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Ontario’s new Lieutenant Governor

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Ontario’s new Lieutenant Governor is settling into Queen’s Park — since taking over from David Onley. Elizabeth Dowdeswell is the third woman to hold the position in the province.

The one-time Saskatchewan teacher has travelled the world with the United Nations — and dedicated most of her life to public service.

Ontario’s 29th Lieutenant-Governor may have been born in Ireland 69 years ago, and she may have grown up in Saskatchewan. But don’t question her status as an Ontarian: “Oh, I have been here more than half my life!”

For much of the other half, she’s travelled.

“With the U.N. I was in 120 different countries. Some not for very long. There was always something to discover about each of them.”

Her family spans Canada from east to west. Her Oakville nephews rode with her the day she was installed in office.

“They’re a delight. I’m blessed. Being the eldest of eight I have lots of nieces and nephews.”

She thinks she’ll be able to help Ontario better connect with the rest of the world.

“You can’t be isolated from what’s going on around you. That experience has shaped my world views and what it means to be a global citizen.”

The monarchist league estimates every Canadian spends a dollar sixty-three a year on the crown’s representatives. Dowdeswell says the role has proven worthy of the cost: “It has been important to have a way of being above partisan politics to ensure good governance prevails.”

Most Lieutenant-Governors have causes to champion. Work from disability to aboriginal literacy

For the first weeks while she was getting used to Queen’s Park her honour sat here, at the desk of Pauline McGibbon, the first female Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.

“Clearly Pauline McGibbon was a great contributor to the notion of the role of women and girls.”

Dowdeswell is most known for her work in environmentalism. She’s a lover of the arts and architecture, and football.

Lisa: “A lot of our viewers are Ticats fans.”

She grew up a Roughriders fan but says she’ll be in the front row cheering at all kinds of events. Possibly including the last home game at Tim Hortons Field in November.