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[Screen Description: Text on a grey background reads, “Canadian Honours, Gisèle Breau, Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division).” There is a viceregal lion above the text.]

[Screen Description: Several words characterizing honours recipients move across a black screen. The screen reads, “Canadian honours presented by the Governor General.”]

[Screen Description:  Gisèle Breau is sitting and speaking to the camera. The screen reads, “Gisèle Breau, Shippagan, New Brunswick, Recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal (civil Division).”]

[Gisèle Breau, in French:] How did Ottawa ever hear about me, Gisèle Breau, from the tiny town of Shippagan?

For me, it was totally unreal.

I graduated from university, as a social worker.

I was offered a job opportunity here in Shippagan as the director of the Foyer Le Gouvernail.

It's a resource for at-risk youth.

When someone's been tossed around from one foster home to another, then they come to us.

There was one young person that arrived at Le Gouvernail, it took us about 24 hours to realize that this young person was impaired with something we didn't understand.

At that time, I had no experience working with children with autism.

We had to find a solution, because that young person couldn't live with other youths who were dealing with their own completely different challenges.

So I proposed an idea to my board and to the other employees that we should create a home for kids who were on the autism spectrum.

I have a kid who needs us, and I can’t let him down, no matter his condition.

In 2009, the Maison TED was founded.

What children on the autism spectrum need the most are secure surroundings and a set routine.

We don't necessarily do a lot of individual therapy, it's about living as a family.

“Does it bring up good memories?”

[Jean-François, in French:] “Yeah.”

[Gisèle Breau, in French:] “Yeah. Do you want to see your old room?”

[Screen Description: Carole Noël Basque is sitting and speaking to the camera. The screen reads, “Carole Noël Basque, mother of Jean-François.” Short video clips play as she speaks, showing her son, Jean-François, walking with Gisèle Breau.]

[Carole Noël Basque, in French:] Jean-François is a kid who, particularly as a teenager, needed a lot of support.

We didn't always have the right tools to help him, but at the Maison TED, they treated him as one of their own and always took very good care of him.

[Screen Description: Throughout the video, the screen alternates between Gisèle Breau, Carole Noël Basque, Jean-François and a series of scenes of Mrs. Breau walking outside on a pier, working in her office and interacting with residents at Maison TED.]

[Gisèle Breau, in French:] It's not because you don't love your children anymore that you apply for placement.

It's because you're overwhelmed by the situation.

[Carole Noël Basque, in French:] When he was close to 19 years old, we brought him back home, and it's been going very well since then, because he was given so many good tools.

So now, he's much more responsible, he's much calmer.

[Gisèle Breau, in French:] Receiving the Meritorious Service Medal has had an impact because I subsequently received a lot of calls from people outside my area who didn't know there was a home for kids with autism spectrum disorder, and who were interested in the possibility of creating something similar in their area.

[Carole Noël Basque, in French:] Gisèle really was our lifeline.

And to this day, I haven't met another person so dedicated to the cause.

[Gisèle Breau, in French:] The person who nominated me, if I could speak to that person, I would say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[Screen Description: Text on a grey background reads, “The Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) recognize remarkable individuals who bring honour to our country through their exceptional deeds in many different fields. gg.ca/honours.” There is a Meritorious Service Medal and Cross above the text.]

[Screen Description: A viceregal lion on a grey background.]

Hello,

There are places in Canada, north of the Arctic Circle, where darkness has settled for the winter. For weeks and months on end, the sun does not rise. But winter doesn’t stop life. Now is the time to tell stories, to rejuvenate and to move forward together.

To keep going.

And I have seen light during this difficult and monumental year gone by.

It was a year of change, of facing hard truths.

It was the year of Queen Elizabeth the Second’s passing.

It was a year that brought us together to face devastating climate disasters, community-shattering attacks, and the pain and trauma of children’s unmarked graves at residential school sites.

It was a year of reconciling the past and the present with the promise of the future.

We hold within us this promise. And while this has been a year where finding strength and resilience has been difficult, people have shown that good people doing good can make a difference. Pay attention to acts of kindness compassion, and reconciliation.

Now, we look to 2023, and I enter the year with hope in my heart.

Hope is a great motivator.

We can build a more inclusive country.

We can talk to each other—to better understand each other and respect our different views.

