Christmas Luncheon

Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen, The Honourable Hal Jackman is Ontario's 25th Lieutenant-Governor since Confederation, and the 39th Lieutenant-Governor since John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant-Governor, arrived 200 years ago in Upper Canada.

He was sworn into office on December 11, 1991. His Honour also served as President of The Empire Club for the 1971-1972 season and remains a very active Past President and strong supporter of this Club. Please join me in welcoming Ontario's Lieutenant-Governor, The Honourable Hal Jackman, who will address us.

Lieutenant Governor Jackman

Thank you very much Mr. President. It is a great privilege and a great pleasure for me to be here at the annual Empire Club Christmas luncheon for a number of reasons. First, as your President has told you, I was President of The Empire Club for my year, which is now 20 years ago. I can appreciate the trauma you go through as you get up to this lectern every week.

I enjoyed my experience as President of this club and I always will have a very warm spot for The Empire Club and its extended family. Secondly, tomorrow, December 11, is my first anniversary as Lieutenant-Governor and, if I remember correctly, the first time I appeared in public as Lieutenant-Governor was at this lunch just a year ago. So that is an event I will always remember.

In this past year I have witnessed the wondrous joy of seeing this province. I recognize more so now after a year what a great honour it is to be the Queen's representative in and for the province of Ontario. I realize the responsibility it entails when I bring greetings to her loyal subjects here in this city and in every town and village in this province.

This is Christmas-time. It is a time when we think of those values that we associate with Christmas, and I think they are not too different really than the values we associate with membership in the British Commonwealth and the monarchy, to whom we owe so many of those traditions which have made Canada great.

One of those traditions, of course, is that our country provides the opportunity to achieve excellence. But that excellence in itself will ring hollow unless it is shared with those who are less fortunate. That is the spirit with which we approach the Christmas season and it is the spirit in which you are all here with us today.

I am delighted that the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus is going to be with us today. It is an organization of which I have been a patron for a long time. I have heard you many, many times singing alone, and with the Canadian Opera Company. Ladies and gentlemen, you are indeed going to receive a great treat.

So thank you very much ladies and gentlemen for allowing me to be here. I know I speak for all my predecessors when I say the Lieutenant-Governor always looks on this occasion with The Empire Club of Canada as one of the high points of the Christmas season. Thank you very much.

Robert Brooks

Ladies and gentlemen, the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus was founded in 1968. They have toured extensively in Canada and the United States to great acclaim and, in 1990, won the national award for outstanding choral record for the performance of Sir Chrisamus.

I understand that these young people do not come by their membership in this group easily. They must audition every year and the competition is tough. Singers can join the chorus at eight years of age and must leave by the time they are 16 or, in the case of boys, when their voices change, which explains why there are fewer boys than girls in the group you see.

We are privileged to have 45 of the 75 members of the chorus here with us today. These young people all share something in common their love for music. We are indeed delighted that they could be with us and it is with great pleasure that I present to you, under the able direction of Mr. John Tuttle, the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus.

The Canadian Children's Opera Chorus gave a presentation. The appreciation of the meeting was expressed by Larry Stout, National Writer, CTV Television Network Ltd., and a Director, The Empire Club of Canada.