Mary Simon to be officially installed as governor general today

Photo courtesy of Sgt. Johanie Maheu, Rideau Hall

Mary Simon will be installed today as the country’s new governor general and become the first Indigenous person to hold the role.  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named Simon, an Inuk leader and former Canadian diplomat, as his choice to be the Queen’s representative in Canada earlier this month, replacing Julie Payette who resigned in January.  Trudeau will be among the few people allowed to witness the ceremony in person as public health guidelines have set limits on attendance and mask requirements for anyone there in person.  Simon will be greeted at the Senate building by a First Nations drumming circle and be accompanied by a traditional Inuit drummer on her way into the Senate chamber.  Inside the chamber, a traditional Inuit oil lamp will remain lit during the ceremony.  Simon’s first speech as governor general is to touch on the themes of reconciliation and youth.  Simon has a home in Caribou River with her husband, Whit Fraser who is from Pictou County. (With files from the Canadian Press)

 

Campaign for the 41st general election goes into its second week.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston promised on Sunday to improve Nova Scotia’s rural roads.  Houston says a PC government would double the Gravel Road Reconstruction Program budget to $40-million and the Rural Impact Mitigation Fund to $22-million per year.  The PCs say their plan will double the number of kilometers repaired each year.

Over the weekend, NDP Leader Gary Burrill was discussing the impact police street checks have on people and the lack of Liberal action on implementing the recommendations of the Human Rights Commission Street Check Report.  Burrill says an NDP government will immediately end street checks, including the “suspicious activity” exception, so that all people can live in their communities without fear of unfair interaction with police.  He adds that the NDP will fully implement all recommendations from the Street Check Report and report publicly on their progress.

Liberal Leader Iain Rankin says the province’s rural fire departments could get a boost of funding in the event of a Liberal victory in the upcoming general election.  Rankin says his party will support a federal program that allows firehall infrastructure to be an eligible spending category under the newly named Canada Community-Building Fund Program.  Through the program municipalities will be able to funnel funding to rural fire departments to cover the costs of basic infrastructure maintenance.  Rankin says he will make the funding available to rural fire halls in Nova Scotia as soon as possible if re-elected.

 

Canadian Red Cross helps two after house fire near Antigonish 

Two people have been forced from their home near Antigonish, as it was destroyed by a weekend fire.  They’ve been helped by Canadian Red Cross volunteers with a place to stay and financial aid for purchases like food and clothing.  Neither was injured in the blaze early Saturday evening.

 

Canada’s medal count at the Tokyo Games has increased to four this morning. **Updated*** Judoka Jessica Klimkait has won bronze in the under-57 kilogram women’s category. The world champion defeated Slovenia’s Kaja Kajzer in one of the two bronze medal matches. Japan’s Tsukasa Yoshida was the winner of the other bronze.  Klimkait is the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in judo.  On Sunday, Margaret Mac Neil of London, Ontario, won the women’s 100-metre butterfly despite being seventh at the halfway point. Mac Neil’s gold medal is the country’s first of the Summer Games.  Also on Sunday, Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu, originally from New Glasgow and her horse, All In, placed fourth in their group with a score of 71.677; Lindsay Kellock, Toronto, and Sebastien, were eighth in their qualifier group with a score of 65.404.  Team — Canada is ranked 11th with 6,605 points, and did not qualify for the Grand Prix.