Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
Speech on the Occasion of the Presentation of the Governor General’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History
Rideau Hall, Thursday, September 28, 2006
I am sure everyone here is familiar with the old cliché that Canada has too much geography and not enough history.
Of course, we know that’s not true. Take any date on the calendar, and you will find that a number of important or noteworthy events occurred on that date throughout our history.
Today, for example, is the anniversary of Paul Henderson’s famous goal in the 1972 Canada-USSR Hockey Series, a moment that all Canadians of a certain age, including me, remember with a deep sense of pride.
As important as that moment was, there are many reasons why September 28 is significant. For example, in 1793 the legislature of Upper Canada passed a Bill called the Act Against Slavery, which began to contain slavery in the territory that is now Canada.
According to one source, the Act stated that all slave children born in Upper Canada after September 28, 1793, were to become free at age 25.
On this date in 1869, George-Étienne Cartier delivered a speech in Ottawa favouring Canada’s connection to Britain over full independence.
A little over one hundred years later, in 1971, Margaret Birch became the first woman cabinet minister in the Government of Ontario.
And finally, on this date in 2000, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, a man who played such a central role in Canadian history, passed away.
All of these events are unconnected and chosen at random from a long list.
They are all part of our shared national history, and they tell us something about Canada, and about Canadians.
History tells of events; it gives us the context that is the cornerstone of a deeper understanding of the world we live in. It shapes how we relate to each other and should help us to go forward toward new goals, higher goals.
How can young people get some sense of what is true and what is not? How can they hope to understand where they come from, and where their communities come from? How can they hope to discover what is important and what is ephemeral? It is through knowing and studying history.
All of you gathered here today understand that.
You are entrusted with a vital task: passing on Canada’s collective memory to the next generation.
A vast memory, as vast as Canada itself. A rich and fascinating memory; just think of all those voices that deserve to be heard, all those stories to be shared, waiting patiently in the wings, asking only for the chance to shine.
You have been chosen for this award because you approach this task with a sense of passion and with imagination, breathing new life into a subject that can seem uninteresting and irrelevant to many students.
Awards like these are designed to formally recognize the invaluable contribution of distinguished Canadians. But they also give all of us an opportunity to learn about new approaches and get to know fellow citizens from other parts of the country. They shed new light on ways of discovering unheard testimonies and unveil unknown chapters of our history.
That was also the motivation behind the new component of the Governor General’s Web site I launched yesterday. Called Citizen Voices, this new tool is designed as an open forum where people of all ages can share their experiences, ideas, and aspirations with others who share the goal of building a better world and shaping history.
The people we are honouring today already have experience in building such a world, use their creativity to help their students discover their country’s history.
Take the example of Antony Caruso, at Holy Spirit Elementary in Aurora, Ontario. He gave his 7th and 8th grade students a “Red River Spy Mission,” where they were required to spy on Louis Riel’s Métis government on behalf of John A. Macdonald.
At St. Gabriel School in Regina, Kim Chagnon and Mary Scott launched a program focussed on Regina that asks 2nd and 3rd grade students to compare the past and the present and imagine the future of their city.
Jennifer Johnson-George helps bring history to life for students at Prince of Wales Elementary in Calgary by giving them the opportunity to spend time at the Calgary Stampede Grounds with Treaty 7 Elders, learning traditional skills.
Julie-Catherine Mercadier, who teaches at l’École primaire Louisbourg in Montreal, wanted to help her students—many of whom are new Canadians—learn about the history found in the street names and parks around the school.
Greg Miyanaga, at Pinetree Way Elementary in Coquitlam, has helped his Grade 4 and 5 students to learn about racism, bullying and human rights through an exploration of Japanese Canadians in the Second World War.
And finally, Blake Seward has come up with a powerful approach to make Remembrance Day more meaningful for his students at Smiths Falls District Collegiate through a discovery of the soldier’s life and military career.
For all of these tremendous achievements, you are to be saluted. You are helping to form the next generation of citizens who will write new chapters of our national history.
And as you do so, I’m sure you will think back to the teachers who first awoke a love of history in your heart.
On behalf of your fellow Canadians, I want to thank you for your efforts and for your inspirational dedication as you in turn share your passion with our young people. Well done!
