<< Back to the “Speeches” page

Home > Current Events > Speeches

Government House Crest

Remarks by the Honourable Steven L. Point, OBC
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia

Cloverdale Traditional School
Reading Extravaganza

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Victoria, British Columbia

Thank you to your principal, Mr. Terry Kotyshyn, for inviting me here today. I would also like to thank my Aide-de-Camp, Lieutenant (N) Kimberley MacMillan and my Pipe Major, John Mager. I am very pleased to be here at Cloverdale Traditional School’s Reading Extravaganza.

I am going to speak for just a few minutes on the role of Lieutenant Governor and the importance of literacy. I am the Queen’s representative in BC – do you know where the lives? The Queen of England is also the Queen of Canada, and because she cannot be here all the time the Prime Minister selects someone to be here in her place, much like you will have a substitute teacher from time to time. My main job is to grant Royal Assent to laws passed by the BC Government. Also the Lieutenant Governor must represent the Crown at over 300 events throughout the province each year. It is a very busy job.

The Lieutenant Governor has some symbols of office. One is this pin I am wearing over my heart; another is this hat. Can you think of any other symbols at schools that represent something important?

Literacy is important because it prepares you for studies at school. Of course we all need to read and to write. Literacy also means to study - that is to catch up with today’s knowledge. Have you ever been late for a movie and you have missed the first part, so you sometimes don’t understand the rest of the show? Well, studying means to catch up on our history and knowledge.

Literacy also means to be able to come up with your own ideas about how to improve the world. Literacy means to improve yourself through reading. I love to read because reading can bring me to any place on earth. Reading improves your mind and that is important isn’t it?

Thank you for listening and thank you all for coming today and being a part of the literacy movement in BC. Let me read to you now just a few lines and then I will see if you have any questions.

Honorary Aides-de-Camp:
- Lieutenant (N) Kim MacMillan