Happy holidays from the Clerk and Deputy Clerks

[Music starts.]

[Close-up shot of the clock and flag on the Peace Tower.]

[Cars driving down a street in downtown Ottawa. There is snow on the ground.]

[Close-up shot of street signs: “Wellington St.” and “Elgin St.”]

[Close-up shot of the main entrance for 80 Wellington Street. There are two flags waving in the wind on both sides of the door.]

[Clerk of the Privy Council John Hannaford and a colleague walk down a hallway.]

[Deputy Clerk Christiane Fox sits in her office and picks up the phone to answer a call.]

[Text on screen: Starring Christiane Fox]

[Deputy Clerk and National Security and Intelligence Advisor Nathalie G. Drouin walks over to a desk to speak with a colleague.]

[Text on screen: Nathalie G. Drouin, Ad. E.]

[John Hannaford sits in his office looking through files. He then turns a clear glass moose mug slightly to face the camera.]

[Text on screen: and John Hannaford]

[A black plaque appears on a brick background. The words “The Public Service” are written in white letters. Beside the text is an image of a hand with three heads above it.]

[John Hannaford and Nathalie G. Drouin sit in a boardroom with notebooks and pens in front of them on the table. Christiane Fox walks in and sits down.]

Christiane: Hello! I see you’ve started to plan our annual holiday video. So I was thinking it has to be memorable and it has to be fun yet government approved. So catch me up on your ideas.

John: Maybe we could play off some popular holiday movies. Nathalie, like you’re a huge fan of Die Hard. So what would you think about a rappelling scene down the side of the Peace Tower?

[Nathalie G. Drouin looks directly at the camera.]

[Nathalie G. Drouin sits alone in a room next to a window with blinds and a poinsettia. The Centre Block Parliament building is visible through the window.]

Nathalie: Rappelling? Seriously? It looks a little bit silly and dangerous, too. And I’m afraid of heights. And I’m sure it contravenes some sort of national security law. But on the other hand, yippee-ki-yay.

[The three leaders together in the boardroom.]

Christiane: What if we installed thousands of lights outside the office. John, maybe you can bring in a ladder and do it personally?

[John Hannaford looks directly at the camera and raises an eyebrow.]

[John Hannaford sits alone in the same private room that Nathalie G. Drouin was in, next to a window with blinds and a poinsettia. When he’s done talking, he takes a sip of coffee from a glass moose mug.]

John: Who does she think I am? I’m the Clerk of the Privy Council, not Clerk Griswold!

[The three leaders together in the boardroom.]

Nathalie: Why don’t we just keep it simple? We could share our favourite holiday meals. I could make my fabulous spinach and pomegranate salad.

[Christiane Fox sits in the private room. She holds up a sign that looks like a food guide, but all the images are of candy and syrup.]

Christiane: While I do love a good salad, around the holidays there are four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn and, of course, syrup.

[The three leaders together in the boardroom.]

Christiane: John, what if you sang this year?

[John Hannaford in the room with the window and white blinds.]

John: Every single year it’s the same question. Just “Let it go!”

[The three leaders together in the boardroom.]

John: We could dress up as something lighthearted?

[Nathalie G. Drouin in the room with the window and white blinds.]

Nathalie: I am not dressing as the Holiday Armadillo … not again.

[The three leaders together in the boardroom.]

Nathalie: What about something like non-traditional holiday movies?

[John Hannaford in the room with the window and white blinds.]

John: Look, I don’t want to brag, but I once put on a one-man show of the Lord of the Rings, which a local paper called both unnecessary and confusing.

[The three leaders together in the boardroom.]

Nathalie: Well, oh maybe these ideas are a little bit too extravagant.

Christiane: I agree. I think the question we need to ask ourselves is what do we want to say to public servants?

[The three leaders take turns delivering messages from the room with the window and white blinds.]

Christiane: We’re always inspired by the dedication of public servants, and we’re incredibly grateful for all the extraordinary work you do. Every day, you uphold our shared values and principles that are at the heart of public service. You build trust with Canadians, and you set a standard that we can all be proud of.

Nathalie: Throughout the year, you have faced challenges and inspired us with your resilience, professionalism, and commitment. You continue to tackle critical issues and address complex questions. We know it’s not always easy. But make no mistake – your work makes a difference.

John: This season, we encourage you to take the time to rest, recharge and spend quality time with your loved ones. However you celebrate, no matter where you call home, we wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. May 2025 be a year to listen, to learn and to grow.

[John Hannaford untangles a string of lights.]

[Christiane Fox sits in her office and pours maple syrup over a plate of salad with a big smile.]

[Nathalie G. Drouin puts on a green high-visibility safety harness and adjusts the straps. She does not look impressed.]

Nathalie: I can’t believe John is making me do this.

[John Hannaford and Christiane Fox wearing their winter coats in a hallway and talking to each other. Nathalie G. Drouin is behind them holding a red stick with a snowflake hanging from the end. She dangles the snowflake on Christiane’s shoulder. John wipes away the snowflake and reveals that there is a hole in his mitten.]

John: You’ve got some snow on your shoulder.

Christiane: You’ve got a hole in your mitten.

[The three leaders together in the boardroom.]

Christiane: What if we. No. [laughs]. What are we doing?

[John Hannaford plugs two strings of lights together with a gleeful smile on his face. The room becomes very bright.]

[Cartoon figures of John Hannaford, Christiane Fox, and Nathalie G. Drouin wave at the camera from a winter wonderland scene. The text on screen reads: “Happy holidays”.]

[Text on screen: Canada wordmark]