The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Lois Mitchell and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, have officially opened Canada’s first Commonwealth Walkway
The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Lois Mitchell and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, have officially opened Canada’s first Commonwealth Walkway. The opening took place in Banff, in the Canadian Rockies west of Calgary.
Addressing local residents and visitors from overseas assembled for the launch, Lieutenant Governor Mitchell said that the creation of the Walkway had been announced last year to mark The Queen’s 90th birthday. She described the Walkway as a gift to be enjoyed by all Canadians and visitors to the Rockies.
“Her Majesty has created a legacy of service that is woven into the very fabric of Canadian society. This project is a way for Alberta to honour our beloved Queen of Canada and celebrate our country’s Commonwealth connections, all while encouraging people to get up and be active in Banff’s inspiring surroundings.”
Under bright blue autumn skies, the guests were treated to songs from a local primary school choir. This was Secretary-General Scotland’s first visit to Alberta.
“This new Commonwealth Walkway is a wonderful way for local people of all ages and visitors to Banff to deepen understanding of what the Commonwealth is, and all that we achieve through consensus and collective action,” she said. “By walking together along these routes in Banff, we are walking alongside the richly diverse Commonwealth family in every continent and ocean, and celebrating with them the shared values of our Commonwealth Charter.”
Commonwealth Walkways are the idea of the UK-based charity, Outdoor Trust. The charity works in partnership with national governments, city officials, schools, Commonwealth Games Associations and local communities to create walkways around the world.
