Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
RED RIVER COLLEGE POLYTECH CONVOCATION
RBC Convention Centre
Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 7:00 PM
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Graduates, educators, friends of a great and innovative institution of learning – it’s a pleasure to help celebrate the success of a promising and diverse group of Manitobans.
We are gathering this evening in the heart of Treaty One land, in the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and the Metis, in the capital of a province that is home to the Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples. It is especially encouraging that the institution holding this celebration is one that has made a powerful commitment to reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion.
In my role as Lieutenant Governor, I promised that education, in all its forms, would be a central theme of my time in office.
In a world of constant change, the ability to keep learning, in the classroom, at home, or on the job, has never been more important.
As members of the Red River class of 2022, you are graduating at a time of innovation, transition and disruption. This creates new opportunities and challenges for everybody in the workforce.
Graduating from an institution where preparing for the needs of the future is such a high priority gives you a heads-up for your careers to come. You’ve learned skills that you’ll need today, and you’ve learned how to acquire the skills you’ll need in the future.
A healthy and prosperous province needs skilled people – and it needs a great many very different skills, as the variety of programs at Red River shows. Our health and prosperity require talents of the head and of the hands – but we’re even more fortunate when those are accompanied by hearts full of passion and purpose.
So I’m pleased that this evening I’ll be presenting the Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal for the first time. This award recognizes a student who has combined high scholastic achievement with dedication to college and community life and outstanding character.
To all members of the class of 2022, I congratulate you on your achievements and I wish you well as you work for the continued growth and transformation of the province that we call home.
Thank you, Merci, Meegwich.
