Chengdu, Sunday, July 4, 2010
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My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I, along with our daughter, Marie‑Éden, and the delegation accompanying us, Canadians from every strategic area of our society, would like to thank you for your warm welcome and for this banquet in honour of the friendship visit I am making to your region in my role as Governor General of Canada.
I am immensely impressed with the speed with which your region has recovered from the terrible earthquake of 2008, which tugged at the hearts of so many Canadians, who sought to provide reassurance, support and a helping hand to the victims.
I can only hope that my country of birth, Haiti, the poorest country of the Americas, which was also devastated by an earthquake last January, will be able to rebuild as effectively and successfully as you have.
Sichuan is a land of abundance, rich in resources and with great potential, whose outstanding economic growth makes it a destination of choice for our Canadian entrepreneurs.
And of course travellers are well acquainted with your region and its many treasures, including several UNESCO world heritage sites, not to mention—my daughter would be unhappy with me if I failed to mention—the famous pandas, which we went to see this morning.
We are delighted to be here with you today, in this western province whose future shines so brightly on the prosperous horizon of the People’s Republic of China.
We congratulate you on your success and, in this special year marking the 40th anniversary of our countries’ diplomatic relations, wish to emphasize how much we value the friendship between our peoples.
May the ties between Sichuan Province and Canada continue to grow stronger!
And I would be remiss if I did not mention your cuisine, whose reputation has spread far beyond your borders!
