Ottawa, La Cité collégiale, Wednesday, September 27, 2006
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Good morning. I would like to thank La Cité collégiale for so graciously welcoming us here today. I can think of no more appropriate place than here, an institution that embraces innovative teaching methods, to launch a new Rideau Hall initiative.
One year ago today, I became Canada's 27th governor general.
And in that time, my enthusiasm for this new adventure has not waned in the slightest. In my installation speech, I expressed my desire to make this position a place where citizens' words will be heard. To see our young people realize their full potential. To get out there and start meeting the women and men of this vast country.
Since then, I have met with people from every region across Canada, from west to east, south to north. The stories I have heard, the experiences shared with me, the actions I have seen with my own eyes have greatly impressed me. To my mind, the stories collected along the way are such a wonderful treasure for us all, one that everyone should be able to enjoy. Indeed, they are our greatest treasure.
What struck me most was the determination with which our fellow citizens are searching for solutions to the challenges facing their communities. Many of the challenges are the same, and many of the solutions deserve to be shared with all Canadians.
The time has come to change the way we look at Canada into a vision for the future. To do so, we need to focus on all that we have in common rather than continue to work, and live, cut off from one another.
In this day and age, communication technologies allow us to break down those solitudes and create a bond of fellowship. Let us not turn these technologies into instruments of exclusion. And let us not waste the opportunity they present to explore new possibilities to connect to each other.
With these technologies, we can now reach others instantly, share our thoughts and ideas freely, without being troubled by the distances and time zones that have separated us for so long. They allow us to express the values of openness and tolerance, so dear to us all.
Which is why I am so delighted to be here with you today to announce the launch of a new component of the Rideau Hall Web site: Citizen Voices. My deepest wish is for this site to quickly become your site. Developed as a place of dialogue and exploration, it is available to anyone looking to share their experiences, ideas, dreams and aspirations with others to build a better world.
The fact that we are joined by young people from across the country to take part in a discussion on civic engagement and the role that the Internet can play fills me with hope. Thank you sincerely for being part of this event through your words and for helping to shape the way we live through your actions.
I would now like to turn things over to my husband Jean‑Daniel Lafond, who will tell you a little more about the nature and scope of this new component of the Web site that we are launching today. And then, it's over to you!
I look forward to hearing what you have to say and to "chatting" with you tonight, beginning at 7 o'clock.
Thank you.
