Remebrance day marked the second time Govenor General Michaëlle Jean has appeared in uniform in public. The first time Michaëlle Jean appeared in uniform she did address the issue. In the address, she made reference to her upbringing in Haïti, where uniforms were seen in a different context by the public.
I would like to begin by confiding something to you, she said at the consecration and presentation of a new Queens Colour to the Canadian Navy. I grew up under the yoke of a ruthless dictatorship, where the military uniform came to symbolize the brutal repression of the people, tyranny and massacres.
"Since becoming commander-in-chief of the Canadian Forces, I have had the opportunity to work alongside you the women and men of this country who don the uniform. I have visited your places of work. I have seen you in action
"You can see how far I have come, from the child who saw her parents, her family, her friends grappling with the horrors of oppression, to the woman who stands before you today. And I can say before you now with absolute certainty that it is an honour and a source of great pride for me to wear your uniform.
And, she's a classic example of how those who approach our shores with hope for the future rather than anger or fear about the past can rise to great heights.
She decided to look to the future, as a Canadian, rather than dwelling in the past as a hyphenated-Canadian.
I'm very proud of her achievements and of the great country that took her in and gave her the opportunity to excel.
