OTTAWA– Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, and His Excellency John Ralston Saul will spend five days in Saint John, New Brunswick, from December 6 to 10, 2003. This will be the third in a series of visits focused on urban centres. Their Excellencies will engage citizens of Saint John in a series of dialogues designed to explore innovative approaches, initiatives and current projects that make Saint John a good place to live for all its residents. The detailed itinerary of the Governor General's visit to Saint John is attached (Annex A).NOTE: All events are open to media unless otherwise stated. Please contact the Rideau Hall Press Office beforehand if you wish to set up media interviews.-30-Media information: Marilyne Guèvremont Rideau Hall Press Office (613) 998-7280Annex 1 Itinerary: Saint John – December 6-10, 2003Saturday, December 611:30 a.m. Visit to Saint John City MarketThe Governor General and John Ralston Saul will walk through one of the oldest continuing markets in the country, visiting local vendors.3:00 p.m. Citizenship Ceremony and Presentation of the Governor General's Caring Canadian Awards (Harbour View High School, 305 Douglas Street )The public is invited to this joint ceremony celebrating citizen engagement in their communities. The Governor General will swear in 25 new Canadians and will present the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award to eight people from New Brunswick for their outstanding voluntarism contributions to their communities. The Governor General will also deliver the keynote speech of her visit to Saint John.The Governor General's Caring Canadian Award is presented to individuals and groups whose unpaid, voluntary contributions provide extraordinary help or care to people in the community. Recipients have served over a number of years and normally have not been recognized previously by a national or provincial honour. The Award consists of a framed certificate and a lapel pin for everyday wear.Additional information about this award can be found at http://www.gg.ca/honours/caring_e.asp.Please see Annex B for the Caring Canadian Award recipients' citations.Sunday, December 712:00 noon Governor General's Children's Christmas Party (Boys and Girls Club of Saint John, 1 Paul Harris Street)The Governor General and John Ralston Saul will host a noon hour Christmas Party for 125 children between the ages of five and twelve. Children can expect a visit from Santa Claus, a turkey lunch and local entertainment. The Governor General's Children's Christmas Party is a tradition that dates back to 1913. Please contact Debbie Cooper, Executive Director of the Saint John Boys and Girls Club at (506) 648-2011 for further information.3:00 p.m. "Christmas at the Centre" (Saint John Arts Centre, 20 Hazen Avenue )The Governor General and John Ralston Saul will share in holiday celebrations at the Saint John Arts Centre. Please contact Betty Tompkins at the Saint John Arts Centre at (506) 633-4870 for further information.Monday, December 89:30 a.m. Tour of Saint JohnThe Governor General and John Ralston Saul will learn more about the city's rich architectural and cultural past. The tour will begin by car at the New Brunswick Museum and stop briefly at Fort Howe at about 10 a.m. (photo opportunity). The tour will then proceed by car to the Old Burial Ground for 10:30 a.m., where the Governor General will start the walking portion of her tour. The walk will end at Market Square. Please contact Bernard J. Cormier, Cultural Affairs Officer for the City of Saint John, at (506) 649-6040 for further information.2:00 p.m. Visit to Saint John Community Health Centre (Saint John Community Health Centre, 116 Coburg Street)The Governor General and John Ralston Saul will tour the facility and take part in a roundtable discussion with members of leading agencies devoted to alleviating poverty in Saint John, such as the Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative (BCAPI) and the Urban Core Support Network. The Governor General will also visit young mothers at First Steps and drop in at the Resource Centre for Youth in Greater Saint John (photo opportunity at the beginning of the tour). Please contact Patricia L. Crowdis, Director of Communications and Media Relations, Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation at (506) 648-6116 for further information.7:00 p.m. Meeting and dinner with young community leaders (Glenn Carpenter Centre, 730 Foster Thurston Drive)The Governor General and John Ralston Saul will talk to young people from the Saint John area about ideas to make the city a place where people will want to stay.Tuesday, December 9John Ralston Saul 9:30 a.m. (Millidgeville School North, 490 Woodward Avenue)John Ralston Saul will address French immersion students and French-language students at Millidgeville School North about bilingual education. A question-and-answer session will follow. Please contact Paul-Émile Chiasson at (506) 643-3301 for further information.11:00 a.m. Meeting with University of New Brunswick Saint John and New Brunswick Community College representatives (University of New Brunswick Saint John,100 Tucker Park Road) (CLOSED TO MEDIA)John Ralston Saul 12:00noon Meeting with Avantage Saint John Advantage (Incredibles Restaurant)John Ralston Saul will join the group for a "Lunch in French." (CLOSED TO MEDIA)The Governor General 12:00 noonMeeting with Saint John's immigration support team and local settlement services (Dufferin Inn and Suites) (CLOSED TO MEDIA)2:00 p.m. Walk with members of the Waterfront Development PartnershipGovernor General Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul will visit the "Harbour Passage" walking path. The walk will begin near Loyalist Plaza and end at the Naval Reserve. Please contact Ross Jefferson at (506) 674-4152 for further information.7:30 p.m. "Stringstravaganza Christmas Celebration" (Imperial Theatre, 24 King Square South)Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul will attend the School District 6 Christmas Concert, with musical performances under the direction of Kevin James Langford, a local music teacher who will have received the Caring Canadian Award on December 6th. Please contact David Ripley at (506) 848-6652 for further information.Wednesday, December 10 12:00 noon The