Remarks by
The Honourable John Harvard, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
Rotary International
Goodwill Meeting
Hotel Fort Garry
Saturday, February 5, 2005 – 7:00 p.m.
Friends, neighbours, Rotarians from both sides of the world's longest undefended border, welcome to
Manitoba and the 80th annual Rotary International Goodwill Meeting.
It's a thrill for Her Honour and me to join you tonight. We have many friends here, including Dr. Greg
and Heather Hammond who greeted us at the door tonight. Our friendship goes back 25 years. It's a nice
touch to be greeted by such good friends.
Here in the heart of the continent we like to note that the geographic centre of North America is just
a few minutes' drive east of the city of Winnipeg. That means we're right in the middle of things. We're
connected to the north, south, east and west.
Our connections to our immediate neighbours are deep and long-standing.
So much so that we kind of think of the centre of the continent as one
big neighbourhood.
That this annual international goodwill meeting is in its 80th year illustrates how deep the roots of
this friendship go.
There are many, many other ways that this region comes together.
Consider the long-standing historical ties along the Red River, connecting Winnipeg and the communities of
Manitoba's Red River Valley with Minnesota and North Dakota. Archaeological excavations show that those
connections along the Red River go back thousands of years, just as river routes in the fur trade era linked
what's now Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Let's consider as well that 95 years ago Winnipeg was the site of the first Rotary meeting outside of the
United States, an event that certainly would have attracted Rotarians from Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
For a more recent example, consider the thousands of Canadians – mostly from Manitoba but with a healthy
contingent from Saskatchewan and Northwestern Ontario – who thronged to Grand Forks for the World Junior Hockey
Championships. I know that tournament was a big success for the Canadian fans, but I suspect that it was at least
as successful for the local hospitality industry – particularly the segment of that industry linked to beer sales.
And as for the east-west connections: there are the tens of thousands of Manitobans who spend their vacation time
around Lake of the Woods, and the great friendly football rivalry between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the
Saskatchewan Roughriders.
All of us in the heart of the continent are connected by trade, by tourism,
by environmental concerns and cultural developments. And most importantly,
by friendship.
As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, I'm pleased to see that the Rotary International Goodwill Meeting is still
stoking the fires of a long and warm friendship.
Thank you. Enjoy your meeting.
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