The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, the Honourable Judith Guichon, will be arriving in Bella Coola on March 14 for a two-day visit to the community.
While there are not specific details to share at this time, a Lieutenant Governor will usually visit places like schools, legions, local businesses or community centres, and meet with authorities such as the mayor, representatives of the district and First Nations leaders.
The Honourable Judith Guichon was sworn-in as the 29th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia on November 2, 2012. Prior to this appointment she owned and operated Gerard Guichon Ranch Limited in the Nicola Valley in the British Columbia Interior. The Guichon family has ranched in the area since 1878 and Her Honour’s father-in-law was awarded the Order of Canada in 1974 for his leadership in Cattleman’s Associations and his contribution to agriculture in Canada. Two of her four children now manage the ranch with a 700 head cow calf and 700 yearling operation.
Her Honour studied Holistic Management, a farming method which promotes sustainable management of livestock by emphasizing their natural habitat. Along with her late husband, commercial pilot Lawrence Guichon, she introduced Holistic Management to the ranchers of British Columbia.
The Lieutenant Governor has five roles and they include the following: the Lieutenant Governor represents the Crown as the direct representative of the Queen in British Columbia. This includes hosting royal, foreign or diplomatic visitors. This role also perpetuates the traditional bond between the Crown, the Canadian Forces and uniformed services across British Columbia.
The Lieutenant Governor upholds the Constitution as Guardian of Democracy. This role ensures there is a functioning government: identifying a First Minister, swearing-in of Cabinet Ministers, summoning and proroguing parliament, delivering the Throne Speech and providing Royal assent to bills and signing orders in council and proclamations.
She also fulfills a celebratory role and a promotional role, honouring the great work of distinguished British Columbians by presenting orders, decorations and medals, hosting and attending celebrations and social events to connect British Columbians and focusing attention on worthy causes by lending support to these endeavours and by showcasing history, culture and achievements, as well as the geography, natural resources and people of British Columbia.
She is also called upon to strengthen relations between the Crown and Indigenous Peoples, encouraging conversation and enabling opportunities for reconciliation, and building bridges between diverse cultures and peoples.
It’s expected that the Lieutenant Governors will visit as many communities in their province as possible, as part of the Promotional role of the Office.
One of Her Honour’s goals for her term as Lieutenant Governor has been to visit every valley in the province—over the past five years, she has visited 334 communities in British Columbia, so she is very happy to finally visit Bella Coola.
