Good morning, everyone.

Thank you to the Right Honourable David Johnston and Elder Reepa Evic-Carleton for joining us today.

The Crown is the continuous thread through our constitutional life.

It is, as His Majesty himself said, “a symbol of Canada today, in all her richness and dynamism”.

The Governor General is the Crown’s representative in Canada, Commander-in-Chief of Canada, and steward of our traditions of peace, order, and good government.

And, above all, the Governor General is the guardian of our constitutional order.

Governors General have shaped the story of Canada.

They defend the institutions that make up this country, devote themselves to the service of others, and promote the values we hold dear.

Upon appointment, they create a personal coat of arms – symbols that reveal the principles that shaped each Governor General’s life and service.

David Johnston, a former law professor, placed books in his coat of arms – symbols of the pursuit of knowledge.

Michaëlle Jean, who established shelters for women and children, chose two water spirits to honour the vital role played by women in advancing social justice.

And Her Excellency Mary Simon, a lifelong advocate for Indigenous rights, placed a disc and circle at the centre of her coat of arms – a symbol of the inclusive relationship between Indigenous Peoples and all Canadians.

The nature of this relationship has not always reflected the harmony symbolised there.

Canada was built on the foundation of three peoples – Indigenous, French, and British.

That founding was imperfect. It excluded too many. It was built, in part, on the dispossession of, and broken promises to, Indigenous Peoples.

These failings are a part of our country’s history. And so, reconciliation is the ongoing project of all Canadians, not a single government or generation.

Reconciliation is a generational task that must be lived and practised every day.

We remember what came before us, and so we are seized with the task ahead of us, together.

That path toward a better, fairer Canada has been shaped by leaders like Mary Simon – a lifelong advocate for Indigenous rights and reconciliation.

Throughout her life, Mary Simon embodied a fundamental Canadian belief – that our diversity is not a problem to be solved. It is a strength to be celebrated.

As the President of Makivik Corporation, she helped negotiate the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement, the first modern land claims agreement in Canada.

This marked the first official recognition of the territorial rights of Inuit and Cree peoples of Québec.

Today, the rights of more than one million Indigenous Peoples are protected in the supreme law of Canada in large part because of Mary Simon.

She was a leading figure in the negotiations that formally entrenched Aboriginal and treaty rights in the Constitution Act of 1982.

And as Canada’s first Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs – and the first Inuk ambassador in Canadian history – she helped establish the Arctic Council, ensuring Indigenous voices would help shape the future of the North.

Again and again, Mary Simon has taken on enormous challenges, and approached them with wisdom, determination, and an unwavering commitment to public service.

Your Excellency, you’ve often reminded us that reconciliation is a responsibility to be lived day after day – in how we listen, how we learn, and how we act.

And throughout your life of service, you have embodied that responsibility with wisdom, compassion, and unwavering purpose.

You’ve elevated national conversations on mental health, particularly in Northern and Indigenous communities, bringing visibility to challenges too often overlooked and dignity to those too often unheard.

Your Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour shed light on the mental health needs of remote, rural, and Northern communities – areas where access to mental health supports are limited.

To honour your leadership and legacy, the Rideau Hall Foundation is establishing Ajuinnata: The Mary Simon Catalyst for Mental Wellness.

This new project will provide the communities you visited and so many more with vital mental health care – lifesaving supports like counselling, culturally grounded services, and peer-led mental health care.

Our government is commemorating your service to Canada with an initial $5 million investment to get this project off the ground.

We are also matching every dollar up to $10 million that the Rideau Hall Foundation raises for this project.

For those living in remote and rural areas, accessing timely and culturally appropriate support remains a challenge.

The Ajuinnata project will help change that. 

For remote communities, it will bring care closer to home, earlier, and in ways that reflect their language and culture.

Mental health is the foundation of a good life, and healthy, empowered people are the foundation of a strong community and country.

We are proud to carry forward the work to which you have dedicated your life, and which is closest to your heart. 

Your Excellency, on the day of your installation in July 2021, you stood before this country and said, “I believe strongly that if we embrace our common and shared responsibility for one another, Canada’s brightest days are yet to come”.

And that you were “dedicated to doing everything in [your] power to build and inspire that future”.

As Governor General, you convened the first Governor General’s History Symposium – a gathering on the University of Winnipeg’s campus where historians, academics, and students came together to bring long-overlooked stories from marginalised communities into the light.

As social media fragments, divides, and harms members of our society, you brought together experts and mental health leaders to promote safety, dignity, and respect online.

And just two days before his coronation, you facilitated a historic meeting between His Majesty King Charles III and national Indigenous leaders – marking the first steps toward a new relationship with the Crown.

Your Excellency, you fulfilled the promise you made to Canadians on day one. 

You united this country with a shared ambition of building a stronger, more inclusive Canada for all.

I want to thank His Excellency Whit Fraser and your family for their extraordinary service to Canada. 

And on behalf of Canada and Canadians, I want to thank you, Your Excellency Governor General Simon.

The Canada you were born into is not the same Canada we know today. Because of you – your leadership, your advocacy, and your hard work – we are more just, more inclusive, and far more committed to reconciliation.

What you achieved was not only monumental in its impact today, but transformational – creating lasting change that will be felt generations from now.

Your legacy will endure not only in your service, but in how you served – with grace, resolve, and a belief in Canada’s greatness.

This country is stronger because of your lifetime of service.

Quyannamiik. Thank you.