http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/00751/johnston_webcrop_751361gm-a.jpg

The new Governor-General of Canada will be David Johnston, the current president of the University of Waterloo, The Globe and Mail has confirmed.

The academic, known and respected for his legal expertise, will replace Michaëlle Jean when her term ends in September.

The Queen has already given her blessing on the new appointment, presumably during her visit to Canada, a report from CTV said, and an official announcement could come as early as Thursday.

Mr. Johnston had long been rumoured to be a top candidate for the position, which has been held by two female broadcast journalists for the most recent terms.

The 69-year-old was chosen by a special committee created by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and led by Kevin MacLeod, the Canadian Secretary to the Queen and Usher of the Black Rod for the Senate – considered to be Parliament’s top protocol posting.

Mr. Johnston was likely chosen for his constitutional knowledge and level-headedness, observers say. The committee reportedly nixed candidates from the sports, entertainment and art worlds, preferring someone who is well-versed in the inner workings of federal government.

The decision was made in case there happens to be a string of minority governments in the future, the report said.

The Sudbury native became a highly respected legal expert after studying at Harvard, Cambridge and Queen’s University.

Before becoming president of the University of Waterloo, Mr. Johnston spent 15 years as the principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University.

His legal work dipped into the political realms, and he was lauded for being non-partisan, having worked for both the Liberal and Conservative governments.

He has worked with the Conservative government most recently, when Mr. Harper asked to help write the terms of reference for the Oliphant inquiry, which probed the business transactions between former prime minister Brian Mulroney and German-Canadian businessman Karlheinz Schreiber.

His accomplishments and public service have been acknowledged with his being named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1988. He was promoted to a Companion in 1997.

He will be officially sworn in as governor-general in September when Ms. Jean leaves to become the United Nations’ special envoy to Haiti.



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/u-of-waterloo-president-will-be-canadas-next-governor-general/article1632368/

Hallelujah! No disrespect to the last GG, but I am happy to see the selection process get back to one based on merit and experience. I find I'm fully in agreement with this recent editorial in the Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/michalle-jean-grew-in-the-viceregal-office/article1613940/

Globe editorial
Michaëlle Jean grew in the viceregal office

Governor General Michaelle Jean, shown in Sal Island, Cape Verde in April, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS

Little known when appointed, she now moves on to an international role for which she is well suited



From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Published on Tuesday, Jun. 22, 2010 9:00PM EDT Last updated on Tuesday, Jun. 22, 2010 9:24PM EDT

The announcement that Michaëlle Jean, the Governor-General, will take up duties as an UNESCO special envoy for Haiti in September, represents the near-end of an imperfect tenure.

The UNESCO role is well suited to the strengths Ms. Jean has brought to the role of Queen’s representative. Her charisma, spontaneity and skill at, in her own words, “people-to-people diplomacy” will be put to good use in a cause that is important to Canada and the international community. But her departure will also allow the appointment of a truly meritorious individual as the new Governor-General, someone with the intellectual rigour required of that office.

The UNESCO job, while limited by the relative ineffectiveness of that UN entity, is well tailored to Ms. Jean, and is probably a wiser use of her talents than, say, an appointment as Canadian ambassador to Haiti.

When she was appointed Governor-General by the Queen, on the advice of former prime minister Paul Martin, there was some criticism about Ms. Jean’s French dual citizenship (later renounced), and questions about possible divided loyalties. But if any existed, it was the tender bonds she retained with her country of origin, Haiti. That is not necessarily a bad thing, for the same pull is felt by many newcomers to Canada. It is possible to be Canadian while caring deeply about a country of origin, especially a place like Haiti, the poorest country in the hemisphere and one devastated by an earthquake last year that killed some 300,000 people.

