Montréal, Quebec - 1 May 2014
Good afternoon, everyone.
Colleagues, Minister Lebel is doing a great job as the Cabinet Minister responsible for Quebec.
Greetings also to my former colleagues, to Ambassador Wilson and to Senator Angus, I’m glad you could be here and I’m just delighted that we’re joined by so many distinguished academics, researchers and administrators.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me first express my profound gratitude to the Chagnon and Azrieli families, on behalf of Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Thank you.
Please give them a warm round of applause again.
But I'm pleased to add that we can do more than just say thank you.
Due to the generosity of the Chagnon and Azrieli families, we are able today to launch five new projects of scientific research into Alzheimer’s disease and Autism.
And I’m very pleased to announce that our Government, once again through the Canada Brain Research Fund, will match the funds committed here today, dollar for dollar.
These exceptional gifts will provide critical funding and because of the public-private partnership between your foundations, Brain Canada and our Government, the impact of your investments will be doubled.
That’s what I call a win-win situation, and it’s a lot more than a penny for your thoughts.
Today’s announcement also honours the commitment we made last December at the G-8 Health Ministers’ Meeting in London to further dementia research.
As we all know, the human brain is among the most complex and remarkable things known in the universe.
It’s at the core of what we are as human beings.
It’s where much of our joy, our sorrow, our laughter, our tears reside.
Roughly three pounds of mostly water and fat, our brains are the source of so much of our potential and the starting place for much of the accomplishment of human history.
I'm told that a healthy human being produces between 50,000 and 70,000 thoughts every single day.
So think about that just for a moment.
See, there you go again.
And yet, although the brain is such a vital organ in our lives, it largely remains a mystery.
Indeed, a large part of what we know about the brain has been acquired only in the past 10 or 20 years.
Much, much more remains to be done to understand this remarkable organ.
Because in spite of the brain's capacity to advance human achievements, things can sometimes go wrong.
I understand that your efforts to help this research are motivated in part by what you have experienced within your own families.
Unfortunately, millions of Canadian men and women will suffer from a neurological disorder, neurological injury, or psychiatric problems at some point in their lives.
These can include common cerebral disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and Autism, Parkinson's disease, or epilepsy.
Neurological illnesses and injuries are a major cause of disability in Canada.
And those illnesses can strike anyone, regardless of age, income, education, or ethnic origin.
Ladies and gentlemen, I think it’s fair to say that directly or indirectly, there’s hardly a Canadian who does not know someone affected by neurological illness.
That’s why the work of Brain Canada, the only non-profit organization devoted to supporting all neuroscience research, is so important.
That’s why the kindness of Canadians and the kindness and generosity we have seen demonstrated here today in Montréal is so vital to funding research into the brain.
And it is for the sake of this critical scientific research and because of the support of enthusiastic donors such as these families that our Government has made this commitment to stand with those struggling to uncover the illnesses of the mind.
That's why in 2011 we announced the creation of the Canada Brain Research Fund.
That announcement was made by our former colleague, Mr. Flaherty.
The Fund will provide up to $100 million in funding for research over a six-year period.
That is a substantial commitment to science.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to conclude by saying that wherever I go as Prime Minister, I am impressed by the generosity of Canadians, by the desire to help others in need, and to make this world a better place.
And that's what we have seen here today.
So once again, I’d like to thank the Chagnon and Azrieli families and I’d like to thank Brain Canada for their continuing commitment to furthering scientific research.
You all are contributing to a brighter future for all Canadians and you are indeed making this world a better place.
And with today’s matching funds, your country is standing right beside you.
Thank you.
