The Re-opening of Canada House

Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Your Majesty, Canada is honoured by your presence as you re-open Canada House. Once again, Canada House is taking its rightful place here in the heart of London. As a home away from home for Canadians in Britain.

And as a proud and enduring symbol of an unbreakable trans-Atlantic bond. A bond of shared history. Of common democratic values. A bond joined in peace. And tested in war.

From the moment it first opened its doors, more than seventy years ago, Canada House played a special role in Britain and, especially, for Canadians living here. More than an embassy or high commission, this house was truly a home.

Through the Second World War, it was a meeting place, and a reminder of home for the men and women of our armed forces. After the war, this tradition continued for all visiting Canadians.

And for all of Britain, Canada House was the centre of all things Canadian in this country.

A well-known landmark that brought together all the dynamic strands of our young nation, cultural and commercial. Proudly proclaiming the Canadian experience.

But in recent years, Canada retrenched. And institutions like Canada House suffered and declined as our country and our governments focused on domestic concerns. On economic crisis. On shaken national confidence.

That day is over. Our country has entered a new era of growth and opportunity for all Canadians.

We have a new sense of pride and optimism because of what we have accomplished together. And a new confidence in taking on new challenges and opportunities around the world.

Even more important, there is an understanding that our continued growth and prosperity at home depend increasingly on our ability to succeed in the new global economy.

That has been the essence of our Team Canada trade missions and of our drive for liberalized trade throughout the world.

And that is what the new Canada House represents: a country that is proudly asserting itself in the new world of the Twenty-First Century.

The new Canada House is at once anchored in our proud traditions, and firmly focused on the exciting future. It will once again be the central meeting place for Canadians in the heart of London's meeting place, Trafalgar Square. And with its restoration complete it will be even more splendid and beautiful than ever.

But the new Canada House is also all about the future -- Canada's future.

It is equipped with the most advanced communications and information technology. Making it a high-tech launching pad for Canadian culture and commerce into the new Britain and the new Europe.

And that is how it should be. As Canada has evolved, so has Canada House. When Canada House first opened in 1925, Canada was not yet fully independent from Great Britain. We grew to adulthood with our participation in the Second World War.

And Canada House in those years, and in the years after the War, reflected the energy and dynamism of a young country, beginning to assert itself independently on the global scene.

The New Canada House represents the confidence of a re-energized country and people. And the confirmation of a new relationship with Great Britain and a new Europe.

Ladies and gentlemen, the world is changing. And I can think of no two countries better placed to meet these changes than Canada and Britain.

Blessed with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose our countries are ready to take on the world.

The re-opening of Canada House is a confirmation of that new pride and confidence. In its first life it stood as a symbol of the shared history and traditions of Canada and Britain.

In its rebirth, it stands as a symbol of the shared hope and dynamism of our two countries. Of a re- energized Canada. Of a New Britain. And an affirmation of our commitment to meet the opportunities and challenges of an exciting new century.