Roland Michener became governor general in 1967, the centennial year of EXPO 67 in Montreal. That year Rideau Hall hosted 53 foreign heads of state.
Born in Lacombe in 1900, he completed a BA at the University of Alberta, then went to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. There he met future Prime Minister Lester Pearson. Later he practiced law in Toronto.
He was elected as a Conservative member of the Ontario Legislature in 1945 and served for five years. In federal politics, he was Member for St. Paul's Toronto from 1953 to 1962 and served for part of this period as Speaker of the House.
Michener often clashed with Conservative PM John Diefenbaker, but was appointed High Commissioner to India by Liberal Prime Minister Pearson, who followed "Dief the Chief." Michener was also Canada's first ambassador to Nepal.
The first governor general to preside over the ceremony of giving out the Order of Canada, Michener, along with his wife Norah, stopped the practice of having people curtsey formally in their presence.
Michener was also responsible for Participaction, a fitness initiative for Canadians and he also established the Honours Secretariat (to implement the newly established Order of Canada.)
After his service as governor general, Michener became Chancellor of Queen's University in Kingston. One of the many honours afforded him was to have a mountain named after him. Located in the valley of the North Saskatchewan River, it was named Michener Mountain by Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed, former Premier of Alberta.
Governor General Michener served until 1974. He died in 1991.
I served as a Canadian Foreign Aid delegate in India in the 1960's. I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting and hosting Roland Michener several times at my Jaipur, Rajasthan location.
ReplyDeleteHe and his wife were delights. Enthusiastic, sociable, outgoing in the best possible ways.
He was a terrific representative of Canada in every way. He would drive down from Delhi to Jaipur - a half-day run in those days - just to stay in touch with our family.
My girls just loved him, as did we all.
Bill Day