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Calgary, Saturday, May 6, 2006 My husband, Jean Daniel, and I would like to thank Mayor Bronconnier for his very warm welcome and in particular, for the honour of being White–Hatted by the City! We have been thrilled by the warmth of your welcome since our arrival. Yesterday, my husband, Jean-Daniel...

Regina, Monday, May 8, 2006 My husband Jean Daniel Lafond and I are delighted to begin our first official visit to Saskatchewan here in Regina. From where we stand today, it’s difficult to fathom how the expression “Pile of Bones” could ever have been an accurate description of this place. “Wascana”...

Qu’Appelle Valley, Tuesday, May 9, 2006 I am proud to be the first governor general to visit your community. My husband Jean-Daniel and I would like to thank you for this honour which we feel so deeply. In this building, reminiscent of a tepee, I can sense a feeling of peace and harmony. It is a uni...

Regina, Wednesday, May 10, 2006 Over the last few months, I have developed a strong appreciation for the RCMP above and beyond the iconic image the institution evokes in the minds of many people around the world. Whether it was during discussions with the officers who accompany me or in exchanges wi...

May 17, 2006 “It was with deep emotion that I learned, upon my return from Haïti, of the death of Captain Nichola Kathleen Sarah Goddard in a firefight in Afghanistan earlier today. Captain Goddard’s death reminds us once again of the risks that our Canadian troops, both men and women, face every da...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 19, 2006 As Chancellor of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, it is a distinct pleasure for me to invest 43 members of Canada’s Police Services as Officers and Members of this Order. This illustrious Order is a reflection of the great respect that Canadians have for the...

Regina, Monday, May 8, 2006 Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you ever so kindly for the honour bestowed upon my husband and me. We are delighted to be here. And I am pleased and honoured to be addressing you today in this, the first year of Saskatchewan’s second century as a Canadian province. During o...

Halifax, Thursday, May 25, 2006 Thank you for welcoming me here this evening and for giving me the opportunity to talk to you about issues that are dear to my heart. You are the women and men who bring the world to Canadians every day across a wide range of media throughout this vast country of ours...

Halifax, Friday, May 26, 2006 Let me refer to your Dolphin Code to tell you right from the start: Dolphin Code 36 (Submariners are super). Thank you for introducing me to the fascinating world of submariners. I remember reading Jules Verne’s novels as a child and dreaming, like so many others, of on...

Regina, Monday, May 8, 2006 Thank you, Mr. Premier. By the time I complete my first official visit to Saskatchewan, I know I will have learned many things about your province and the wonderful people who thrive here. Already, I feel better equipped to share your story with the rest of the country th...

Rideau Hall, Friday, June 2, 2006 As many of you no doubt know, today is the anniversary of the Battle of Ridgeway (June 2, 1866). For any guests here today who might not be familiar with this event in Canadian history, it was an engagement fought near Fort Erie, Ontario, in 1866, pitting Fenian irr...

June 2, 2006 “To serve one’s country is a noble endeavour. And those who serve in our Canadian Forces demonstrate to all of us a profound belief in the values that we, as a society, hold dear—values of democratic freedom, human rights and a world free from tyranny. These courageous women and men hav...

Ottawa, Monday, June 5, 2006 Thank you for the great honour you do me in conferring upon me this honorary doctorate. I am especially moved because I learned at a very young age that acquiring knowledge was the best, if not the only way to escape misery. My father dedicated his life to teaching, and ...

Port-au-Prince, Saturday, May 13, 2006 It is such a great pleasure for me to be here with you today. I’m sure you can imagine the emotion I feel every time I return to Haiti. The smells, the faces, the landscapes remind me of my childhood and fill me with joy and just a little sadness. But this trip...

Port-au-Prince, Monday, May 15, 2006 I am so happy that we have this opportunity to talk. I believe that women have so much to teach. Because it was by participating in movements to fight violence against women in Quebec, Canada, that I learned so much. It was there that my view of society changed. ...

Port-au-Prince, Monday, May 15, 2006 Thank you so much for inviting me to join you this morning and for giving me the opportunity to take part in a dialogue that is very dear to my heart. Particularly since the theme you have chosen, “peace and tolerance,” is absolutely vital for Haiti’s future. Kof...

Port-au-Prince, Monday, May 15, 2006 I know how cruel a hand fate has dealt you lately. It has already been a year since the fire that completely destroyed the Tête Bœuf market and had a devastating impact on your livelihood left scars in your hearts that will never heal and meant crushing losses fo...

June 9, 2006 “From coast to coast to coast and even around the world, federal public servants provide Canadians with essential services, resources and information and contribute to the development of economic and social policies that help to better our lives here at home as well as those of our glob...

Port-au-Prince, Monday, May 15, 2006 It gives me great pleasure to be here with you today. If you only knew how privileged I feel to mark this solemn occasion in the democratic life of this country, the land of my birth. I would like to tell you a little about my impressions since I arrived. I began...