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Overview
From our present Governor General, a series of 50 (of several thousand) carefully chosen letters he has written to people he has admired and befriended over his seventy-plus years, that sets out Mr. Johnston's frank, informed, and novel thoughts about Canada.
Touching on a wide range of topics ranging from learning, the law, kindness and courage, to the monarchy, Aboriginal education, justice, bilingualism, mental health and hockey, David Johnston has always used the letter writing form to tackle the passions, challenges, and goals of his incredibly accomplished and varied life. From his earliest years at Harvard, he has written several letters each day, starting with those to his large family, and broadening out to an ever-widening circle of friends that includes ministers and monarchs, educators and entrepreneurs, and many extraordinary Canadians who have deepened his perspective and touched his heart. The letters included in this beautiful volume are all about Canada -- a project to help him understand and share his views on this great country, past, present and future.
Presented in three parts -- What Shapes Me, What Consumes Me, and What Comforts Me -- His Excellency reaches out to everyone from his grandchildren, Kevin Vickers, Clara Hughes, Chris Hadfield, the Aga Khan, Tina Fontaine, Mike Lazaridis, the teachers of our country, a grade five class in Winnipeg, an Inuit boy he met at the Terry Fox run in Repulse Bay, and many others. The perfect gift for graduates, this unique and lovely book should find its home in every Canadian's library.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780771050787 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | McClelland & Stewart |
| Publication date: | 04/19/2016 |
| Sold by: | Random House |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 320 |
| File size: | 967 KB |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Foreword 3
Part 1 What Shapes Me
Who Am I, Anyway?: To an unknown Inuit boy 7
A simple answer to one boy's profound question.
What Champlain Teaches: To Janice Charette 13
Three lessons from Canada's first public servant.
You Can't Learn on an Empty Stomach: To Jacline Nyman 21
A lesson to an educator on humility.
Going the Wrong Way: To Kevin Vickers 23
What bravery says about our country.
The Zen of Licking Stamps: To all young leaders 29
Letters recognize, applaud, and build on the positive.
Chemistry Not Math: To Ian Bird 33
What Mother Teresa taught me about giving.
Adversarial Allies: To Enrique Peña Nieto 37
Exchanging ideas about justice with Mexico.
Journey to Wellness: To Clara Hughes 42
One woman's response to mental illness.
Astounding Science Fiction: To Val O'Donovan 47
My big regret.
Stargazer, Earthgazer: To Chris Hadfield 51
Knoiving our place in the world.
Constant Shield: To James Forrest Johnston and William Stonehouse 56
Thoughts passing through Menin Gate.
Love Made Visible: To Waiter Natynczyk 61
What service means to me.
To Make and to Unmake: To Michael McKay 66
Saluting John McCrae.
Part 2 What Consumes Me
Stand Up, Speak Up, Sit Down: To my successors 73
Advice to my successors about speechmaking.
Reclaiming the Game: To Ralph "Cooney" Weiland 75
Rid hockey of fighting.
An Individual Institution: To Jacques Monet 87
The essential function of our governor general.
Grampa Book: To Miss Wilkinson 92
The power of reading and writing
How Smart and Caring Are We?: To John F. Helliwell 98
Happiness is something we can measure.
Free from Violence: To Tracy Porteous 103
End violence against women in Canada.
Expecting Excellence: To Paul Davidson and Denise Amyot 107
Pursue excellence as well as equality of opportunity.
The State of North America: To Heather Moulton 115
Complacency is our enemy.
Faith in Canada: To Andrew Bennett 123
Do not take religions as absolute truths.
Challenge to Lawyers: To the twenty-seven clerks of the Supreme Court of Canada 129
Strive for the public good.
What's a Monarchy For?: To Deborah Vuylsteke 149
Ask the useful question.
Thirty Thousand Kids: To Laura Eggertson 155
Resolve Canada's adoption crisis.
From Sea to Sea to Sea: To Major Brian Tang 162
A truly northern nation.
Leadership Not Management: To James Bartleman 167
Make First Nations education work.
Diplomacy of Knowledge: To His Highness the Aga Khan 178
Create a smarter, more caring world.
Time, Talent, and Treasure: To Marc Kielburger and Craig Kielburger 191
Persuade more Canadians to give.
The New, Noisy Word: To Kevin Lynch 203
Why Canadians should shout about innovation.
Part 3 What Inspires Me
Soul of Our Nation: To the Unknown Soldier 209
In gratitude for sacrifice.
Solving a Mystery. Building a Nation.: To Richard and Sylvia Cruess 212
Why Charlevoix makes me proud of the whole country.
It Dares Us: To George Stanley 217
Our flag challenges Canadians anew.
Nation of Losers: To Lin Su 221
How the world's poor built a winning country.
Remember the Name: To Céline Dion 228
Why French culture is one of Canada's greatest assets.
Ask Only to Serve: To Canadians born in the twenty-first century 233
The highest of callings.
The Greatest of These is Fairness: To Purdy Crawford 237
A salute to a friend who wouldn't have it any other way.
They Believe in Hope: To Roland Michener 240
Paying tribute to Canada's journalists.
Step Up and Step Out: To Prem Watsa 243
A culture of major giving.
A Generation Later: To Marcel Côté 249
The choice for Canada has never been clearer.
Home of the People: To Thomas McKay 254
What Rideau Hall means to me.
Fool's Wisdom: To Kalliana King 258
Know who you are.
Take Care of the Rocks: To winners of the Governor General's Academic Medal 261
Make room in life for the important things.
A New Band of Brothers and Sisters: To the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces 267
The modern face of duty, courage, and honour.
The Good Society: To Stephen Jarislowsky 277
Build trust, in governance.
At the Heart: To Régis Labeaume 284
Summer at La Citadelle.
Birth of a Smart and Caring Nation: To Larry Murray 288
Making sense of Canada's sacrifice in the First World War.
What Will Your Gift Be?: To the citizens of Canada 293
Celebrating Canada at 150.
The Idea of Canada: To John Buchan, Lord Tweedsmuir 297
A nation for all nations.