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Governor General of Canada
Born: August 21, 1947 (age 73 years), Kangiqsualujjuaq, Canada
Nationality: Canadian
Partner: Whit Fraser (1994–)
Office: Governor General of Canada since 2021
Books: Inuit
Mary Simon, born in 1947, was named Tuesday as Canada’s 30th governor general.
Her early professional career started in radio broadcasting with the CBC, and then she moved on to work with the Northern Quebec Inuit Association and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and was involved in negotiating the first land claims agreement in Canada.
From 1994 to 2003, Simon served as Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs, becoming the first Inuk to hold an ambassadorial position.
During this time, she negotiated the creation of the Arctic Council, and concurrently served as Ambassador of Canada to Denmark from 1999 to 2001.
In 2006, she became president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and served two terms.
Among other honours, Simon is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec.
She is also a recipient of the Governor General’s Northern Medal, the Gold Order of Greenland, the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Gold Medal of the Canadian Geographical Society, and the Symons Medal
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Mary Simon 10 Fast Facts, Biography, Wiki
Simon is the second oldest of eight children.
Her brother, Johnny May, is a locally renowned bush pilot.
In her youth, Simon attended an Anglican church with her family.
At age 40, she developed depression and burnout due to a mental illness, but gradually overcame them.
Simon married her first husband, Robert Otis, on March 27, 1967, in Kuujjuaq.
She later married George Simon, and in 1994 she married her current husband, journalist and author Whit Fraser, a former head of the Canadian Polar Commission.
She has two sons and one daughter.
Simon speaks English and Inuktitut, and she has committed to learning French during her tenure as governor general.
The governor general is a representative for Queen Elizabeth II, who is officially the monarch of Canada.
Mr Trudeau announced on Tuesday that the Queen had approved the appointment of Ms Simon, a prominent Inuk leader and Canadian diplomat.
“I can confidently say that my appointment is a historic and inspirational moment for Canada and an important step forward on the long path to reconciliation,” Ms Simon told.
So who is Mary Simon? First and foremost, she is a highly experienced public servant, both for the Inuit people specifically and for Canada in general.
She was born in 1947 in Nunavik, the Arctic region of Quebec, and her mother’s side of the family was Inuit.
Ms Simon began her career as a journalist, working as a producer for CBC in the 1970s.
But she soon branched out into politics, and was elected secretary of the board of directors of the Northern Quebec Inuit Association.
This began her long career as an advocate for Indigenous people’s rights.
Later she joined the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a Canadian Inuit organisation, and took on a number of leadership roles at the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, a multi-national NGO for Indigenous peoples.
In 1994, Ms Simon was appointed to national office.
Canada’s prime minister at the time, Jean Chrétien, named her the first Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs, a position she held for seven years.
During this time, Ms Simon led the negotiations to create the Arctic Council, an alliance of eight countries in the region.
Under Ms Simon’s leadership, the council expressly called for the participation of Indigenous groups.
The late 1990s and early 2000s were an extremely busy period for Ms Simon.
From 1997 to 1998, she chaired the NAFTA Commission on Environmental Cooperation.
At the same time, she was chancellor of Trent University in Ontario.
And in 1999, she was appointed Canada’s ambassador to Denmark, which she remained until 2002.
Ms Simon has won a number of national honours for her work, including being named an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005.
“Ms Simon’s career has always been one of breaking down barriers,” Mr Trudeau said on Tuesday.
Ms Simon is taking on the position of governor general at a crucial time.
Her predecessor, Julie Payette, resigned in January 2021 amid reports that she oversaw a toxic, abusive workplace.
As governor general, Ms Simon says she hopes to help all Canadians, including Indigenous people, achieve a “reconciliation”.
“The past is something that we have to come to terms with but I am going to look forward to ensure Canadians together will build a better Canada, and I think that is my important role,” she said on Tuesday.
“I see a very bright future.”