The Governor General seated at the foot of the throne in the Senate of Canada.
His Excellency The Right Honourable David Johnston CC, CMM, COM, CD, the Governor General, delivered a New Year message to Canadians. The Governor General, the Queen's representative in Canada, thanked Canadians for their compassion and generosity in our efforts to welcome Syrian refugees. His Excellency also acknowledged Canada's leadership in the now-concluded Year of Sport.
The Governor General is also encouraging Canadian innovation, with 2016 ushering in the inaugural awards ceremony for the Governor General's Innovation Awards, which seeks "to celebrate excellence in innovation across all sectors of Canadian society; [to] inspire Canadians, particularly Canadian youth, to be entrepreneurial innovators; [and to] foster an active culture of innovation that has a meaningful impact on our lives" (source).