Stained Glass Window Dedication Ceremony - Opening by Member of Parliament Greg Rickford
Transcript: Opening by Member of Parliament Greg Rickford
Greg Rickford: Well, good morning, ladies and gentlemen, bonjour. It's a beautiful sunny morning here today. My name is Greg Rickford and I'm the Member of Parliament for the great Kenora riding, all 326,716 square kilometers. Good morning as well to all of you. (In French) I'm honoured to be your master of ceremony for this important event this morning.
It's my pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to this ceremony. In particular, I would like to welcome the former students, survivors of Indian residential schools, and other honoured guests who are here with us today. A special thanks to elder Sally Webster for lighting the qulliq. We're pleased to be here on Algonquin traditional territory to dedicate this beautiful stained glass window.
(Lighting ceremony performed by Inuit Elder Sally Webster)
Thank you, elder. On June 11th, the fourth anniversary of the prime minister's Apology to former students and survivors of Indian residential schools, Minister Duncan unveiled the design for this magnificent window in the presence of renowned Métis artist Christi Belcourt. Today, we admire that window which is now a highlight of Canada's Parliament buildings. The installation of this window marks another important step in Canada's efforts to promote increased understanding and reconciliation between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians.