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Queen Elizabeth admires Canada's multicultural identity, and is proud of the role she played as it formed, she said in a speech on Monday. "It is a privilege to serve you as Queen of Canada to the best of my ability," the Queen said, addressing a luncheon in Vancouver, "to play my part in the Canadian identity."
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien introduced the Queen, joking that she should go to more hockey games. "You have always been a model of dignity and decorum," he said. "I suspect the NHL officials ... will likely ask you to undertake a tour of all NHL cities in the very near future." The Queen responded by telling her audience Canada is a model itself, for other countries to follow. "I treasure my place in the life of Canada and my bond with Canadians everywhere," she said. "During these past 50 years, I have been with you as this country has evolved and grown celebrating success, surmounting challenges and resolving difficulties. "I have watched with admiration as familiar European traditions have been enriched by the deep spiritual cultures of the First Nations and by the entrepreneurial and artistic flair of newer communities, coming together in mutual respect against the breathtaking wide open backdrop of the land itself to produce a particular Canadian genius for altruistic openness and reconciliation, enterprise and creativity." |
