The governor general before Adrienne Clarkson was the ethnic Acadian Romeo LeBlanc, a well-known Canadian journalist and politician hailing from New Brunswick.
He studied in Paris and returned to his home province to teach. Later he was a journalist for Radio-Canada. Following that, he served as press secretary for two Liberal Prime Ministers, Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau.
LeBlanc became a Member of Parliament in 1972 and as Minister of State in charge of fisheries, oversaw the expansion of territorial waters from a twelve-mile to a 200-mile limit. Later he served as minister of fisheries and oceans, and of public works. He also served in the Senate.
Romeo LeBlanc was a Companion of the Order of Canada and held numerous honorary degrees from Universities in eastern Canada. When he died in 2009 at the age of 81, thousands of Canadians attended his state funeral.
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