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Governor-General to ship out
By ALLISON LAWLOR
Globe and Mail Update
Wednesday, November 27 â “ Online Edition, Posted at 6:42 PM EST
Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson announced Wednesday her plans to spend Christmas with Canadian sailors serving in the Arabian Gulf region.
Ms. Clarkson, who is Commander-In-Chief of the Canadian Forces, will visit two frigates â †HMCS Montreal and HMCS Winnipeg â †which are deployed as part of Operation Apollo, Canada's military contribution to the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism. She will be joined by her husband, John Ralston Saul.
She is likely the first Governor-General to spend Christmas with members of the Canadian Forces while they are serving overseas, Stewart Wheeler, Ms. Clarkson's press secretary, told globeandmail.com on Wednesday.
"Every day, members of the Canadian Forces are on duty in military operations around the world. For many, this means they cannot be home with their families during the holidays," Ms. Clarkson said in a statement.
"As Commander-In-Chief, I would like to thank all the men and women of the Canadian Forces for their continued dedication.
"Canadians all across the country continually tell me how much they support our military personnel and I look forward to bringing this message to members of the Canadian Forces personally."
While the final details of her itinerary are still being worked out, Mr. Wheeler said that Ms. Clarkson will spend much of her time speaking informally with the men and women serving on the two frigates. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day she will take part in a service and dinner on board one of the ships. During her visit she will also award the South-West Asia Service Medal.
The medal recognizes the service of those who participated in the antiterrorist campaign in Southwest Asia after Sept. 11, 2001.
With the Governor-General overseas during the holidays, the annual Levee, usually held on New Year's Day, will instead be held on Dec. 15 at Rideau Hall.
Guests will have the opportunity to send Christmas cards or video-recorded greetings to the Canadian men and women serving in the Gulf region. They will be delivered during Ms. Clarkson's visit.
"I invite everyone to come to Rideau Hall on December 15 to help me take a message of support to our men and women serving overseas," Ms. Clarkson said.
The Governor-General travelled to Germany in April with her husband to meet the Canadian soldiers wounded by a U.S. bomb outside Kandahar and accompanied them and the bodies of the dead back to Canada. Since then, Ms. Clarkson has kept in touch with some of the families.
Ms. Clarkson takes her role Commander-In-Chief very seriously, Mr. Wheeler said and sees herself in part as the soldiers' "surrogate family".
By ALLISON LAWLOR
Globe and Mail Update
Wednesday, November 27 â “ Online Edition, Posted at 6:42 PM EST
Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson announced Wednesday her plans to spend Christmas with Canadian sailors serving in the Arabian Gulf region.
Ms. Clarkson, who is Commander-In-Chief of the Canadian Forces, will visit two frigates â †HMCS Montreal and HMCS Winnipeg â †which are deployed as part of Operation Apollo, Canada's military contribution to the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism. She will be joined by her husband, John Ralston Saul.
She is likely the first Governor-General to spend Christmas with members of the Canadian Forces while they are serving overseas, Stewart Wheeler, Ms. Clarkson's press secretary, told globeandmail.com on Wednesday.
"Every day, members of the Canadian Forces are on duty in military operations around the world. For many, this means they cannot be home with their families during the holidays," Ms. Clarkson said in a statement.
"As Commander-In-Chief, I would like to thank all the men and women of the Canadian Forces for their continued dedication.
"Canadians all across the country continually tell me how much they support our military personnel and I look forward to bringing this message to members of the Canadian Forces personally."
While the final details of her itinerary are still being worked out, Mr. Wheeler said that Ms. Clarkson will spend much of her time speaking informally with the men and women serving on the two frigates. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day she will take part in a service and dinner on board one of the ships. During her visit she will also award the South-West Asia Service Medal.
The medal recognizes the service of those who participated in the antiterrorist campaign in Southwest Asia after Sept. 11, 2001.
With the Governor-General overseas during the holidays, the annual Levee, usually held on New Year's Day, will instead be held on Dec. 15 at Rideau Hall.
Guests will have the opportunity to send Christmas cards or video-recorded greetings to the Canadian men and women serving in the Gulf region. They will be delivered during Ms. Clarkson's visit.
"I invite everyone to come to Rideau Hall on December 15 to help me take a message of support to our men and women serving overseas," Ms. Clarkson said.
The Governor-General travelled to Germany in April with her husband to meet the Canadian soldiers wounded by a U.S. bomb outside Kandahar and accompanied them and the bodies of the dead back to Canada. Since then, Ms. Clarkson has kept in touch with some of the families.
Ms. Clarkson takes her role Commander-In-Chief very seriously, Mr. Wheeler said and sees herself in part as the soldiers' "surrogate family".