“As Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon prepares to conclude her time as Governor General of Canada, we thank her for her service and devotion to our country. Her lifetime of leadership, advocacy, and hard work has made Canada a stronger, more just, inclusive country.

As Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General and Commander-in-Chief, Mary Simon reminded us that reconciliation is not a project with an end date, but a responsibility to be lived day after day in how we listen, how we learn, and how we act. Throughout her life of service, she has embodied that responsibility with wisdom, compassion, and unwavering purpose.

In her recent two-year-long Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour, Mary Simon shed light on the mental health needs of Northern and Indigenous communities. She brought visibility to challenges too often overlooked and dignity to those too often unheard. To honour her legacy and to carry on the work so dear to her heart, the Rideau Hall Foundation is launching Ajuinnata: The Mary Simon Catalyst for Mental Wellness. This new project will provide lifesaving supports like counselling, culturally grounded services, and peer-led mental health care to Northern and Indigenous communities.

The federal government is commemorating Her Excellency’s service to Canada with an initial $5 million investment to establish this project. In addition, we will match every dollar up to $10 million that the Rideau Hall Foundation raises. We are proud to build on the work to which Mary Simon dedicated her life, work that is foundational to a strong country.

Her Excellency’s legacy will endure not only in her service, but in how she served – with grace, resolve, and a belief in Canada’s greatness. On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I want to thank Her Excellency Mary Simon, His Excellency Whit Fraser, and their family for their extraordinary service to Canada. I wish them the very best as they begin this next chapter.”