Mary Simon installed as canada’s 30th Governor General
OTTAWA -- Mary Simon became Canada’s 30th Governor General on Monday, in a pared-down but historic and culturally-rich ceremony. A prominent Inuk leader and former ambassador, Simon is now the first Indigenous person to become the Queen’s representative in Canada, after spending her life playing several key roles in advancing Inuit culture, as well as social, environmental, and human rights as an advocate and negotiator. In her first remarks in the role, Simon pledged to play a role in the rethinking she says is needed when it comes to reconciliation, to bring attention to the urgent crisis of climate change and the impacts already being felt in this country, as well as to be an advocate for equality and mental health. “We have learned as a country that we need to learn the real history of Canada. Embracing this truth makes us stronger as a nation, unites Canadian society, and teaches our kids, that we must always do our best, especially when it is hard,” Simon said.
“As governor general, I will strive to hold together the tension of the past, with the promise of the future, in a wise and thoughtful way.” She also stitched in moments of humour into her remarks, noting that her Inuk name, Ningiukadluk, means “bossy little old lady.” Scroll down to recap our live blog coverage of today’s ceremony
The pared-down, pandemic-cautious ceremony took place in the Senate of Canada building in the parliamentary precinct. While typically the event would be attended by several hundred people, fewer than 50 dignitaries and guests attended in masks, due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
Arriving at the ceremony where a red carpet was rolled out, Simon was met with claps and cheers from a crowd of onlookers standing across Wellington Street in front of the Chateau Laurier, and was greeted with a similar response upon her departure. In addition to the necessary pomp and official oaths and signatures overseen by senior federal officials, the event included several cultural performances and a qulliq—a traditional Inuit lamp representing light and warmth— burned throughout the ceremony. “In Canada, perhaps more than any other place on earth, we are defined by our diversity. We’re still a country that is in many ways young, and yet, Indigenous peoples have called this place home for millennia… This is a big place, it’s a diverse place, so, we need people like Ms. Simon, because we need people who build bridges, and bring us together,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in remarks during the ceremony. “Your remarkable achievements are an example of what it means to build bridges in pursuit of the Canada to which we all aspire.”....