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Rideau Hall, Thursday, January 26, 2012 It is an honour for me to welcome all of you to Rideau Hall for this presentation of Military Valour and Meritorious Service Decorations. Each of you has shown great courage and determination in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. You have tackled challen...

Rideau Hall, Saturday, January 28, 2012 It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall this afternoon on the occasion of our annual Winter Celebration and the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend. I’m very pleased to host today, along with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, the launch of the Hockey is fo...

February 1, 2012 Message from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, on the Occasion of Black History Month OTTAWA—I am delighted to extend greetings to all Canadians on the occasion of Black History Month. Since 1995, Canada has marked this month by celebrat...

February 6, 2012 Message from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, on the Occasion of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee OTTAWA—Today is a very rare occasion seldom witnessed in the history of nations. Sixty years ago, on February 6, 1952, Her...

Rideau Hall, Monday, February 6, 2012 My wife, Sharon, and I are thrilled to welcome you to Rideau Hall this morning, to celebrate the accomplishments of deserving Canadians. Today is an historic occasion. It was on this day, 60 years ago, that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of Canada. ...

Ottawa, Tuesday, February 7, 2012 It is a pleasure for me to join you today to dedicate the installation of a stained glass window in honour of the diamond jubilees of both Queen Victoria and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In 1897, Queen Victoria was hailed in Canada as our beloved monarch. The jub...

Calgary, Tuesday, February 14, 2012 I am pleased to be here today for this presentation of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Since becoming governor general, it has been my privilege to meet hundreds of young recipients of these awards in cities across Canada. Hearing of their achievements and dreams h...

Maillardville, Wednesday, February 15, 2012 I am delighted to be here with you today in Maillardville. Thank you for your warm welcome. I have been looking forward to this visit, and to learning more about your deep roots in this province. This community reflects our heritage as Canadians and our co...

Vancouver, Wednesday, February 15, 2012 I am pleased to be here today for this presentation of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Since becoming governor general, it has been my privilege to meet hundreds of young recipients of these awards in cities across Canada. Hearing of their achievements and drea...

Vancouver, Thursday, February 16, 2012 It is a pleasure to welcome all of you to Vancouver for the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Let me begin by asking: why are you here today? Aristotle once said “All men by nature desire to know.” Allow me to recast thi...

Toronto, Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Thank you for your warm welcome and for inviting me to speak before you get underway this morning. I was thrilled to learn of this initiative chaired by my old friend and partner Amit Chakma to develop an international education strategy for Canada. This kind of ...

Rideau Hall, Friday, February 24, 2012 It is a privilege to welcome you to Rideau Hall today, and to recognize your remarkable acts of bravery. Let me begin with a story of courage that took place not far from here, many years ago. The incident occurred at a skating party on the Ottawa River in the ...

Rideau Hall, Monday, February 27, 2012 It is a pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall. For years, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada has honoured Canadians who have made important contributions to this country and the world. Every day, your ingenuity benefits humanity in...

Amsterdam, Netherlands, Monday, April 29, 2013 Thank you, everyone, for being here today. As governor general and commander-in-chief of Canada, I am pleased to have this opportunity to honour Canadians who helped liberate the Netherlands in the Second World War. I am also pleased to be able to say t...

Toronto, Ontario, Friday, April 26, 2013 I’m thrilled to see all of you and grateful to the Canadian Club of Toronto for giving us this opportunity to gather together. A revered public institution for more than a century, the club has been a platform for generations of Canadians to meet, share ideas...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 Let me greet you in your native Estonian: Tere Tulemast Kanadasse —welcome to Canada! To you and your wife, Excellency, I say welcome back to the country you called home for a brief period. The experiences you had in this country, I hope, prepared you in some sm...

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 Excellency, I am so pleased that you are undertaking a visit to Canada, or perhaps I should call this a homecoming of sorts. You know this country so well, having worked here for many years, as well as having served as ambassador to Canada. And we are pleased to...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 3, 2013 Welcome all of you to Rideau Hall, the home of the people of Canada. This has been the home and workplace of every governor general since Confederation. In fact, the Viscount Monck, Canada’s first governor general, would often travel by boat from Rideau Hall to Parli...

May 6, 2013 Message from Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston on the Occasion of Mental Health Week OTTAWA— In a given year, one in five Canadians experiences a mental health problem or illness. These challenges come in myriad f...

Ottawa, Ontario, Monday, May 6, 2013 It is nice to be among friends who support and raise awareness about mental health. And I would especially like to say congratulations to the Champions, who have personally committed themselves to this cause. Thank you for your service to all Canadians. David and...