Governor General Mary Simon Governor General Mary Simon conducts an inspection of the Ceremonial Guard at Rideau Hall.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to announce a new governor-general on Tuesday, his first such appointment since taking office, as he faces pressure to name a royal representative who is fluent in French.
The incoming governor-general will replace Mary Simon, who became the first Indigenous person to hold the title when she was appointed by then-prime minister Justin Trudeau in 2021.
One person who has long been viewed as a potential governor-general appointee is former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour.
Two sources close to Ms. Arbour and the process declined to comment on whether she has been selected when reached on Monday, but each added that she would be a great choice.
Federal government urged to look beyond central Canada for next governor-general
The Globe and Mail agreed not to identify the sources because they were not authorized to speak about the appointment.
Ms. Arbour, who was born in Montreal, is 79 and fluently bilingual in English and French. In addition to her legal career in Canada, Ms. Arbour served as a United Nations high commissioner for human rights, and chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
She has been honoured with the Order of Canada for her contributions to justice and work on human rights.
Governors-general, who represent the monarchy in Canada, usually serve five-year terms though there is flexibility for them to stay longer.
Ms. Simon’s husband, Whit Fraser, suggested in an interview with The Globe and Mail last month that the couple’s time in Rideau Hall was coming to an end and that they were looking for housing beyond their official residence.
The Prime Minister’s Office did not have any comment on Monday on Mr. Carney’s choice.
Ms. Simon is an Inuk and advocate for Inuit rights. She speaks English and Inuktikut, one of Canada’s principal Inuit languages. She was born in Quebec, but is not fluent in French despite having taken French-language instruction. Her lack of fluency in French has prompted criticism, including complaints to the official-languages commissioner.
Kelly Burke, the latest commissioner, has said a governor-general fully bilingual in English and French is important, given the strong, symbolic role of the office, which involves a mix of ceremonial, constitutional and other duties.
Next governor-general must be fluent in English and French, official languages watchdog says
Some premiers, such as Alberta’s Danielle Smith and Nova Scotia’s Tim Houston, have also called for a governor-general from outside central Canada given that those who have recently held the office have largely been from Quebec and Ontario. Ms. Smith has noted that it has been more than 30 years since there has been a governor-general from Western Canada.
MPs interviewed on Parliament Hill were talking about the expected change at Rideau Hall.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, from Montreal, said it is important to have a bilingual governor-general.
“We have two official languages in Canada, and I do think the governor-general, as the symbol of the country, should be able to speak both of Canada’s official languages,” he said.
“I think it’s a very important thing.”
Bloc Québécois MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval said a governor-general fluent in French would be progress, though he added that he wonders about the merits of the office.
“We should have a thought about why it’s still there at the time when we don’t need a monarchy anymore,” he said.
Conservative MP Dan Albas, who represents the riding of Okanagan Lake West-South Kelowna, said he would welcome a British Columbian governor-general. “It’s always great to have someone from B.C. in Ottawa,” he said.
Conservative Philip Lawrence, who is from the rural hamlet of Kirby, east of Toronto, said he was looking for several qualities.
“Obviously you want a person with leadership, a person with presence. I think charisma would be a bonus. Those would be, kind of, things we’d be looking for.”