Saskatoon, Monday, August 23, 2010
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
I would like to begin by saying that I am doubly happy to be with you here tonight in Saskatoon.
First, because you are honouring me with this incredible reception, thereby giving me the opportunity to meet a number of your fellow Saskatchewanians.
And second, because I had never before had the chance to visit Saskatoon and my map of Canada-which I have crossed several times from east to west, north to south-would not have been complete without this visit.
I am touched by your warm welcome and I thank you very much.
Saskatchewan-born poet Lorna Crozier, whom I quoted during my first official visit to your province as Governor General of Canada, was right when she said that under your sky, "you feel yourself vibrate like a tuning fork."
Yes, there is something magical in the air here, and a great many artists have sung, written, painted and danced under this sky, which really does seem endless.
I was in Saskatchewan in 2006-after your province celebrated the 100th anniversary of its joining Canadian Confederation on September 4, 2005-to tell you that the entire country owes a lot to your spirit of generosity and cooperation, and to your sense of community, which is one of Canada's greatest resources.
In fact, it is thanks to a collective effort that, at the start of the last century, the farmers of Saskatchewan were able to protect their resources, promote fellowship and lay the foundations of a cooperative movement that has left its mark on Canada's history and is one of our most fundamental values.
This commitment was based on a vision of the world that is now one of the greatest sources of hope for people around the globe.
In this vision, inclusion and the common good take precedence over exclusion and the "fend for yourself" mentality.
We must not forget that Saskatchewan is the only Canadian province where, from the very beginning, people of Aboriginal, French, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Scandinavian and British origin have coexisted and cooperated with a willingness to live together in harmony and to build on their combined strength.
This legacy must be kept alive and continually inform the way we build the present and our dreams for the future.
Following in your example, each and every one of us is responsible for promoting respect, dialogue and cooperation through our actions and attitudes.
Our conversation this evening is part of the larger dialogue I hoped to begin with Canadians five years ago.
My dearest wish is that this dialogue will continue endlessly and that we will never stop sharing our stories and the lessons we learn on a daily basis from the places where we have set down roots in this country, a country where anything is possible.
I am counting on the resilience and daring of Saskatchewanians to ensure that the dialogue between us continues to develop without borders or barriers, just like the immense and beautiful Saskatchewan sky.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the support and friendship you have shown me over the past five years, and to tell you how delighted I am to meet the people of Saskatoon tonight and to experience the rich cultural diversity of your city and province.
