CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON
Seasons Greetings from the Lieutenant-Governor and Special Performance by the St. Michael’s Choir
Chairman: Dr. Frederic L. R. Jackman President, The Empire Club of Canada
Head Table Guests
Larry Stout, CTV News Broadcaster and a Director, The Empire Club of Canada; Mario Sturino, Quarterback for the Varsity Blues, University of Toronto; Rita Deverell, Senior Producer and Anchor, Vision TV; Dr. Charles Bryan, Professor Emeritus of Anaesthesia and Pediatrics and Senior Scientist, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children; Joseph Rotman, President of the Board of Trustees, the Art Gallery of Toronto and Chairman and CEO, Clairvest Group Inc.; Hazel Self, member of the Able Disabled Creative Arts Centre; Betty Roman, long-time patron of the St. Michael’s Choir School; Bishop Taylor Price, Suffragan Bishop of Toronto and Area Bishop, York-Simcoe; William Whittaker, Q.C., Partner Lette, Whittaker and Honorary Director, The Empire Club of Canada; Maureen Hughes, student in the Public Relations course, Durham College, Oshawa; Herbert Carnegie, former Canadian Seniors Golf Champion and star hockey player with Quebec Aces; Maria Roman-Bricknell, Executive Director, The Lung Association of Ontario and a Director, The Empire Club of Canada; Frances Hyland, star of theatre, television, radio, TV and motion pictures; Rowland Fleming, Deputy Chairman, President and CEO, National Trust Company.
Introduction by Dr. Jackman
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce our Lieutenant-Governor. His Honour’s kindness and hospitality is known to many. As is his custom he has invited all members and friends of this Club to a New Year’s Levee in his official suite at Queen’s Park.
You know, there is barely a day that goes by when some people, recognizing a similarity in our surnames, ask if I am any relation to the Lieutenant-Governor. The answer is yes, he is my brother. Since he is older he has been my brother actually for quite a while.
This holiday season is a time for giving, for sharing and for family. So I would like you to know that there is no one in the province of Ontario who gives more of himself–on a day-in, day-out basis–than Hal does to so many groups and organizations, including our beloved Empire Club. I thank you for being with us.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome a Past-President of The Empire Club and our Lieutenant-Governor, Henry Newton Rowell Jackman.
Lieutenant-Governor Jackman
Thank you very much Uncle Eric. It is a great privilege and a great pleasure for me to be here at the annual Empire Club Christmas luncheon for a number of reasons. First, as my brother has told you, I was President of The Empire Club, now 21 years ago. I can appreciate the experience of stepping up to this lectern every week.
I enjoyed my experience as President of this Club and I will always have a very warm spot for The Empire Club and its extended family.
In this past year I have witnessed the wondrous joy of seeing this province. I recognize what a great honour it is to be the Queen’s representative in and for the province of Ontario. I realize the responsibility it entails when I bring greetings to her loyal subjects here in this city and in every town and village in this province. I bring greetings to each of you today.
This is Christmas-time. It is a time when we think of those values that we associate with Christmas, and I think they are not too different really than the values we associate with membership in the British Commonwealth and the monarchy, to whom we owe so many of those traditions which have made Canada great.
One of those traditions, of course, is that our country provides the opportunity to achieve excellence. But that excellence in itself will ring hollow unless it is shared with those who are less fortunate. That is the spirit with which we approach the Christmas season and it is the spirit in which you are all here with us today.
I am delighted that the St. Michael’s Choir is with us today. It is an organization which I have admired for many a year. Ladies and gentlemen, you are indeed going to receive a great treat.
So thank you very much ladies and gentlemen for allowing me to be here. I know I speak for all my predecessors when I say the Lieutenant-Governor always looks on this occasion with The Empire club of Canada as one of the high points of the Christmas season. Thank you very much.
Eric Jackman
Thank you Your Honour. We always appreciate the kind words you bring on behalf of Her Majesty.
This is the Club’s 90th Anniversary and we celebrate this special benchmark year as well as this holiday season, with a small gift to each of you. The small pine tree at each place may be taken home and potted and then in the spring the baby pine may be planted in the ground. We are grateful to Noranda Forest Products for providing us with these pine seeds from their nursery in New Brunswick. I hope you will take your trees with you and help our ecology in the new year.
Before introducing the choir I would like to point out the huge banner behind the choir. This banner was used by The Empire Club for about 30 years at all its functions until about 1957. It hangs today symbolic of our long history.
It is now my pleasure to introduce the St. Michael’s Choir, which has had unusually strong leadership since its inception in 1937. Today’s choral director, Father T. Barrett Armstrong has had a long history at the school, being a graduate himself almost 50 years ago. The choir is arguably the finest in Canada; it has toured Canada and the United States many times. The choir has opened a National League baseball game singing in both our languages in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium and it has sung at the United Nations and to many other people in many other places. We are indeed privileged to have the choir with us today. Father Armstrong I assume you will let us know when we can sing along with your choir.
Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Father Armstrong and the St. Michael’s Choir.
The St. Michael’s Choir School performed a programme of traditional and popular Christmas songs, with accompaniment from the audience on several occasions.