Governor General to give the 2010 Symons Lecture on the State of Canadian Confederation
His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, has been chosen to receive the Confederation Centre of the Arts’ Symons Medal and give the 8th national Symons Lecture on the State of Canadian Confederation. The lecture will take place on Monday, November 8, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. in the Centre’s Homburg Theatre.
He will be joined by the Premier of Prince Edward Island, the Honourable Robert Ghiz, and George Kitching, co-chair of the Symons Medal and Lecture.
“We are honoured to have His Excellency deliver this year’s Symons Lecture during his first official visit to our province. The Confederation Centre of the Arts is a national historic site, and Canada’s only memorial to the Fathers of Confederation. Hosting the Governor General at this time is most appropriate,” said Mr. H. Wayne Hambly, Chairman of the Fathers of Confederation Buildings Trust.
The Symons Medal and Lecture provides a national platform for a distinguished Canadian to discuss the current state and future prospects of Confederation. It provides all Canadians an opportunity to reflect upon their country and its future. The Medal Ceremony and Lecture, which is intended to be broadcast and published, is held each year to mark the meetings of the Fathers of Confederation in Charlottetown in 1864.
The lecture honours Professor Thomas H.B. Symons, a supporter and board member of the Confederation Centre for many years. Professor Symons, the founding President of Trent University in Ontario, is widely recognized for his work in the field of Canadian Studies, in particular in the areas of public policy, heritage and education.
It is the mandate of the Confederation Centre of the Arts, Canada’s national memorial to the founding of Confederation, to inspire Canadians to celebrate, through heritage and the arts, the founding and evolution of Canadian Confederation. The Confederation Centre brings this mandate to life by celebrating Canadian creativity in the performing and visual arts on its stages and in its galleries, by its arts education, and by public policy initiatives such as the Symons Medal and Lecture.
Showcasing Canadian creativity in the performing and visual arts on its stages and in its galleries, through virtual and touring exhibitions, by its work in public education, and by public policy and heritage initiatives such as the Symons Lecture.