Media Advisory — Governor General to focus on mental health and inclusive history during a working visit to Winnipeg

November 18, 2024

OTTAWA, Ontario—Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, will undertake a working visit to Winnipeg, from November 20 to November 21, 2024.

While in Winnipeg, the Governor General will learn about the advancement of inclusive history in Canada by attending the Governor General’s History Symposium: Fostering Understanding and Empathy Through Inclusive History, and will celebrate achievements in the field by presenting the Governor General’s History Awards.

She will also conduct the second session of her Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour, which was launched in July 2024, for Canadians to share lived experiences and best practices. The Winnipeg session will comprise a visit to Resource Assistance for Youth (RaY), as well as a round-table discussion at the Graffiti Gallery.

The Governor General will also present the King Charles III Coronation Medal to the Honourable Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba, and will invest one appointee into the Order of Canada.

Itinerary:
Note: times are indicated in Central Standard Time (CST).

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

10:15 a.m.
Governor General’s History Symposium: Fostering Understanding and Empathy Through Inclusive History
The Governor General will deliver introductory remarks at the symposium and will attend the panel discussion. Organized by Canada’s National History Society, in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, the symposium will feature seven panellists who will explore how we can lay the groundwork for a stronger, more understanding Canada by embracing the many voices that form our nation’s stories.
Learn more about Canada’s National History Society
Learn more about the panellists
Convocation Hall, Wesley Hall, University of Winnipeg – 515 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba
OPEN TO MEDIA
Media Contact: Joanna Dawson, Director of Programs, Canada’s National History Society, jdawson@canadashistory.ca

2:30 p.m.
Order of Canada investiture
The Governor General will invest Bernard Joseph Bocquel, C.M., into the Order of Canada during a small ceremony.

For over four decades, Bernard Bocquel has used his writing skills to serve Manitoba’s Francophone community. A journalist by training, he has distinguished himself in his adopted country through his work with La Liberté, the province’s only Francophone weekly newspaper. Writing from a journalistic perspective, he has published several notable historical works, primarily on the history of the French Canadian Métis and the origins and evolution of the first French-language radio station in western Canada. With his work, he has highlighted the profound contribution of Manitoba’s Francophonie to Canada’s linguistic duality.
Legislative Building, 450 Broadway, Winnipeg, Manitoba
OPEN TO MEDIA FOR A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Media contact for the Rideau Hall Press Office: media@gg.ca
Media contact for the Legislative Building: Tobi Brown, Tobi.Brown@gov.mb.ca

3:15 p.m.
Presentation of the King Charles III Coronation Medal to Premier Wab Kinew
The Governor General will present the Coronation Medal to Premier Wab Kinew during a small ceremony.
Legislative Building, 450 Broadway, Winnipeg, Manitoba
OPEN TO MEDIA FOR A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Media Contact for the Legislative Building: Tobi Brown, Tobi.Brown@gov.mb.ca

5:15 p.m.
Presentation of the 2024 Governor General’s History Awards
Administered by Canada’s National History Society, the Governor General’s History Awards are Canada’s top honours in the field of history and heritage. At a ceremony hosted by the Honourable Anita R. Neville, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, the Governor General will present 11 awards to individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions in five categories: teaching, museums, scholarly research, community programming and popular media.
Learn more about the 2024 GGHA recipients
Learn more about the Governor General’s History Awards
Government House, 10 Kennedy Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba
OPEN TO MEDIA
Media contact for Government House: Kate Gameiro, Executive Director and Private Secretary, 204-945-2752, kate.gameiro@manitoba.ca
Media contact for Canada’s National History Society: Claude-Sylvie Lemery, Communications Manager, 514-433-3405, cs.lemery@gmail.com

Thursday, November 21, 2024

11 a.m.
Visit to Resource Assistance for Youth (RaY)
As part of her Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour, the Governor General will visit RaY, where she will learn about the non-profit organization’s wide-ranging, integrated services for unhoused and marginalized youth in Winnipeg.
Learn more about RaY
125 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba
OPEN TO MEDIA
Media Contact: Nicholas Friesen, Communications and Donor Relations at RaY, nfriesen@rayinc.ca

2 p.m.
Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour round-table discussion
As part of the tour, the Governor General will host a round-table discussion at the Graffiti Gallery. The discussion will bring together people with lived experience, mental health experts and change makers who will share their experiences to build awareness around innovative practices in the field.
OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY

3:30 p.m.
Performances by youth breakdancers and the Good-Hearted Warriors (Akicita Cante Waste)
Through their social justice gallery and youth programming, the Graffiti Gallery builds resilience through art. The Governor General will witness a breakdancing performance by inner-city youth, as well as a traditional drumming performance by members of the Good-Hearted Warriors. The Good-Hearted Warriors are the subject of the gallery’s current exhibition, A Warrior’s Red Road.
Learn more about Graffiti Art Programming Inc.
OPEN TO MEDIA
Media Contact: Stephen Wilson, Executive Director of Graffiti Art Programming Inc., swilson@graffitigallery.ca

Quick facts

• The Governor General launched her Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour in July 2024, which will comprise four sessions held in different regions across Canada. The visit to RaY and the round-table discussion at Graffiti Gallery constitute the tour’s second session.

Notes for media

• Members of the media must confirm their attendance at select events with the media contacts listed above.
• Photos of the visit can be provided to media upon request via media@gg.ca.

Media information:
Rideau Hall Press Office
media@gg.ca

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