“Advocate for ingenuity’: Payette praised as choice for next Governor General
OTTAWA — The choice of former astronaut Julie Payette as Canada’s next Governor General received widespread praise Thursday, even from those who had hoped an Indigenous person might be tapped to fill the post.
But she will be held to a high standard when it comes to the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the Crown she now represents, said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde.
“There are some who were calling for an Indigenous Governor General and, while we may see that in our lifetime, we know that whoever assumes this position has a duty to uphold the honour of the Crown in all their work, and that includes the long-standing relationship with First Nations,” Bellegarde said in a statement.
Bellegarde was among many though who said Payette’s lengthy resume, which includes two trips into space, will serve her and Canada well.