We can improve the lives of others by being generous, innovative, thoughtful and courteous.

We can renew our relationship with Indigenous peoples and with the land.

As this year ends, I encourage us to reach out to our friends and neighbours; to tell our own stories, dreams and plans for our future—

full of hope;

Full of light.

I encourage all of you to spend time together and enjoy the holidays and New Year with families and friends. 

Happy New Year, Canada!

A few moments from the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers ceremony at Rideau Hall on April 21, 2022. 

This video was produced by the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. 

[Screen Description: The screen reads, “Mary Simon – Governor General of Canada” in English and French. The background is blue and the viceregal lion is in the centre of the image, above the text. A watermark at the bottom of the image indicates that this video is owned by Rideau Hall.]

[Music plays throughout the video.]

[Screen Description: The video illustrates a series of scenes featuring Governor General Mary Simon, recipients and guests during an honours ceremony.] 

Highlights from the Order of Canada ceremony at Rideau Hall, on May 6, 2022.

This video was produced by the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. Cette vidéo a été produite par le Bureau du secrétaire du gouverneur général.

[Screen Description: The screen reads, “Mary Simon – Governor General of Canada” in English and French. The background is blue and the viceregal lion is in the centre of the image, above the text. A watermark at the bottom of the image indicates that this video is owned by Rideau Hall.]

[Music plays throughout the video.]

[Screen Description: The video illustrates a series of scenes featuring Governor General Mary Simon, recipients and guests during an honours ceremony.]

Highlights from Governor General Simon’s official visit to Nunavik.

This video was produced by the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General.

 [Screen Description: The screen reads, “Nunavik, May 2022” in English and French. The background is dark blue and the viceregal lion is in the centre of the image, above the text. A watermark at the bottom of the image indicates that this video is owned by Rideau Hall. The viceregal lion is also seen at the end of the video.]

[Screen Description: The video illustrates a series of scenes featuring Governor General Simon and Mr. Whit Fraser during their official visit to Nunavik. The video also includes images of northern landscapes. Background music plays throughout the video.]

Special moments from the Honours ceremony at Rideau Hall, on May 26, 2022.

This video was produced by the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General.

[Screen Description: The screen reads, “Presentation of Canadian Honours, 2022.05.26” in English and French. The background is grey and the viceregal lion is in the centre of the image, above the text.] [Music plays throughout the video.]

[Screen Description: The video illustrates a series of scenes featuring Governor General Mary Simon, recipients and guests during an honours ceremony in the Ballroom at Rideau Hall.] 

Louis St-Cyr shares his experiences as a volunteer and what receiving the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers has meant to him.

[Screen Description: Text on a grey background reads, “Canadian Honours, Louis St-Cyr, Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.” There is a viceregal lion above the text.]

[Screen Description: Several words characterizing honours recipients move across a black screen. The screen reads, “Canadian honours presented by the Governor General”.]

[Screen Description: Louis St-Cyr is sitting and speaking to the camera. The screen reads, “Louis St-Cyr, Cantley, Quebec, Recipient of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers”.]

[Louis St-Cyr:] There are two verbs I like to use: to love and to help.

What led me to take my first humanitarian trip?

I think it was a little bit of curiosity, to see how people lived elsewhere.

My first trip was to Guatemala.

We built the second and third floors of a school.

I took a liking to it immediately.

I went to El Salvador five times.

We built a residence for sick people.

After that, I went to the Dominican Republic to build a youth centre.

Eighty percent of people who go there are not necessarily skilled tradespersons.

And when someone has a trade, their skills are in high demand.

They are promoted to foreman automatically, even if they can’t speak Spanish.

These humanitarian trips gave me a new vision of the world, I grow as a person, each time I go.

And today, that work led me to do volunteer work with an organization called "L'Amicale des personnes handicapées physiques de l'Outaouais."

[Screen Description: Throughout the video, the screen alternates between Mr. St-Cyr, Mr. de Bellefeuille, and a series of scenes featuring Mr. St-Cyr participating in volunteer work, including building homes and working with people with disabilities at L’Amicale des personnes handicapées physiques de l’Outaouais.]

[Screen Description: Mr. Jacques de Bellefeuille is sitting and speaking to the camera. The screen reads, “Jacques de Bellefeuille, Managing Director of L’Amicale.”]

