Visit of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco to Canada

On his arrival in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, on Monday 7 May, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco met, for the first time, the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. Justin Trudeau, at Canada’s Parliament Buildings. During this meeting, the two Heads of State, who share the same interests for environmental issues, discussed commitments undertaken within the framework of the Paris Agreement and threats related to climate change, in particular to the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as ocean preservation: common concerns that have brought the two countries closer together for some time. The Poles, principal witnesses of global warming, are among the first continents affected. A situation that Canada experiences first hand and which has been one of Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s areas of action since its creation in 2006.                

               The visit of the Sovereign Prince and his delegation continued with a luncheon hosted by Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast, during which issues of common interest to both countries with regard to the ocean preservation and marine pollution were addressed.

               A visit to the exhibition “Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition” at the Canadian Museum of History followed, and courtesy visits were made to Canada’s Senate Speakers and House of Commons. In the evening, the Monegasque delegation attended a dinner hosted by Ms. Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, in commemoration of 10 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

               On Tuesday morning, 8 May, the Monegasque delegation flew to Halifax, the capital of the Province of Nova Scotia, where the members were welcomed by Dr Wendy Watson-Wright, Chief Executive Officer of the Ocean Frontier Institute, Dr Richard Florizone, President of Dalhousie University and Dr Alice Aiken, Vice-President of the University. The delegation was escorted to the Steele Ocean Science Building, a residence located at the Ocean Frontier Institute, where it took part in a briefing session on the key role played by the Dalhousie Institute in oceanic research. H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco visited the ocean and marine research laboratories before taking the floor in the afternoon during a public debate with the Canadian Minister, Dominic LeBlanc, on the topic of “An Ocean of Opportunity”.

Ever keen to promote the sharing of experiences, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince took part in a question/answer session with students of the Ocean Frontier Institute, on the economic, social and environmental challenges in relation to the oceans, as well as the preservation of marine biodiversity.

The visit concluded with a dinner organised by their hosts, before H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince and part of his delegation left for the United States.

During the two-day visit, H.R.H the Sovereign Prince and the Canadian Prime Minister were accompanied by:

For Monaco,

Mr. Bernard Fautrier, Minister Plenipotentiary and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation,

Ms. Maguy Maccario-Doyle, Ambassador of Monaco to the United States and Canada,

Dr. Diane Vachon, Honorary Consul of Monaco in Montreal and President of the Canadian branch of the Prince Albert II Foundation,

Mr. Raphaël Cuvelier, Project Coordinator for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation,

and for Canada,

Ms. Isabelle Hudon, Ambassador of Canada to France and Monaco,

Mr. John Hannaford, Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister,

Ms. Sarah Goodman and Mr. Mathieu Bouchard, Senior Advisors to the Prime Minister.

The following dignitaries also participated in the dinner hosted by the Governor General

Mr. Sylvain Laporte, President of the Canadian Space Agency,

Ms. Tricia Smith, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee,

Ms. Stéphanie Beck, Assistant Deputy Minister for Europe, the Middle East, Maghreb and Global Affairs Canada.