Search

CFB Gagetown, Monday, May 14, 2007 I am especially moved to be here with you today. I was absolutely adamant that this official visit to New Brunswick start with a visit to Gagetown. I wanted to come here in person to hear how you were doing. I take my responsibilities as commander in chief of the C...

Fredericton, Tuesday, May 15, 2007 Elizabeth Brewster, a New Brunswick poet, wrote that “people are made of places.” I can think of no better words to begin an address in a place that is filled with history and dedicated to the greater good. I cannot tell you how happy my husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond...

Ottawa, Tuesday, November 7, 2006 I want to begin by saying “thank you” for that wonderful presentation! Through your songs and dances, you have really captured the history of your school. When I received your letter inviting me to this celebration, I asked myself: why is a 50th anniversary so signi...

Fredericton, Tuesday, May 15, 2007 My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I would like to thank Their Honours Herménégilde Chiasson and Marcia Babineau for graciously offering to host this dinner in honour of my first official visit to New Brunswick as Governor General of Canada. I think it is fair to ...

Fredericton, Wednesday, May 16, 2007 We all know that family violence is a tragedy. But it should not be taboo to talk about it. When I was named Governor General of Canada, I decided I would try to break down solitudes. And I know that family violence is one of the worst solitudes. I have learned t...

Shippagan, Thursday, May 17, 2007 I was born by the sea, so I have dreamed of this trip for a long time. My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I are so proud to have arrived in Shippagan by sea, as so many fishers here do on a daily basis. We know that Shippagan is the commercial fishing capital of Ne...

May 18, 2007 I am delighted, on behalf of all Canadians, to offer greetings and best wishes to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, on the occasion of her official Canadian birthday celebrations, this Monday, May 21, Victoria Day. Although Her Majesty's natural birthday is in April, it ...

May 19, 2007 My husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I are saddened by the news of the accident that took the life of Captain Shawn McCaughey, Canadian Forces Snowbirds Inner Right Wing pilot, whose aircraft crashed during a practice in preparation for an air show scheduled to take place today, in Montana...

Ottawa, Tuesday, May 22, 2007 Being a caregiver for an aging loved one can be a very rewarding experience. But as you know, it requires a lot of energy. And the challenge is even greater if our loved one is slowly losing their faculties. Anyone in this situation knows how difficult it can be to inte...

Rideau Hall, Thursday, May 24, 2007 It occurs to me that the most appropriate greeting might be “welcome back” to Rideau Hall, as I’m sure most of you have a long history with this place! And of course “history” is the right word when talking about the Canadiana Fund; since 1990, your organization h...

Rideau Hall, Friday, May 25, 2007 Before I begin, allow me to have a special thought for this Canadian soldier who lost his life earlier today in Afghanistan. I am sure that you all join me in expressing our undying gratitude to this soldier, his family and his loved ones for his unparalleled commit...

May 25, 2007 “It was with great sadness that my husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I learned of the death of Corporal Matthew McCully of the 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, who was killed while on patrol with Afghan soldiers in a village near Kandahar. Our Canadi...

Montreal, Tuesday, May 29, 2007 Education is not a privilege. It is an acquired right in this country. Mind you, this concept is a relatively new one in our history. Historian Georges Langlois reminds us that at the beginning of the 19th century, country schools were set on fire in this province. An...

Rideau Hall, Friday, February 22, 2008 My husband Jean-Daniel Lafond and I are delighted to welcome you here to Rideau Hall to recognize the excellence you have come to embody in our society. Forty-one years ago, Prime Minister Lester Pearson founded the Order of Canada to commemorate this country’s...

Kitchener, Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Thank you for your kind invitation to be with you today. Let me first pay a tribute to the famous French philosopher, Simone de Beauvoir, who would have been a hundred years old this year. I still remember how eager my mother was to introduce me to The Second Se...

Rideau Hall, Friday, February 29, 2008 As I read today’s citations, it occurred to me that reality can sometimes be more powerful than fiction. Books, movies and television often endow heroes with powers that others do not have. They can fly through the air, possess superhuman strength, see through ...

March 2, 2008 We are very saddened to learn that Canadian Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze, of the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), based out of Edmonton, Alberta, died today near Kandahar while taking part in a re-supply operation. His team is in shock at having lost such a highly regarded m...

Niagara, Friday, February 29, 2008 It was with great pleasure and indeed conviction that I welcomed Jean‑Daniel’s proposal to create an award celebrating the nation’s table. Not just because the table serves as a meeting place, bringing people together, as Jean-Daniel has just reminded us. But becau...

Cuvée 2008 Niagara, Friday, February 29, 2008 A friend of mine is a chef. He was born in Europe but chose to live in Canada over 20 years ago. Once a month, he invites a few friends and other guests to join him around his table. They come from vastly different backgrounds, their origins as diverse a...