When the Right Honourable David Johnston was installed as the 28th governor general of Canada on October 1, 2010, his remarks focused on ‘A Smart and Caring Nation: A Call to Service.’
He has since travelled widely across Canada, speaking with Canadians about the importance of giving, learning, innovation and family, and asking them what they will contribute to Canada as we approach our country’s 150th birthday, in 2017.
His Excellency was born and raised in northern Ontario. His twin passions for learning and sport led to an undergraduate degree at Harvard as well as his induction, as a hockey player, into Harvard’s Athletic Hall of Fame; to law degrees at the universities of Cambridge and Queen’s; and to a lifelong dedication to higher education.
During his 44-year academic career, he served as dean of the Law School at the University of Western Ontario, in London; as principal of McGill University, in Montréal; and as president of the University of Waterloo. He served on many provincial and federal task forces and committees, as well as on the boards of a number of companies.
He married his high school sweetheart, Mrs. Sharon Johnston, who trained as a physical and occupational therapist, and ran a successful horse training centre for 12 years. Together, they have five daughters and nine grandchildren.
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