I want to thank you very much for your warm welcome. My husband regrets that he was not able to join me as he is shooting a film at the moment in Québec City. I look around this...

Toronto, Monday, February 20, 2006 I would also like to acknowledge the presence here this evening of my predecessor, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, and her husband John Ralston Saul. Thank you, Mr. Thorsell, for that wonderful visit. You and your colleagues at the ROM are to be congratulat...

Toronto, Tuesday, February 21, 2006 I am very pleased to join you all today, and I greatly appreciate the kindness demonstrated by the lieutenant governor. I must say that I feel I have found a kindred spirit. His Honour James Bartleman and I have had similar experiences in our lives. For example, w...