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Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Thank you for welcoming Sharon and me so warmly. What a pleasure it is to meet with so many friends of Canada here in South Africa. Our two countries are partnering in a variety of ways. Indeed, in South Africa there is so much potential for a greater ...

Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, May 21, 2013 It is a pleasure for Sharon and me to be here in South Africa. We are so grateful for the warm reception we have received wherever we have gone. It is a testament not just to the kindness of South Africans, but also to the great friendship that exists b...

May 20, 2013 Message from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, on the occasion of Victoria Day OTTAWA — As we make the most of this Victoria Day to celebrate our Sovereign’s birthday, it is an honour and indeed a pleasure to join with all Canadians in payin...

Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, May 21, 2013 Thank you for your warm welcome. Let me begin tonight by offering greetings and best wishes on behalf of all Canadians and underline the friendship between Canada and South Africa. It is truly an honour to be invited to speak on the subject of Canada...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 24, 2013 It is a pleasure to welcome to Rideau Hall—the home of the people of Canada—all of you, who serve and protect the people of Canada. Those of you being honoured here today as investees in the Order of Merit of the Police Forces have made outstanding contributions to ...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 24, 2013 I would like to welcome all of you to Rideau Hall, the home of the people of Canada, for the opening of a new section of the Trans Canada Trail. This country has so many wonderful points on the map, so many great vistas and landmarks to discover. And with that comes...

Boston, Massachusetts, Tuesday, May 28, 2013 Thank you for your warm welcome and for this kind invitation to speak with you today. The focus of my speech will be the diplomacy of knowledge, and the special role that Boston can play in an increasingly connected and competitive world. First, let me sa...

Boston, Massachusetts, Tuesday, May 28, 2013 I’m thrilled to be able to join you—some of Canada’s many brilliant Fulbright scholars, along with other students and academics—here at the Harvard Faculty Club, in Cambridge. Some of the most rewarding and memorable days of my life were spent in this gre...

New York City, New York, Wednesday, May 29, 2013 I’m thrilled to be able to join you here in New York City. I can think of no other place in the world in which business, media, finance, technology and entrepreneurship converge with such strength, creativity and influence. And I can think of no locat...

New York City, New York, Wednesday, May 29, 2013 I’m delighted to join you to talk about innovation. A most fascinating book that I read this past year is The Idea Factory by Jon Gertner. It tells the incredible story of Bell Labs. Located not too far from where we’re standing now—just a drive acros...

New York, New York, Wednesday, May 29, 2013 Thank you for your warm welcome. I am delighted to be here in New York. This truly is a remarkable city. As Pearl S. Buck once wrote: “As for New York City, it is a place apart. There is not its match in any other country in the world.” This city is one of...

Rideau Hall, Thursday, May 30, 2013 My wife, Sharon, and I are pleased to welcome you to Rideau Hall, the home of the people of Canada. As close friends and partners in the Americas, your arrival is cause for celebration. Despite the geographic distance that separates our two countries, we have a gr...

Rideau Hall, Thursday, May 30, 2013 It is an honour to host you at Rideau Hall during your State visit to Canada. I would like to commend your leadership and your contributions, which are creating a stronger country and a better world. I think, for example, at how respected Chile has become on the i...

June 2, 2013 Message from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General and Commander-in-chief of Canada, on the Occasion of the Canadian Forces Day OTTAWA— Canadian Forces Day is an occasion for us to thank our military men and women for all that they do—and for their willing...

June 2, 2013 Message from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, on the Occasion of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation OTTAWA—For much of modern history, the stability and enduring success of monarchy has been, above all, a re...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 31, 2013 Sharon and I would like to welcome you here this evening. Rideau Hall has such a long history with the performing arts. Concerts and plays have been staged here, and thousands of Canadians have been witness to many artistic talents on these grounds. But it was not u...

Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, June 1, 2013 The curtain rises. Silence descends. A man in a black suit emerges. Is he protagonist? Antagonist? Will he make us laugh? Cry? Will he elicit gasps? Will he dance? Will he sing? What will he do? The possibilities are infinite, as are the possibilities of art. ...

Langley, British Columbia, Monday, June 3, 2013 I am delighted to be here for a very special presentation of the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award. In November 1995, The Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc announced the creation of an award to honour Canadian volunteers—the unsung heroes of our co...

Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, June 4, 2013 Thank you so much for your warm and generous welcome. I’m happy to be back in Vancouver, and even happier to join all of you here in this beautiful building. This place shows us that libraries can be much more than places to stack books. They are re...

Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, June 4, 2013 Good afternoon, everyone. I’m happy to be in Vancouver and thrilled to be here with you at the annual conference of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish peopl...