Mary Simon officially became Governor General of Canada on Monday (the official representative of the Queen of England, who is Canada’s head of state). Simon is the first person from an indigenous group to take up this position, created 154 years ago. “I promise to work for all Canadians,” he said in his speech at the ceremony, stressing that Canada must move forward on the path of unity. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, señaló: “En este momento de cambio sin precedentes, de reconstrucción de la pandemia, de lucha contra la crisis climática, de ir hacia adelante en el camino de la reconciliación, necesitamos su visión para un país más fuerte for everyone”.
Simon was born in 1947 in Kangiqsualujjuaq, an Inuit town located in the region of Nunavik (province of Quebec). She has worked in public broadcasting for Arctic communities and was president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the organization that represents Inuit nationally. She has also served as Canada’s Ambassador to Denmark and the country’s representative on the Arctic Council. Justin Trudeau announced the appointment of Mary Simon as Governor General on July 6. Trudeau chose her from a list of candidates prepared by a committee after her predecessor, Julie Payette, resigned her post on January 21. The ex-astronaut had received numerous charges of harassment at work. Richard Wagner, Chief Justice, took up his duties on an interim basis.
The appointment and swearing-in of Mary Simon as Governor General of Canada took place in a very sensitive environment for the country, following the discovery in the past two months of more than 1,300 anonymous graves in four ancient residential schools for native children. Simon said the findings “horrified her” and added: “A lot of people think that reconciliation will come through projects and services. All Canadians have the right to access services. Personally, I believe that reconciliation is a way of life and requires daily work. Reconciliation is to recognize yourself ”.
Regarding the recent forest fires, droughts and extreme temperatures in Canada, he noted: “The double global crisis due to the destruction of nature and climate change is undoubtedly the challenge of our time. Mary Simon read her speech in Inuktitut and English, sometimes using French sentences. Knowledge of the two official languages by the governors general of Canada is a tradition, but not a requirement. Raymond Théberge, Commissioner of Official Languages, said he had received hundreds of complaints from members of the country’s Francophone communities following Simon’s appointment. The new Governor General of Canada has promised to take French lessons. However, he stressed the value of Inuktitut – his mother tongue – and said that English was a fundamental vehicle for coming into contact with other realities. Simon also expressed that he did not have the opportunity to learn French at a young age because it was not taught at the federal school he attended.
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