Most Canadians probably feel the same way about Louise Arbour’s appointment as Canada’s next Governor General, the same way they feel about July 1 falling on a Wednesday, which it does this year. So what? Shrug of the shoulders and back to business. It will happen when it happens, and it will not have much effect on my life. Truthfully, that could be accurate, but a deeper dive may reveal that a more complex set of factors is at play.
WESTERN GOVERNOR GENERAL
Those living in central or eastern Canada may think that the separatist rumblings in Alberta are just whining nonsense from a bunch of cranky farmers and discouraged oil diggers who lack understanding of how our dependence on fossil fuels threatens our climate future. But to Westerners, running thin on patience with Ottawa-based politicians holding up the building of pipelines, separatism has gone from a last resort to a serious consideration. Seeking to curb that appetite, Premier Danielle Smith encouraged Prime Minister Mark Carney to appoint a Westerner, if not someone from Alberta to the position at Rideau Hall. She has a compelling argument to support her request. The last Western Governor General was Ray Hnatyshyn, appointed in 1990 by Brian Mulroney. Hnatyshyn, born in Saskatoon, served in the RCAF and was first elected to Parliament in 1974. The only other lifelong Westerner was Ed Schreyer, a Pierre Trudeau appointment in 1979. The only Governor General born in Alberta was Roland Michener, who spent his early years there, including attending the University of Alberta, but became an accredited member of the Laurentian elite as a diplomat, politician, and statesman. Michener served as Speaker of the House of Commons in the 1950s and was one of Prime Minister Lester Pearson’s closest friends.
Smith hoped Carney might turn the page and offer an olive branch to the West. How hard would it have been to say that after 30 years, it might be time for someone from Western Canada to hold the office again? It would likely not have satisfied Western separatists, but it could have demonstrated Carney’s willingness to work in good faith, helping Albertans see that the prime minister at least understands their alienation. Instead, Carney looked within the usual Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto corridor for a successor to Mary Simon, the first Indigenous Governor-General.
ARBOUR THE ELITIST?
Anyone in the Laurentian crowd (our elitist set) has already cheered the appointment, calling it a masterstroke, since Arbour hails from all the right corners of the country. Born in Montreal and educated in Ontario, Arbour was appointed to the Supreme Court by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in 1999. Heralded as checking all the boxes, Arbour delights the fancy of our ruling class. To be fair, she possesses all the skills and experience to fulfill the job with class and distinction. No one can dispute her pedigree. Many Canadians, however, feel disconnected from what is happening in Ottawa, their provincial capitals, or even their own towns and cities. Perhaps those wielding power have become so accustomed to decision-making, exercising power, or holding the cards that they are insensitive or unwilling to recognize how cynical regular folks have become about politics. If Canadians who do most of the working, paying, living, and dying in our communities see themselves as unrepresented at any level of government, or overrepresented by highly educated elites, it should not be surprising if it elicits a certain level of apathy toward democracy or the nation itself.
Arbour brings with her the trophies of a life lived in a comfortable, progressive culture. At age 25, Arbour served as a research officer for the Law Reform Commission of Canada. Beginning as a university professor in 1974, Arbour’s list of accomplishments would fill a binder. She became an associate dean at Osgoode Hall Law School in 1987, then was appointed to Ontario’s Supreme Court and, in 1990, to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. She was made the President of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate prisoner abuse at Kingston Prison for Women. Before and after her five-year stint on Canada’s Supreme Court, she served on international bodies as High Commissioner for Human Rights (2004-2008) and Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda (1996-1999). But does she strike anyone as someone hard-working Canadians (factory workers, tradespeople, or service employees) can relate to? Arbour comes from a world that most simply know nothing about. Carney would have served himself and his nation more strategically had he considered someone average Canadians could relate to, especially those Westerners already alienated from the rest of the country. The Governor General needn’t be overly educated or adorned with titles. Class and manners do not belong to the upper crust or the political elite.
IS ARBOUR A MONARCHIST?
Finally, is Arbour even a monarchist? As the person representing the monarchy in Canada, shouldn’t there be some assurance that she believes in the institution she symbolizes? Despite telling reporters after her appointment that the monarchy had served Canada “extremely well” and that “the strength of this country resides in stable institutions managed with wisdom and sustained through the desire for the well-being of our country and the planet,” doubts remain as to her commitment to a royal presence in Canada’s government. When asked directly by reporters if she was a monarchist, she deflected, saying she didn’t “really know what that term is supposed to mean” and noted that the phrase is “unfortunately very often used in a pejorative way.” She went further, saying, “I will serve as the representative of the Crown in a constitutional monarchy based on a parliamentary system, in a constitutional arrangement that’s very well served Canada… and I’m quite convinced that will continue to be the case.” If Arbour proves to be adept in the position, it may not matter how she feels about the monarchy or how regular folks view her appointment. Regardless, Carney missed an opportunity to connect with Albertans and Westerners tangibly. It will be five more years before he gets another chance, provided Canadians don’t give him the “brush off.”
Dave Redekop is a retired elementary resource teacher who worked part-time at the St. Catharines Courthouse as a Registrar until being appointed Executive Director at Redeemer Bible Church in October 2023. He has worked on political campaigns since high school and attended university in South Carolina for five years, earning a Master’s in American History with a specialization in Civil Rights. Dave loves reading biographies.