[Jacques de Bellefeuille:] We are a drop-in centre for people who are physically disabled.

It provides a place for people to come together, to alleviate their isolation, to join in and to achieve their potential.

[Louis St-Cyr:] The first time I went to the centre, it was to fix a leaky faucet for free.

When I saw the condition of the faucet and the kitchen sink, I said to myself, "There's no way to fix that faucet."

So I changed it and the sink as well.

[Jacques de Bellefeuille:] That's how it started. Louis has never stopped.

[Louis St-Cyr:] Then I thought, why not fix the tiles?

After, I renovated the large common room.

I renovated the two bathrooms, and adapted them for their needs.

[Jacques de Bellefeuille:] In an organization like ours, our budgets for renovations or for improving the physical spaces are very limited.

Louis grasped L'Amicale’s mission and folded it under his wings.

[Louis St-Cyr:] So now, for the last two years, I've been the chairperson of L'Amicale.

[Jacques de Bellefeuille:] He has such a big heart.

[Louis St-Cyr:] The impact of receiving this award, of receiving the Sovereign's Medal, is that it can give people the incentive to do the same, to make a small gesture, to give a little bit to society, and to the community...

It gives me personal satisfaction and it's fulfilling.

I love it.

[Screen Description: Text on a grey background reads, “The Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers pays tribute each year to the dedication, passion and extraordinary commitment of volunteers who embody the caring country we aspire to build. gg.ca/honours” There is a Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers above the text.]

[Screen Description: A viceregal lion on a grey background.]

[Screen Description: Text on a grey background reads, “Canadian Honours, Nancy and Robert Campana, Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division).” There is a viceregal lion above the text.]

[Screen Description: Several words characterizing honours recipients move across a black screen. The screen reads, “Canadian honours presented by the Governor General”.]

[Screen Description: Nancy and Robert Campana are sitting next to each other. They take turns speaking to the camera. The screen reads, “Nancy and Robert Campana, Windsor, Ontario, recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division)”.]

[Robert Campana:] Rocky had friends that...It upset him that they—they never could tell their parents who they were because they were worried about being removed from the house.

But our home was always a safe place for all his friends.

[Nancy Campana:] We lost our son Rocky in 2012, August of 2012.

Rocky attempted to take his own life and then he lived for two days and...

Rocky was always very much an advocate in the LGBTQ community.

He was a gay young man and he came out when he was 17.

Rocky had big plans for the work he wanted to do.

He had talked to me about the work he wanted to do within gay-straight alliances.

There wasn't a GSA available to Rocky when he was in school, but we know he would have been the GSA leader.

We knew when Rocky passed away we wanted to continue his work.

And we did that through partnering with the Windsor Pride Community here, and starting the Run for Rocky.

[Robert Campana:] It's a 5-kilometre run.

We made it a family event.

You didn't have to be a runner, you could walk.

It was more to bring people together and to get the message across, what we were doing.

[Nancy Campana:] The Run for Rocky Event took place for five years.

And through that event, we were able to raise $270,000.

The first thing is that we provide grants to gay-straight alliances within the schools.

We also fund ongoing events, scholarships, education for parents.

All of the Run for Rocky funding is around education because we feel that education is empowerment.

[Screen Description: Malachi Malabre is standing outside and speaking to the camera. The screen reads, “Malachi Malabre, former president, Riverside GSA.” There is a body of water and large bridge behind him.]

[Malachi Malabre:] When I first came out, I joined my school's GSA and I was referred to the Run for Rocky by one of my teachers.

And they helped fund my GSA, they helped fund everything that we wanted to do.

[Screen Description: Throughout the video, the screen alternates between Mr. and Ms. Campana, Mr. Malabre, and a series of scenes featuring the Run For Rocky, the office of the Windsor Pride Community, and the city of Windsor, Ontario.]

[Nancy Campana:] The goal of the project was to make Windsor a safer and friendlier space for LGBTQ people.

[Malachi Malabre:] I see now a lot more diversity, a lot more people who are open and comfortable, and feel safe to be able to be themselves.

[Robert Campana:] The Meritorious Award that we received was a wonderful honour and really a surprise to both of us.

And it's just not an award for Nancy and I, it's an award for our whole community, who wrapped their arms around us and believed in what we were doing, and rallied around us.