Governor General's roundtable on "The Good City" (Imperial Theatre,24 King Square South)The Governor General and John Ralston Saul invite the people of Saint John to participate in a free noon hour roundtable on "The Good City." This discussion will build on the dialogues and meetings that they will have had, and allow all members in the community to join in the public debate in Saint John.Annex BCitations for the Caring Canadian Award RecipientsRobert Wayne Constable, Fredericton, New Brunswick Governor General's Caring Canadian AwardRobert Wayne Constable gives generously of his time to the Sea Cadet Corps' summer sailing program and voluntarily provides legal advice to the Cadet movement and its members. As provincial chair for Cadets Caring for Canada, Mr. Constable mobilized the majority of his province's Cadet Corps to participate in the promotion of environmental awareness and stewardship. He was instrumental in his province's implementation of the Duke of Edinburgh's Young Canadians Challenge Program, which emphasizes personal responsibility to the community. Mr. Constable also serves local branches of the Royal Canadian Naval Veterans' Association and the Lung Association.Denise DeGrâce, Grande-Anse, New Brunswick Governor General's Caring Canadian AwardFor 35 years, Denise DeGrâce has worked to improve her community by launching many cultural and social initiatives. She has devoted herself to the youth of her region, organizing educational trips for 14 years and preparing free hot meals for disadvantaged children. Greatly concerned with the well-being of seniors, Mrs. DeGrâce makes regular visits to local hospitals and the Résidence Mgr. Doucet. Whether organizing Christmas boxes, giving night classes to adults or catechism classes in her parish, Mrs. DeGrâce has been involved in many good causes.Kevin James Langford, Saint John, New Brunswick Governor General's Caring Canadian AwardKevin James Langford's dedication to music and to the teaching of choral singing goes far beyond his duties as a teacher at Rothesay Elementary School. He devotes countless noon hours, evenings and weekends to conducting many youth choirs, which often hold fundraising concerts for local charities. Despite the fact that his reputation allows him to command high fees for his services, he frequently chooses to conduct and teach free-of-charge when money is scarce, propelled by his desire to share music. Mr. Langford's enthusiastic approach to music instruction has won the hearts of legions of students, many of whom have gone on to pursue musical careers.Gilmond Larocque, Lamèque, New Brunswick Governor General's Caring Canadian AwardGilmond Larocque's volunteer work, spanning 40 years, has involved sports for young people and the well-being of seniors. For the past 20 years, he has been very active in the Jeux de l'Acadie. He also raised funds for the construction of the Lamèque arena and coordinated extracurricular sports. Mr. Larocque was a board member for the Lucien-Saindon residences, the Lamèque hospital and the New Brunswick Nursing Home Association. Whether by organizing weekly bowling sessions, playing the accordion for seniors and people with disabilities or making appearances as Santa Claus for local children, Mr. Larocque has always helped the people of his community.Adelaïde Le Bouthillier, Pont-LaFrance, New Brunswick Governor General's Caring Canadian AwardFor some 30 years now, Adelaïde Le Bouthillier has been a canvasser for the Red Cross. A founding member of the Marguerite Bourgeois chapter of the Rivière-du-Portage Women's Institute since 1975, she has served as vice-president on several occasions and as a delegate to provincial conferences. As a member of the Institute, she has often visited patients, seniors and persons with disabilities in care homes. For 10 years, she chaired the Daughters of Isabella chapter of Rivière-du-Portage parish. She has served as a Eucharistic minister and catechist and has helped prepare meals for families after funerals. Mrs. Le Bouthillier has always found the time to volunteer in her parish.Neil E. McKeil, Lower Coverdale, New Brunswick Governor General's Caring Canadian AwardOn behalf of the Moncton Food Bank, Neil McKeil volunteers several hours a day, six days a week, to oversee the distribution of food to 19 food banks and two food kitchens in New Brunswick. As president and director, he coordinates volunteers, speaks to charitable organizations and clubs about the need to help the less fortunate, and works closely with local organizations to plan food drives. Mr. McKeil also helps to prepare and serve meals for underprivileged youth through his church. For decades, he has also worked to raise money for charities through the Shriners, the Masonic Order and the Fraternal Order of the United Commercial Travellers. Mr. McKeil goes to extraordinary lengths on a daily basis to combat hunger in his community.Rita Savoie, Eel River Crossing, New Brunswick Governor General's Caring Canadian AwardA woman who devotes her time and energy to the service of others, Rita Savoie has been involved for over 30 years in many parish activities, including bingos, fundraising events and bazaars. She is president of the New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association and chairs the board of directors of the Manoir de la Rivière, a home for seniors. Despite her busy schedule, she is always prepared to help others, whether by serving communion or driving people to appointments.James A. Stewart, O.N.B., D.F.C., St. Andrews, New Brunswick Governor General's Caring Canadian AwardThe volunteer efforts of James Stewart have touched the lives of youth, veterans and cancer patients. He served as treasurer of the Charlotte County Cancer Society, drove many cancer patients to Saint John for treatment and helped them obtain financial assistance. He supports veterans' rights through the Royal Canadian Legion and has been a member, treasurer and president of several non-profit organizations. He has assisted Meals on Wheels and helped establish the Hospice of Charlotte County. He participates in a weekly reading program at a local school and travels to schools to teach children the significance of Remembrance Day. Mr. Stewart serves his community in a number of capacities with seemingly boundless energy.-end-
