Each of us is carving a stone, erecting a column, or cutting a piece of stained glass in the construction of something much bigger than ourselves.

[The fight for freedom was] a daunting task, ... but he did it like his comrades - without fanfare, without hesitation, with great pride and determination.

Every Remembrance Day he came for tea (and scotch!) and was a vivid reminder of our country's heroism,

Knowing better than anyone my own shortcomings, I undertake this task with humility and ask you all, as Canadians, to help me.

Stumbling through darkness and racing through light, we have persisted in the creation of a Canadian civilization.

To be complex does not mean to be fragmented. This is the paradox and the genius of our Canadian civilization.