While Jules Leger had great potential as Governor General, the stroke he suffered only six months after he came to the post greatly limited his ability to serve. When it came time for a new Governor General in 1979, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau...
In the list of Canadian-born Governors General, the first three were well-known throughout Canada. Vincent Massey, Georges Vanier and Roland Michener had all prominent careers prior to taking the office. When the very popular Michener left office in...
After the sudden death of Georges Vanier, Canada needed to have a new Governor General appointed. It was especially important as Canada was going through its Centennial Year and the Governor General would be a major part of the events going on...
After Vincent Massey made history as the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada, it was up to his replacement, Georges Vanier, to make history as well. For Vanier, not only was he Canadian born, but he would become the first Francophone...
We have finally reached the point where the line of British aristocrats and military leaders who served as Governor General ends, and we now begin the Canadian Governors General. It all begins with a man who came from one of the most prominent...
We have finally come to the end of the line in terms of Governors General who came from prominent families or institutions in Britain. After this episode, we will be delving into the Governors General who were born in Canada, or spent most of their...
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone 1940, by Yousuf Karsh After the sudden death of John Buchan, Canada was in need of a Governor General and quickly. At the time, Canada was deep in the Second World War as it emerged from The Great Depression...
After the relatively low-key time of Lord Bessborough, the new Governor General would bring a passion for Canada that extended back decades. He was a man who loved history, writing and the idea of a Canadian national identity. He was John Buchan...
When the Ninth Earl of Bessborough arrived in Canada in 1931, the country was in the grips of The Great Depression. It was a time of hardship for the country, economic strife and a changing landscape thanks to the spread of radio. Today, I am...
With the departure of Lord Byng as Governor General, the position was going through a drastic change as the country moved through the last half of the 1920s. After the King Byng Affair, there was a movement in political circles of Canada to limit...