Governor-General Mary Simon, right, invests Louise Bernice Halfe-Sky Dancer into the Order of Canada during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on May 15.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
During her final Order of Canada ceremony as Governor-General, Mary Simon turned to honouree Louise Bernice Halfe-Sky Dancer and addressed her directly.
“You write of a courage that is quiet, but enduring,” Ms. Simon, on stage, told the Cree poet and social worker from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, who was sitting in the audience during the ceremony at Rideau Hall last week.
“Your words offer guidance to all members of the Order of Canada.”
Ms. Simon, the country’s first Indigenous Governor-General, inducted 14 recipients into the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours, last Friday.
The Order of Canada recognizes individuals whose achievements, service or contributions have had a significant impact on Canada. Appointments are chosen by the Governor-General based on the recommendations of an independent advisory council.
Ms. Simon was appointed as Governor-General by then-prime-minister Justin Trudeau in 2021, and her term comes to an end in June. She is being replaced by former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour.
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Ms. Simon, who is Inuk, championed reconciliation during her tenure by urging Canadians to confront the realities of residential schools, promoting Indigenous languages and education, and framing reconciliation as a lifelong process rooted in understanding, respect and self-determination.
Recipients, particularly those with Indigenous backgrounds or whose work has focused on reconciliation, said Friday’s ceremony carried added significance.
Ms. Halfe, who was sitting in the front row, was caught off-guard by Ms. Simon’s tribute. Later, she said she was left at a “loss [for] words.”
“I think the poetry speaks to her,” Ms. Halfe said. Her work draws on Cree language, memory, and lived experience to explore residential school trauma, intergenerational healing, spirituality and the resilience of Indigenous women and communities.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, who has for years championed Canada's reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, is nearing the end of her tenure. She says she saw herself as a bridge-builder in the role and that reconciliation remains a worthwhile cause.
The Canadian Press
“I’m just so thrilled that the work reaches people in the heart,” she added.
There is a great sense of responsibility in creating work about a history that is “so volatile,” and it was her job to figure out how to “dance around the volatility and still come out intact,” she said.
When asked what she hopes Indigenous or Cree youth feel when they see her getting invested with an Order of Canada, she said a sense of responsibility and choice, two things she didn’t think she had growing up. She didn’t think she had choices beyond just trying to get out of the residential school and off the reserve.
“I hope they can dream about the possibilities of reaching the moon,” she said.
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Tina Keeper, an award-winning actor and one of the first Cree MPs in Canadian history, said it was “surreal” to be an honouree – especially at the end of Ms. Simon’s term.
Being able to platform and amplify voices is what gives her the strength to continue pursuing her work, Ms. Keeper said.
“We’ve always had our voices, but there hasn’t been a platform,” she said.
Ms. Keeper said she expressed her pride to Ms. Simon that she decided to take on the role as the country’s first Indigenous Governor-General. To be recognized by Ms. Simon was a great honour, she added.
“This was very significant for our country. It really helps break the darkness,” she said.
Ryan Moran, Canada’s inaugural associate university librarian for reconciliation at the University of Victoria, was recognized for his work amplifying Indigenous leadership and ethical stewardship for historical records.
Ms. Simon, right, with Ryan Moran, Canada’s inaugural associate university librarian for reconciliation at the University of Victoria, during the ceremony.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
It was deeply humbling and inspiring to be in a room with recipients dedicated to making the country a better place, Mr. Moran said.
There is still a lot of work to be done on Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, Mr. Moran said, but he remains very hopeful for the country’s future.
“My deep and abiding belief is that we are good people and we want to do the right thing when given the opportunity and that the more we know, the more we’re presented with the opportunity to do better,” he said.
It was also touching to celebrate Ms. Simon’s career and her contribution to Canada, he said.
“Mary Simon’s mandate has been an incredible gift to Canada,” he said, echoing similar remarks from the inductees.
“Just generally, she has brought forward a vision of this country that I think all Canadians really should be deeply inspired by. Where Inuit, First Nations, Métis and Canadians can find paths to make this a better country.”