Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
NELLIE MCCLUNG FOUNDATION TRAILBLAZER SCHOLARSHIP CEREMONY AND RECEPTION
Government House
Thursday, June 27, 2024
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Good evening everyone – it’s a pleasure to welcome you to Government House.
As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, I acknowledge that we are gathered in the heart of Treaty One land and the homeland of the Red River Metis – and that this province is the ancestral and present-day home of the Anishinaabe, Anishininew (ANISH-IN-INEW) Cree, Dakota, Dene, Nehetho (NE-HET-HO) Nation, Inuit and Metis peoples.
As we work to build a future of reconciliation, understanding and justice for all, we will require the work of young trailblazers to carry this progress into the future.
At a time of year when we hold convocation ceremonies to celebrate educational achievements and the goals and dreams of youth, we’ve come together to celebrate this year’s recipients of the Nellie McClung Foundation’s Trailblazer Scholarships.
This year’s 10 scholarship recipients join the 45 young women who have previously been hailed as Trailblazers by the Foundation.
For those of you who have won this scholarship, this is obviously an important achievement. Recognition for your hard work and talents will provide you with encouragement to continue on your path or to find your own way forward.
And obviously the financial award will come in handy with educational and living expenses.
But this scholarship also comes with responsibilities.
You’ve been designated a trailblazer. You’ve been identified as somebody who can lead and inspire.
I urge you to take that to heart.
The personal characteristics that brought you to this point will be of great value to each of you in your studies and in your work life.
I urge you to use some of your gifts to help others find a way forward – which is literally what the word “trailblazer” means.
I’m sure many of you already do this through volunteer work or informal support for friends. But as young women who’ve already been identified as having great potential and ability, you may see new opportunities in the years ahead to make a difference in the world around you. I urge you to make Nellie McClung proud by working for the advancement of our society.
Doing so will bring you new experiences and new satisfaction – and in the process help to make our society healthier, more prosperous, more equitable.
I’d like to thank the Nellie McClung Foundation and all of its supporters for making this opportunity possible.
And of course I congratulate all of today’s scholarship recipients on your success. May this feeling inspire you and motivate you in the years ahead.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom
