Ladies and gentlemen, special guests: I am here to join in the celebration of this, your 95th annual Sooke Fall Fair. Gwen and I are very pleased to be invited to participate in this manner and we wish you great success in this year’s events.

This year, all over BC we have been attending events that celebrate BC’s 150th birthday. We are in interesting times. We are just under two years away from the Winter Olympics, where we will be welcoming visitors from all parts of the world. Whenever I speak with visitors, they comment on the beauty of BC, its wildlife and its people. But we have another aspect that is often missed: our amazing agricultural history. I grew up in the Fraser Valley which, like the Sooke area, has a proud heritage around farming the land. I, for example, recall milking cows by hand at five a.m. I recall ploughing the fields and planting the potatoes. I recall feeding the chickens and pigs. Yes, I lived on a small farm in Chilliwack. It is a great life, one that connects you to the land in a very special way. You get to know where food comes from; you get to appreciate the value of a potato. People who live off the land know about helping each other and about hardship. Agriculture is not always a viable venture but it is an industry that society cannot do without. It is difficult, often grueling work, and I commend all those people who commit themselves everyday to providing for the people of this province.

As the representative of Her Majesty The Queen in British Columbia, thank you for having me here today to share this special event with you. Thank you.

LOCATION:1401 Rockland Avenue
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada V8S 1V9

PHONE:(250) 387-2080

FAX:(250) 387-2078

EMAIL:ghinfo@gov.bc.ca

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