And for all of that, Ms. Jean has not been, as some have derisively called her, the “governor-general of Haiti.” She has always fulfilled her duties as the Queen’s representative for Canada, and has done so with grace and empathy. Even when she has tripped up, such as her embarrassing reference to the B.C. Coastal Mountains as the “Rockies,” she admitted her flaws, taking the trouble to write letters of contrition. During her term, Ms. Jean followed the lead of her immediate predecessor, Adrienne Clarkson, both by paying special attention to the Inuit and by fulfilling her responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief of Canada, including making popular gestures, such as eating raw seal meat, and wearing a Canadian Armed Forces uniform. Ms. Jean also placed emphasis on youth and the arts.

It was, however, an unusual appointment. Ms. Jean was a television journalist, with a limited profile and few obvious distinctions, when elevated to viceregal office. She was not – then – a distinguished Canadian, and this perceived lack of accomplishment hampered her effectiveness.

Despite efforts to mask it, such as the Harper government’s generous role in the UNESCO appointment, relations were sometimes strained. This was plain for all to see when Ms. Jean was publicly rebuked by Mr. Harper for having referred to herself as Canada’s “head of state,” at an UNESCO meeting, as it happens. That role is fulfilled by the Queen. For all her populist appeal, Ms. Jean did not command the respect among the political elites that the office requires. And despite its symbolic importance, the position does call for more than a national bauble. The Governor-General wields important constitutional powers.

This was most at evidence during the 2008 crisis over Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s request for prorogation when it became clear his government would lose a confidence vote in the House of Commons. Some constitutional experts believe the Governor-General had a responsibility to exercise the reserve powers of the Crown and refuse the Prime Minister’s advice to prorogue. Others argue that the Governor-General should do as little as possible to interfere with politics, and Ms. Jean made the correct decision to accede to Mr. Harper’s request.

Canadians should welcome Ms. Jean’s appointment as UNESCO special envoy, and thank her for her service. Mr. Harper should aim higher than his predecessor in advising the Queen on her successor.

I think this is a pretty good choice, and hope that his legal expertise will also help us resolve some of the treaty disputes with aboriginal people, a pressing issue here in the north. That he is from Northern Ontario is an added bonus for us. :) It's not every day someone from your home region becomes so well-known.

Republic ftw.

2010-07-08 16:00:07

University of Waterloo celebrates appointment of President David Johnston as the next Governor General of Canada


WATERLOO, Ont. (July 8, 2010) – The University of Waterloo and its alumni around the world proudly learned today of the appointment of current president, David Johnston, as the next Governor General of Canada, effective October 1, 2010.

President Johnston shared some of his feelings with the campus and broader community, commenting:

“My wife Sharon and I are honoured to be asked to serve Canada in this way and will miss the Waterloo family enormously, but we will not be far away,” he said.

“I am a teacher as are my only brother and my sister. All five of our daughters are public servants. All the important things in life I've learned from my children. This is just one more lesson.”

While he is excited about the new opportunity in his life, he said there is still “much to do at uWaterloo between now and Oct 1. I want to devote an enormous effort to bring Campaign Waterloo home in splendid fashion.”

Bob Harding, chair of the university’s board of governors, expressed the university’s gratitude to the Governor General-Designate.

"David Johnston exemplifies the highest qualities of leadership and commitment to public service we have in Canada. The University of Waterloo is fortunate to have had him as its president for the past 11 years, a time when Waterloo has grown in innovation, accomplishment and profile in Canada and around the world,” Harding said.

“While we are losing a great president, Canada gains a splendid individual and a community leader who will represent all Canadians with great distinction as our next GG. We, his Waterloo family, are so grateful for his leadership and we are proud of him.”

Mike Lazardis, co-CEO and founder of RIM (Research In Motion), and Waterloo’s Chancellor Emeritus, said Johnston “has led the University of Waterloo during the most prolific growth period in its history. He has worked tirelessly to position the University of Waterloo as a world-class institution of math, science, engineering, health and the arts.

“David’s strong understanding of law and the Canadian Constitution, combined with his great communication skills, charm and real ability to achieve consensus amongst stakeholders, will serve him well in the role of Governor General. David’s appreciation of the importance of higher education, scientific research and private-public partnerships also distinctly qualifies him for the role."

