Rideau Hall, Friday, September 19, 2008
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Welcome to Rideau Hall.
If you only knew how honoured I am to welcome you to this ballroom, where official ceremonies are held.
Particularly since today, we are unveiling this monumental work, born of the generosity and talent of one of our greatest artists, Norval Morrisseau. This magnificent painting is a true celebration of life.
Morrisseau drew inspiration from the Ojibway spirit to recreate the traditions and legends of the first peoples.
This extraordinary work of art is a bold reminder of how precious life is and how precious our actions to preserve it.
This work also reminds us that we never know what each new day will bring.
Your own stories are proof of that. What you have lived through is truly out of the ordinary and larger than life.
You were driving in a car, walking down the street, waiting for the subway, strolling along the water's edge, going to class, on a hunting trip, going about your business, when suddenly, another person's life hung in the balance.
Most of you were not trained to react in an emergency situation or to help others in danger.
You had never pushed your way into a house engulfed in flames, never plunged into deep waters, never confronted a crazed gunman, never walked across a thin layer of ice or between subway tracks.
Even those who have prepared to respond in a dangerous situation as part of their professional duties surely never imagined that on that day, their training would be put to the test.
And yet, you risked everything, even your very lives, to save the life of another.
You stepped between them and danger, without concern for your own safety.
Unfortunately, one of you, a dad, did not survive. Our thoughts are with his family today.
Bravery has nothing to do with physical strength.
Last February, we awarded the Medal of Bravery to an Inuit woman, Lydia Angyiou, who took on a polar bear to save her son and his friends.
She is just 5 feet tall and weighs 90 pounds. In her village, she is known affectionately as "Tiny Lydia."
Bravery is a function of the love that we have for humanity, of the value that we put on life.
It is that love, that respect for life that exists in each of us, that gives us superhuman strength and focuses all of our energy on the Other in need of help.
It does not matter whether you saved a loved one or a colleague, a stranger or even someone who did not want to be saved.
Your actions remind us of the selflessness and generosity of spirit that reside within each and every one of us.
This, I believe, is what is most beautiful and universal, the best of which human beings are capable.
And I believe that there is no act more deserving of praise and recognition.
In a world where human suffering is omnipresent, where defeatism seems more pervasive than a willingness to act, you rekindle hope.
My greatest wish is that we can all be inspired by your bravery and find our own courage as we face the challenges of the day.
What a privilege it is for me today to honour the merit of women and men who embody the noblest expression of bravery.
On behalf of all Canadians, I thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
