I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you here today and to welcome you in this house. I used to be a journalist myself. And I think everyone knows that I still have a soft spot for the profession of journalism, the profession in which I began my career.
To the winners of the award, I say congratulations! You have served your profession well. A dynamic and free press is a vital element for any democratic society. Indeed, without such a press, there can be no democracy.
His Excellency the Right Honourable Jules Léger
Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall, Ottawa
October 6, 1976.