Waterloo’s current chancellor, Prem Watsa, said that “ as Chancellor of the University of Waterloo for the past two years, I have observed David Johnston’s great integrity, wisdom and humility and good sense of humour at close quarters. David has done an outstanding job at the University of Waterloo over the past decade and he will be missed.

“He is a great Canadian and a wonderful human being, and he will be a superb representative of Canada. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the committee have made an outstanding choice by appointing David Johnston as Governor General.”

Feridun Hamdullahpur, who as provost and vice-president academic for Waterloo is second-in-command to Johnston at the university, expressed delight at the appointment. “David has served the University of Waterloo with great distinction in so very many ways with great vision, energy and leadership, and now will do the same for Canada. I have immensely enjoyed working with him and learned a great deal from him in my first year at Waterloo. I could not have asked for a greater mentor, teacher and a friend. We will miss him dearly and wish him and Sharon well.”

During his 11-year tenure at the University of Waterloo, David Johnston oversaw unprecedented growth in the university’s reputation, research capacity and leadership capabilities.

Of his many accomplishments, he will be especially remembered for:

Putting the University of Waterloo, and the surrounding region, on the national map as a centre for talent, ideas, and innovation.

· He led Campaign Waterloo, which raised in excess of $500 million to support the university’s scholarship, students, and key building projects.

· The Institute for Quantum Computing, founded in 2002, has become a leading centre for development of ideas that may lead to a revolution in how we store and transmit information, among many other things. The institute moves into the $160-million Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum Nano Centre in 2011, one of five current major building projects underway on the uWaterloo campus.

· Leading research groups have formed and grown under President Johnston’s tenure, including the Water Institute, the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WATCar), and the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change. Research funding for the university has nearly tripled in this decade from $61 million in 1999 to $170 million in 2009.

· He has encouraged talent and ideas through VeloCity, the university’s unique “dormcubator” residence for student entrepreneurs, and the Accelerator Centre, which provides a fertile environment for start-up high-tech firms developing new products and services.

Demonstrating the value and impact of collaboration among academics, government, philanthropists and business to boost community building and economic development.

· 2001 saw the launch of Waterloo’s Research and Technology Park, a 100-acre development on the university’s north campus supported by the City of Waterloo, the Region of Waterloo, and the provincial and federal governments.

· The university’s School of Architecture opened in a renovated silk mill in downtown Cambridge in 2004, a partnership of the university, local business leaders, the City of Cambridge, the Region of Waterloo, philanthropists, and the provincial government.

· Waterloo’s health sciences campus, anchored by Canada’s only co- op School of Pharmacy that opened in 2009, was made possible through the investment and vision of the City of Kitchener, the Region of Waterloo, the provincial and federal governments, and the university.

· Ground will break this fall for a new Stratford Campus focused on digital media, a joint project of the City of Stratford, corporate partners including Open Text, the university and the provincial and federal governments.

Inspiring the community through his vision of a “Knowledge Capital” that has raised the sights of Waterloo to aspire to world leadership.

· In 2007, the City of Waterloo was recognized as the world’s Top Intelligent Community by the Intelligent Communities Forum.

· President Johnston’s vision includes a community where universities are innovative leaders, healthy living standards rise, investments in research and development transform, smart infrastructure is developed, and social innovation is championed.

Championing experiential education and the university’s co- operative education program, the largest of its kind in the world, which nurtures Waterloo’s students’ ideas and teaches them how their ideas are their most valuable offering in Canada’s knowledge economy.

· The William M. Tatham Centre for co-operative education and career services opened on the Waterloo campus in 2002, a building dedicated solely to supporting and growing the university’s co-op program.

· Half of Waterloo’s undergraduate students are part of the co-op program, with 13,000 students matched with 3,000 employers world-wide.

A presidential search was launched earlier this year to replace President Johnston, who had been scheduled to retire from Waterloo in June 2011.

In the interim, before his successor is chosen, the university’s Policy 50 will be applied, which gives responsibility to the Board of Governors, in consultation with the vice-president, academic and provost and other senior university officers, to appoint an interim president to serve until the nominating committee has finished its work.


http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=5212

:) *claps*