The 29th Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia

Yesterday - Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed the Hon. Judith Guichon, a rancher in the Nicola Valley near Kamloops as the 29th Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia succeeding the Hon. Steven Point who is completing his term which started in 2007

The appointment of a Lieutenant-Governor is done by the Governor-General, at the recommendation of the Prime Minister.  The Lieutenant-Governor in each of the 10 provinces acts as the Queen's representative, similiar to the role of the Governor-General in Ottawa.

Ms. Guichon is just the 2nd female vice-regal representative in BC, the first was the Hon. Iona Campagnola who was the 1st female Lt-Gov in BC from 2001-2007

Read more from the Globe and Mail here

From the Hon. Steven Point (current Lt-Gov of BC):

It has been one of the great honours of my life to serve as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. There are few honours that can match the privilege of representing one's people and I remain humbled and thankful for having had this opportunity.

As Lieutenant Governor, I have been able to meet British Columbians from all walks of life and I am continually impressed by the energy, compassion and generosity exhibited by our fellow citizens. It is this service to community and to each other that has inspired me throughout my time as The Queen's representative. Thank you to all the wonderful and generous people who have made this an unforgettable and inspirational five years.

Let us never take for granted our great fortune to be a part of this wonderful province; let us continue to encourage all British Columbians to strive to create, cherish, protect and support all the things we hold dear.

The Honourable Steven L. Point, OBC
Xwĕ lī qwĕl tĕl
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia

From Prime Minister Stephen Harper's website:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the appointment of Judith Guichon as Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

“Mrs. Guichon has dedicated herself to her community, province and country,” said the Prime Minister. “She is a leader in keeping British Columbia’s agriculture and cattle industries environmentally sound and she has worked hard to promote and protect the ranchers of British Columbia.”

Mrs. Guichon has had a successful career in ranching and introduced the Holistic Management method to ranchers in British Columbia. She is the owner and operator of Gerard Guichon Ranch Limited in the Nicola Valley where she resides with two of her four children. Mrs. Guichon has worked with several organizations including the Fraser Basin Council of B.C., the Grasslands Conservation Council of B.C. and recently completed her two-year term as the president of the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association.

Lieutenant Governors are appointed by His Excellency the Governor General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. They serve five-year terms, during which they act as their provinces’ vice-regal representatives.

Prime Minister Harper also took the opportunity to thank the Honourable Steven L. Point for his dedicated service as Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, which began in October 2007

And BC Premier Christy Clark spoke on the appointment of Judith Guichon as the 29th Lieutenant-Governor of BC:

“On behalf of all British Columbians, I want to congratulate Judith Guichon on becoming the new Queen’s representative for our province.

“She has a deep appreciation for the history and traditions of British Columbia and has spent a lifetime ensuring that we all stay connected to our roots – particularly through her work with the BC Cattlemen’s Association.

“Those deep, abiding roots are what have driven Judith to get involved in her community, industry and province. She never has just stood by, but always sought ways to bring her perspective forward in a positive fashion and make our province better.

“In Judith Guichon, British Columbians have a representative that represents our values of hard work, tradition and a passion for our shared future.

“It’s also appropriate to say thank-you once more to His Honour, Steven Point, for his dedication and service as Lieutenant Governor. His compassion, selflessness, intelligence and wit were always on full display for all British Columbians to witness. He has served with distinction, and for that we owe a great debt of thanks.”