Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD – CANADA’S AWARD HOLDER MIXER
Government House
Thursday, May 30, 2024
(please check against delivery)
Members and supports of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards family –welcome to Government House.
It’s a pleasure to welcome you to Government House, here in the heart of Treaty One land and the homeland of the Red River Metis.
For over 140 years, this historic residence has been a prominent landmark in a province that is the ancestral and present-day home of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Dakota, Dene, Inuit and Metis peoples. It remains an important gathering place today as we work create a province of healing, understanding and reconciliation.
This is the time of year when we gather to celebrate learning – at college and university convocations, at kindergarten graduations and at everything in between.
Today, meeting people who have received Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards, we’re reminded of the many other forms that learning takes.
Since 1963, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards have motivated young Canadians to learn new skills, experience their world and discover themselves, through volunteer service and through adventure.
The learning experiences made possible by the awards stay with people for years, for decades, for life.
But don’t take my word for it.
We have with us today a number of past participants who have earned Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
As we meet and mingle at this get-together, you’ll all have the opportunity to exchange stories about experiential learning and the lifelong benefits of these experiences.
An award program like this would not exist without support from donors and leaders who provide resources and knowledge to keep it alive and thriving.
It’s an encouraging sign for all who believe in the importance of personal growth and challenge to see so many supporters here eager to learn more about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.
To all who make these awards possible and to all who embody the values of learning through service and adventure, thank you for your commitment to the youth of the today and the future.
May these awards continue to foster personal growth as our province grows in the years to come.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom