The Right Honourable Roméo
LeBlanc became Governor General
of Canada on February 8, 1995,
following a long and
distinguished career of public
service. An Acadian born in
Memramcook, New Brunswick in
1927, he was installed as
Canada's 25th
Governor General since
Confederation, and the first
from the Atlantic Provinces.
He earned
a Bachelor of Arts and a
Bachelor of Education at
l'Université St-Joseph,
Memramcook and studied French
Civilization at l'Université de
Paris. He also holds a number of
honorary degrees.
Mr.
LeBlanc spent nine years as a
teacher. He quickly developed
strong beliefs about the
important role educators play in
our society, which he continues
to hold today.
In 1960,
he turned to journalism, working
as a correspondent for
Radio-Canada. This led to Mr.
LeBlanc serving as Press
Secretary to Prime Ministers
Lester B. Pearson and Pierre
Elliott Trudeau.
Mr.
LeBlanc was elected to the House
of Commons in 1972, representing
the riding of Westmorland-Kent
in New Brunswick. He was a
cabinet minister from 1974 to
1979 and 1980 to 1984.
As
Canada's longest-serving
fisheries minister, Mr. LeBlanc
won a lasting reputation as a
friend of the fishermen. He
helped to establish Canada's
200-mile fishing limit and to
shape the International Law of
the Sea. Under his leadership,
conservation and resource
management encouraged strong
growth in the fishing industry
during the late 1970s and early
1980s.
Mr.
LeBlanc became a Senator in 1984
and was appointed Speaker of the
Senate in 1993.As Governor
General, in addition to the
official role and
responsibilities, Mr. LeBlanc
promoted several
personal causes.
Roméo LeBlanc is married to
Diana Fowler LeBlanc
and they have four children.
During his
tenure, the Constitution of
Canada was amended three times.
The Governor General presided at
ceremonies for three
Constitutional Amendments: the
first on April 21, 1997, amended
Newfoundland's education system;
the second, on
December 19, 1997, amended
Quebec's denominational school
boards along linguistic lines;
and the third on
January 8, 1998, allowed for the
establishment of a single,
publicly funded and administered
school system in Newfoundland.
On three
separate occasions, Romeo
LeBlanc received members of the
Royal Family: Her Majesty The
Queen and His Royal Highness The
Duke of Edinburgh in 1997; The
Duke of Edinburgh in 1998; and
His Royal Highness the Prince of
Wales in 1996.
