Mary Simon named Canada’s 30th Governor General, the first Indigenous person to hold post

OTTAWA-Mary Simon, a former diplomat and advocate for Inuit rights and culture, will be Canada's 30th Governor General, the first Indigenous person to hold the post.

Simon called her appointment a historic and inspirational moment" for Canada, and another important step forward on the path toward reconciliation.

This is a moment that I hope all Canadians feel part of because my appointment reflects our collective progress toward building a more inclusive, just and equitable society," she said Tuesday morning as she stood alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the announcement.

In her inaugural remarks, delivered partially in Inuktitut, Simon said her personal story has made her a bridge builder between the north and south of Canada - her mother was Inuk, her father a trader with the Hudson's Bay Company.

I can relate to all people, no matter where they live, what they hope for, or what they need to overcome," she said.

Simon's appointment comes nearly six months after governor general Julie Payette resigned following a damning report into a toxic working environment at Rideau Hall.

Payette, a former astronaut, had been installed as governor general in October 2017.

Elements of her past personal and professional life have been under scrutiny ever since and led to allegations that the Trudeau government didn't properly vet her for the post.

He had chosen her without the external committee on viceregal appointments that had been set up by former prime minister Stephen Harper.

After the controversy involving Payette, Trudeau reinstated the panel to help him choose her replacement.

A shortlist of names was handed over recently, and he said Tuesday it was obvious from them that Simon embodied all the qualities of leadership and service.

Custom has seen the role of governor general bounce between Anglophone and Francophone Canadians, with bilingualism an essential component.

Simon said Tuesday her bilingualism is in English and Inuktitut, as she was denied the opportunity to learn French while in federal schools as a child.

She committed to continuing her French studies, and said she will carry out the role in both official languages but in Indigenous ones as well.

As Trudeau sought to fill the job, much speculation swirled around whether an Indigenous person would be selected and what that would mean.

The governor general serves as the Queen's representative in Canada, and it was a royal proclamation issued by the British Crown in 1763 that gave rise to treaties and a nation-to-nation relationship that First Nations say was never honoured.

It laid the foundation of the inherent Aboriginal rights that Inuit, First Nations and Metis people say are ignored to this day.

While much of the governor general's role is symbolic, it is also one that serves a key function in Canada's parliamentary democracy.

Among the tasks: officially dissolving Parliament to call an election at the request of the prime minister.

The ask from Trudeau could come within weeks as his minority government inches towards a second year in office eager for a majority so they can swiftly move ahead with post-pandemic economic recovery plans.

Trudeau and Simon both said Tuesday they've not discussed that subject.

Since Payette's resignation, the role of governor general was temporarily handed over to the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Richard Wagner, who became known as the the administrator of the Government of Canada."

With files from Tonda MacCharles

Stephanie Levitz is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @StephanieLevitz