Speech by the Honourable Shelly Glover
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
At the opening of the Aga Khan Museum
Friday, 12 September 2014

Prime Minister Harper,
Your Highness and of course, your family,
Parliamentarians,
Friends,

I am so pleased to be here.

I have a special message for Prince Amyn, it is truly an honour to share the stage with you sir, but I am told that you have a special day today. Happy birthday!

C’est tout un honneur pour moi d’être ici à Toronto aujourd’hui pour l’ouverture du Musée Aga Khan. C’est un honneur de partager cette scène avec des dirigeants distingués, généreux et admirables. En tant que ministre du Patrimoine canadien et des langues officielles – j’ai la chance d’observer de façon directe les contributions importantes des musées à nos communautés.

At their very best, museums help us see the world differently – educating us, enlightening us, and challenging our views and opinions. Museums, in fact, showcase our stories. They tell Canadians, as well as visitors to Canada, about where we come from, and about the values that shaped us as a society. For Canada, through the generations, those values have included pluralism, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Our Government believes that the shared values of all Canadians have long been crucial to ensuring Canada speaks with one strong voice on the world stage. The institution that we are celebrating today will no doubt be influential in promoting those values.

The Aga Khan Museum will be the first of its kind in North America, dedicated to presenting the arts of Islam in all their historic and geographic diversity. Ladies and gentleman, today marks the beginning of yet another chapter in the ambitious efforts of His Highness the Aga Khan and the Ismaili community in Canada. The Aga Khan Museum will deliver to Canadians and visitors alike some of the world’s most breath-taking Islamic art.

In its educational focus, the Museum will reach out to speak to Muslims and to non-Muslims alike about the peace, creativity, beauty and pluralism of Muslim history and in these tumultuous times, those values are needed more than ever. And I’m extremely proud to serve a government and a Prime Minister who also stands up for those values and for what is right. Just as Canada, and our Prime Minister, stand tall in the world to defend these values, so too will the Aga Khan Museum act as a strong force for them, in Canada and around the globe.

Le Canada a toujours été une terre d’accueil pour les personnes de différentes origines, qui veulent vivre ici et bâtir un meilleur avenir pour eux-mêmes et leurs familles. Notre force réside dans notre pluralisme et notre diversité, que nous sommes fiers de présenter au monde. Et c’est pour ces raisons qu’il est parfait que le Musée Aga Khan soit construit ici.

For our government, there has been no partner more dedicated in taking Canadian values globally than His Highness the Aga Khan. And that’s why, in 2006, our Government was proud to contribute to the endowment fund for the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa. That $30 million, which was matched by the Aga Khan, has helped to refurbish the former Canadian War Museum to serve as the Centre's headquarters. And in February, Prime Minister Harper and his Highness together announced a $100 million joint venture between Canada and the Aga Khan Development Network for development aid in Africa and in Asia. In these and so many other ways, His Highness the Aga Khan has consistently helped create platforms for Canada’s unique strengths to be shared internationally. And for this reason, our government has taken the exceptionally rare step of honouring His Highness as an honourary Canadian citizen.

Allow me to share a little secret with you: most of you may be seeing the museum today for the very first time, but I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek last month with my colleague, Member of Parliament, John Carmichael. And while I was struck by the architecture and the wide open spaces in this beautiful new building – the grounds are absolutely magnificent – and I recalled that His Highness is a former hockey player. So I found myself secretly thinking, if one of those outdoors spaces became available, how Canadian would that be, to have an ice rink where we could all play? And Prime Minister you could write about it afterwards. But in all seriousness, the warm welcome that I received here has stayed with me for weeks, and thinking back on it always brings a smile to my face. And I want to thank for just a moment, those who led that tour, Dr Kim, Mr Talib and Mr Dhanani. Thank you so much for your warm welcome on that very special occasion.

I know others will feel the same spirit and warmth as the doors are opened to the public at the Museum very shortly. I also smile as I remember how earlier this year our Prime Minister invited His Highness to address our Parliament. It was truly a historic moment. Hearing his words of wisdom that day will forever be a cherished memory for me. And I’m sure they will be a source of inspiration for all those who had the unique opportunity to be present in the House of Commons on that day. And as our Prime Minister introduced His Highness that day, he said the following, and I quote: “Canadians are strongest when we have the support of those who share our values.”

And I agree wholeheartedly. As Minister for Canadian Heritage, I see first-hand how our shared values can, not only transcend ethnicities and languages, but can bind communities. What all of us here today share is that love of freedom and democracy, our desire for peace, and the will to support pluralism as the foundation of a strong Canada.

En conclusion, je tiens à exprimer nos sincères remerciements à Son Altesse, pour avoir amené ces institutions ici dans cette ville et dans notre pays. Merci d’avoir choisi le Canada pour investir des ressources financières et institutionnelles importantes, pour avoir créé des emplois et de l’activité économique, et surtout, de nous rappeler que le Canada est un chef de file mondial grâce à nos valeurs. Nous savons que le Canada est, et peut rester, un symbole de force durant une époque troublante.

I conclude today by saying that the Aga Khan Museum will be yet another symbol of the values and ideals that Canada, and indeed Your Highness and your community, represent to the world.

Thank you once again, and on behalf of all Canadians, on behalf of the Government of Canada, and on behalf of our Prime Minister, congratulations, and we wish you the best of success.

Merci bien.