David Johnston, former University of Western Ontario Law Dean (1974-79), has been selected as Canada’s next Governor General.
Johnston, 69, is currently president of the University of Waterloo and is set to become the Queen’s next representative in Canada Oct. 1, replacing Michaelle Jean, who will begin a four-year post as special envoy to Haiti for the United Nations.
David Johnston
“Mr. Johnston has a strong record of public service, a broad base of support and an impressive list of achievements,” says Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who announced the appointment this morning. “He has extensive legal expertise, a comprehensive understanding of government and a deep appreciation of the duties and tasks now before him. David Johnston represents the best of Canada. He represents hard work, dedication, public service and humility.”
“David is a great Canadian who is totally committed to public service,” says Western President Amit Chakma. “This, coupled with his foresight and his sense of Canada’s place in the world, would make him ambassador par excellence for Canada. I feel great in knowing that he will represent our country well in the global stage as our governor General and make us proud.”
Johnston holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, a law degree from Queen’s University and another from Cambridge in England. A companion of the Order of Canada, Johnston was also the head of Montreal’s McGill University and taught at the University of Toronto and Queen’s.
“The law school made tremendous strides under his leadership at Western. It was challenging times, but his commitment to the faculty and students was strong,” says Western Law professor Robert Solomon, who started at the university in 1972. ” It was a genuine pleasure to work with him and I am not surprised by his latest appointment.”
Western Law alumnus and current professor Bruce Welling recalls Johnston hiring him to teach at Western upon returning from graduate school in England in 1975.
“He immediately called me into his office and told me that he considered his job to be to help me in any way he could. As it turned out, he was telling the truth,” says Welling, adding when his first year teaching evaluations were less than flattering, Johnston gave him the encouragement to stick with it.
“I don’t know where he got his managerial wisdom, but he was an excellent man to work for as a young, inexperienced academic. He will make a superb Governor General.”
“We are so pleased to see an academic leader named to this important national role,” says Bonnie M. Patterson, President of the Council of Ontario Universities. “Energetic and diligent, David will provide the government with level-headed counsel and gracious outreach to foreign leaders and Canadian citizens in his ceremonial role. He will certainly be missed as a colleague at our table, but we are immensely proud of his direct engagement and contributions to the sector and wish him well as he takes on this prestigious post.”