Louise Arbour used her first remarks as Governor General to urge Canadians to listen to each other during a moment marked by division and uncertainty.
The accomplished former jurist was installed as the 31st Governor General Monday morning in a ceremony steeped in tradition and personal flourishes, attended by dignitaries including justices of the Supreme Court, former governors general and prime ministers and astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
The former Supreme Court of Canada justice and UN human rights commissioner addressed the chamber, laying out her priorities as vice-regal and remarking on the challenges she sees facing the country.
“Let us not slow our momentum toward progress out of fear of differences. Extreme polarization is dangerous, but so is extreme consensus,” Arbour said in her remarks at the Senate of Canada building.
“It is through our differences and our fundamental right to express them that we will nourish critical thinking, creativity and innovation.”
Arbour, 79, becomes the King’s representative in Canada at a fragile moment, with both Alberta and Quebec threatening referendums and amid a changing relationship with the United States.
Canadians “benefit from strong institutions that allow different views to be expressed,” Arbour said.
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“We must continue to protect the public space in which our national debates take place, from schools and universities, to the media, to political parties, unions and civil society organizations, from theaters, concert halls and museums and courtrooms and floors of our legislative assemblies,” she said.
She also spoke of the lighter side of the Canadian spirit, saying Canadians are self-deprecating in their humour and don’t “mistake humility for weakness.”
“We don’t think we are perfect, but we believe we’re pretty well on the way there,” she joked, getting a big laugh from the audience.
Arbour also used her remarks to urge Canadians to remain vigilant in an age of intense technological change, including the rise of artificial intelligence.
The address, coming just days after the federal government unveiled its AI strategy, warned of its pitfalls.
Canadians must ‘remain vigilant’ amid AI-driven societal shifts: Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour
“The new technologies at our disposal are more powerful than ever. They’re highly attractive and widely accessible. But we must ensure that their convenience doesn’t lead us to overlook the profound societal shifts that they are driving,” she said.
“The lines between knowledge and belief, between truth and falsehood, between facts and assumptions, are increasingly blurred. AI could be threatening not only the way we live and work, but also the control we exercise over our own destiny. “
As commander-in-chief of Canada, Arbour offered gratitude to those who serve while praising the institution’s progress in recent years.
She led the 2022 probe into sexual harassment in the military in which she condemned what she described as a “toxic” culture of misogyny and the “glorification of masculinity.”
“I am encouraged to see recruitment efforts bearing fruit with more Canadians from diverse genders, backgrounds and perspectives choosing to serve,” she said.
Arbour takes over from Mary Simon, who made history as Canada’s first Indigenous vice-regal in 2021. Simon received a standing ovation from the audience.
“She has reminded us that reconciliation is a lifelong journey that begins with listening and with empathy, listening to voices that challenge our understanding of history,” said Arbour of her predecessor.
In his own address to the room, Prime Minister Mark Carney called the institution Arbour now takes over “a symbol of unity.” In that role, Arbour will “represent the best of Canada to Canadians and to the world,” he said.
“A Canada that is a bastion of justice, security and prosperity for all,” Carney said. “A Canada that is clear-eyed about the challenges we face and steadfast in the values we uphold.”
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The Senate’s temporary home was once the capital’s train station.
Carney leaned on that history remarking on it as “as the place where Canadian soldiers embarked for the battlefields of the First World War,” where “Sir Winston Churchill arrived to rally Allied support when the outcome of the Second World War hung in the balance” and where premiers met to negotiate the repatriation of our Constitution, “the establishment of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the enshrinement of Indigenous rights in it.…
“Throughout Canada’s history, whenever the world’s fortunes were threatened, Canadians chose to step up and assert ourselves as a sovereign, ambitious and compassionate nation.”
The ceremony included a musical performance by Sara Dufour singing La Reine by Les Cowboys Fringants, a song about a woman’s service to Montreal’s vulnerable communities. Tyler Shaw sang Like Me and You by Raffi, which according to Arbour’s daughter is a family favourite.
The Parliamentary Poet Laureate Chimwemwe Undi read her poem Reasons, written for the occasion.
Arbour comes to the job after a distinguished career in law and public service.
Born to a low-income, single-parent family in Montreal in 1947, she earned a law degree with distinction from l’Université de Montréal in 1970 and was admitted to the Ontario bar in 1977.
Since then, she has served as chief prosecutor for the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda, a Supreme Court justice, the UN high commissioner for human rights and CEO of the International Crisis Group.
While at The Hague, Arbour made a name for herself overseeing the first indictment on war crimes by a sitting head of state when Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević was charged alongside other Serbian officials with crimes against humanity, murder, deportation and violations of the laws and customs of war.
Her new job comes with a stacked list of responsibilities.
As the King’s representative in Canada, the Governor General ensures there is a functional government. They swear in new prime ministers, cabinet ministers and the chief justice.
FULL SPEECH | Louise Arbour delivers first address as Governor General
They also open new sessions of Parliament by delivering the speech from the throne, laying out the government’s priorities (unless the King is in town, as we saw last year).
The Governor General turns bills into law by giving them final sign-off — known as royal assent.
As Canada’s commander-in-chief, Arbour has a military role and will attend events supporting members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The job will also have Arbour oversee prestigious awards like the Order of Canada, hosting visiting dignitaries and serving as Canada’s ambassador when travelling abroad.
