Canada's new unelected head of state is, oddly enough, a Haitian refugee.
Canada Swears in New Governor General
Queen Elizabeth II's new representative in Canada, a refugee from Haiti, was sworn in Tuesday as the nation's 27th governor general in a ceremony steeped in British tradition and Canadian color.Michaelle Jean is the first black person and only the third woman to hold the largely ceremonial post as head of state, designed to defend Canada's sovereignty and promote its national identity.
The 48-year-old journalist and documentary filmmaker, whose family fled dictatorship in Haiti when she was 11, is among the youngest to hold the office.
"It is with tremendous pride and deep emotion that I am responding today to the call of destiny, which sometimes takes us in a direction you might never have imagined," Jean told members of Parliament and other dignitaries in the opulent Senate chambers on Parliament Hill.
"I am turning a significant page in my own story as I set off on this new adventure with hope and determination."
Jean's husband, French-born Quebec filmmaker Jean-Daniel Lafond and their 6-year-old adopted daughter, Marie-Eden, who was born in Haiti, applauded when Jean took the oath of office.
The ceremony included the traditional protocol of Canada's British past — including military honors — as well as performances by Canadian entertainers.
Jean, who is required to speak Canada's two national languages, French and English, is also fluent in Spanish, Italian and Haitian Creole. Her personal coat of arms shows two black mermaids blowing conch shells under the motto "Briser Les Solitudes" — breaking down solitudes.
I suppose having an appointed Haitian fill the post is no more odd than a Brit who happened to be born into royalty. Certainly, Jean's credentials are more impressive than strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords in some farcical aquatic ceremony.
crosspost to OTB
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Haitian Refugee Canada’s New Governor General from Outside The Beltway
Canada’s new unelected head of state is, oddly enough, a Haitian refugee.
Canada Swears in New Governor General
Queen Elizabeth II’s new representative in Canada, a refugee from Haiti, was sworn in Tuesday as the nation’s 27th go... [Read More]
Tracked on September 27, 2005 5:12 PM
That's a typo.
It should say:
"Breaking down platitudes."
I now need some individual solitude to expunge the effects of this turgid prose from my soul.
http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/mermaids/
Posted by: Plato's Stepchild at September 27, 2005 5:12 PM"Jean, who is required to speak Canada's two national languages,..."
Moi didn't know that>
Please provide the source of your statement. Required by what/whom/ & etc.
Thus, a person who speaks neither cannot be G-G?
A person who speaks only English cannot be G-G? Or French only? Or Urdu only?
Does this law mean that Jean Chretien will never be G-G? Goody.
Posted by: maz2 at September 27, 2005 5:18 PMhttp://www.esoteric.msu.edu/VolumeII/BondesonReview.html
Call me paranoid, but I think this mermaid coat of arms has a hidden snub in it.
Posted by: Plato's Stepchild at September 27, 2005 5:20 PMSupreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.
And the mermaids lend credence to the "aquatic" part.
Posted by: Shabbadoo at September 27, 2005 5:46 PM"Just because some moistened bint has lobbed a scimitar at you, is no basis for a system of government!" (And our Federal Government is just as inbred as the royal family ever was- but our aristos are all appointed).
Posted by: dave at September 27, 2005 6:06 PMmaz2...this is one reference I found to your Q....http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/articles/sovereignty_identity/culture_policy_gov_general.cfm...
Please note author and have a chuckle..
This is a dark, dark day in Canadian history. Can you see this low life separatiste crass left wing hipster CBC hack, who has never earned an honest day's pay in her life stand up to Martin when he come callin' re his minority government is collapsing.
We should all be ashamed of ourselves that we let this beautiful country fall to such disrepute.
I am thinking of Madam St. Chemin, Pierre Laport, Mr. O'Neill, all murdered by Madam's FLQ cronies on this sad day. I will light a candle in my church for them and for Canada.
This is a first: the first Governor General who as referred to white and black people as "niggers" on film.
Posted by: Me, I remember at September 27, 2005 8:24 PMInstead of swearing in i swore at her
As a monarchist, I found today to be deeply depressing. We have a prime minister who never mentioned the Queen in his speech of welcome unlike other PMs in the past, and a governor general who did mention the Queen but only as just another visitor to this country. Neither of them spoke of the constitutional role of the office in any meaningful way, both of them mouthing platitudes about her life story, the face of Canada in the 21st century, blah, blah, blah. Ms. Jean appeared to be very casually dressed and didn't see fit to use the throne for the delivery of her speech. She looked like just another Liberal cabinet minister standing there. As to her "impressive credentials", I was wondering if someone could tell me what they are--other than her sex, skin colour, and former employer that is. The whole thing left one with the feeling that there is no room in the "new" Canada for a lot of us regular folks.
Posted by: Dave H at September 28, 2005 12:16 AMI was going to write something, but instead I'll just second what Dave H said. Though I'm an American, I've long supported constitutional monarchy in those countries that have or want it, and this is hardly a positive step.
Posted by: Dave J at September 28, 2005 1:52 AMAs if to prove Dave H's point, even Kate incorrectly referred to Jean as the head of state in the opening sentence. And evidently I'm the first person to notice it.
Posted by: Kelvin at September 28, 2005 3:06 AMTwo up-chuck-making pieces below. I would expect such a bathetic response from Ibbitson (who must truly loathe the non-diverse, non-postnational town where he grew up, Gravenhurst, Ontario) but not from Coyne.
1) "The remarkable new Governor-General",
By JOHN IBBITSON, Globe and Mail, September 28
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050928.wxibbitson28/BNStory/International/
2) "Jean's siren song of freedom: Jaw-dropping boldness of speech seductive", Andrew Coyne
National Post' September 28
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=d75e9d3b-0f6e-4d73-bfa3-42149e9c23bf
Mark
Ottawa
I am a firm believer that Canada died on 28 June 04 when it elected one liberal, therefore whats the difference what the weasel Mr. dithers does
Posted by: Tony Whiteley at September 28, 2005 9:51 AMLove the Python quote. I guess her coat of arms should be a shrubbery.
Posted by: Don Y at September 28, 2005 1:01 PMI believe there are alot of haters out there of our new Governor-General. She could be the most smartest person on the planet, but all the haters see is a " black woman". Haters have no use in this world, so bye all you haters!
Posted by: Canada at September 28, 2005 11:39 PMCanada,
Nowhere here except you has characterized Ms. Jean as just a "black woman" except you. Very interesting.
Posted by: Brian C. at September 29, 2005 10:59 AMThis Governor General event has caused al the major papers to put out their best possible issue.
Try and get a copy of Yesterday's National Post and get a $100 value for one dollar. All kinds of great stuff we live for. 73s TG
Financial Post, not all MSM!
Goodbye, Canada! God, it does my heart good to say that.
Well, Mme. Jean must be not just perfectly qualified, but the best possible choice, because look! She's black!
Posted by: ebt at September 29, 2005 2:57 PM