[Nancy Campana:] That award just gave Windsor more recognition for the diverse community it's become.

[Screen Description: Text on a grey background reads, “The Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) recognize remarkable individuals who bring honour to our country through their exceptional deeds in many different fields. gg.ca/honours.” There is a Meritorious Service Medal and Cross above the text.]

[Screen Description: A viceregal lion on a grey background.]

[Rideau Hall Guide:] Excellency, so after many months of accomplishing the roles of an administrator, what’s your biggest takeaway?

[His Excellency the Right Honourable Richard Wagner (Administrator of the Government of Canada):] Well, what I discovered through those activities for the last couple of months is to what extent we have strong institutions in Canada, and I learned things that I did not know before … and a counterweight in every … in every position, you know, the solidity of our institutions. We are doing the things the right way and we are … we are accountable. People are accountable for their actions and you discover that in the machinery of government. So for me, it was in a way reassuring, although I had not really any doubts, but it was a way to confirm to what extent we are lucky to … to live in a country with such strong institutions.

[Rideau Hall Guide:] Thank you. 

[Rideau Hall Guide:] Your Excellency, what’s the one thing that surprised you about this role?

[His Excellency the Right Honourable Richard Wagner (Administrator of the Government of Canada):] Well, it’s probably … it’s probably the … the variety of … of the … of the roles played by the administrator. You know, one day you will sign commissions; you will sign orders in council the following day; you will preside ceremonies to give Order of Canada, for instance, or other types of awards. So, what struck me as … as … what surprised me … is the diversity of the tasks that must be done by … by the administrator. And I would tell you that, without the good and professional support of the … the staff at Rideau Hall and at the Privy Council, the governor general or the administrator could not do a job properly. So, I was very lucky and privileged to be able to count on … on the experts, the good people at … at Rideau Hall and at Privy Council, to help me.

[Rideau Hall Guide:] Excellency, what’s the one touching memory that you will carry with you through this experience?

[His Excellency the Right Honourable Richard Wagner (Administrator of the Government of Canada):] I have to tell you that every time I was presiding [over] a ceremony to give an award to Canadians, whether it be for the Order of Canada, whether it be for other types of … of … of orders like the bravery, for instance, merit, it was always touching, it was always moving because you would see Canadians, you would discover talents, you would discover Canadians that contributed to the success of this country, and in … in … in giving them the awards … with their family around, their friends, you could see the pride that these people have, and the pride that I had too, to see all those Canadians that have contributed to our country.

So, it was always very emotional, and I suspect that it will always remain the same for the future as well if there are other ceremonies. But the other thing that I … that I discovered, because I did not have the chance to work with them that closely before, is working with the staff, the employees of Rideau Hall—people of good faith, people who want … who want to do the right thing the right way, and who were there for me all the time. And so, I discovered those people, those human beings, and for me it was … it was a ... a great thing and a great human experience, and it will stay with me forever.

[Rideau Hall Guide:] Thank you. 

[Rideau Hall Guide:] Excellency, tell us about your experience as an administrator.

[His Excellency the Right Honourable Richard Wagner (Administrator of the Government of Canada):] That’s a very good question. In a nutshell, I would tell you that it was a great experience. I had to do so many things on behalf of the country. I had to ... of course, I had to assure the interim just until the new governor general is appointed.

That means that I had to sign all kinds of documents, official documents like orders in council, proclamations, appointment papers; attending Royal Assents, writing to heads of State for different reasons, receiving correspondence from other heads of State as well; presiding virtual ceremonies to give awards and merits to all kinds of ... many Canadians. So, it was very interesting, it was very diverse and I enjoyed every moment.

[Screen Description: The screen reads: “Installation Day”, followed by “Mary May Simon – Governor General of Canada.” The background is dark blue and the viceregal lion is in the centre of the image, above the text. A watermark at the bottom of the image indicates that this video is owned by Rideau Hall. This same image is featured at the end of the video.]

[Screen Description: The video features a series of short clips of Governor General Mary May Simon on the day she was installed as governor general of Canada. These clips feature Her Excellency at the Senate of Canada during her installation ceremony; inspecting the guard at the Senate and at Rideau Hall; laying a flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Ottawa; and being greeted by loved ones outside of Rideau Hall. Instrumental music is playing throughout the video.]