Romeo LeBlanc

Roméo LeBlanc, PC, CC, ONB, CMM, CD (born December 18, 1927 in Memramcook, New Brunswick) is a former Governor General of Canada. LeBlanc was appointed Governor General of Canada on February 8, 1995, the first Acadian and the first person from the Maritimes to hold that post. He resigned from the position in 1999, citing health reasons.

Quotes

• "If I am to be known for anything, I would like it to be for encouraging Canadians, for knowing a little bit about their daily, extraordinary courage. And for wanting that courage to be recognized."
  • Source: installation speech, February 8, 1995

• "We are all immigrants to this land. It's just that some of us came earlier than others."
  • Source: installation speech February 8, 1995

• "The hope of courage lies in every heart, together with the fear that we will fail. When the test came, you did not fail."
  • Source: speech at the Ceremony for Decorations for Bravery, June 23, 1995.

• "Volunteers have enriched the lives of every Canadian, and asked nothing for themselves. Now we will honour the hidden helpers and the unsung heroes of Canada. It is time to give something back to the givers."
  • Source: speech on the occasion of the "Unsung Heroes" winning design (Caring Canadian Award), November 21, 1995

• "I am told that there is a proverbial phrase among the Inuit: 'a long time ago, in the future.' Let the children see our history, and maybe it will help to shape the future."
  • Source: address to the Empire Club and the Royal Commonwealth Society, June 26, 1996

• "We owe the Aboriginal peoples a debt that is four centuries old. It is their turn to become full partners in developing an even greater Canada. And the reconciliation required may be less a matter of legal texts than of attitudes of the heart."
  • Source: speech on the occasion of the presentation of the 1996 Native Role Models, February 23, 1996

• "We send our [peacekeepers] off to some disputed zone, full of local intrigue and power blocs and uncertainty and danger, and they are supposed to save lives not with their weapons, but through their competence and their character. And they do it."
  • Source: speech on the occasion of the presentation of the insignia of the Order of Military Merit, February 5, 1997

• "We are not building a new country. The Newfoundlanders and the Acadians have been here almost four centuries. The First Nations have been here almost forever. But we may be creating a new kind of country, where equality does not mean sameness but means respecting differences; and where freedom is intertwined with sharing."
  • Source: Canada Day speech, Parliament Hill, 1 July 1998.

• "I fear that by gaining a limit, we'll lose an excuse."
  • Source: Speech as Fisheries Minister, at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, September 16, 1975, well in advance of Canada declaring 200-mile fisheries jurisdiction in 1977.

The above mostly consists of excerpts from his speeches as Governor General. Full speeches and messages are available on the Governor General of Canada's website.