Adrienne Clarkson: Patron of the Arts

To learn more about Canadian or Quebec politics, both McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal offer wonderful political science degrees, that you may want to look into.

Montreal's Concordia University has a wonderful women's studies program at the Simone do Beauvoir Institute

The duties of a governor general is to represent the ruling British Monarch in Canada. The governor general carries out administrative duties and also celebratory or festive activities.

The Clarkson legacy

Adrienne Clarkson brought a renewed youth the office and position of Governor General in Canada. She received much praise during her first years in office and she fostered renewed interest in the governor generalship by the general public.

Her successor, Michaëlle Jean recognized Clarkson as having "infused the office with a new energy," for "promot[ing] artists and their achievements from across Canada," and for her "close work with aboriginal communities."

Clarkson is remembered for her work and great respect for the Canadian armed forces.

Also important to Canada was the fact that she brought a renewed vigour and life to the Monarchy within the Nation of Canada. Mailo' Ken Wiwa wrote in the Globe and Mail, Adrienne Clarkson, "once a refugee, represents the Queen here in Canada is, for me, the singular most important reason for believing that the monarchy is relevant to Canada's emerging identity. Her role may only be ceremonial and symbolic, but as the enduring quality of the Royal Family attests, you can never underestimate the power of myth. Even - or rather, especially - in this iconoclastic age."

Adrienne Clarkson traveled and met more Canadians during her term in Office than any other Governor General. The downside was that she was also criticized for having traveled too much on the Canadian taxpayers dollar.

Adrienne Clarkson took the time to write many of her own speeches which were powerful elegant, stimulating and touching when necessary.

She was noted for her patronage of the arts and supplied Rideau Hall with copies of books that had received Governor General's Awards for literature. She also supported sports and created the Clarkson Cup for women's hockey in Canada on September 14, 2005.

However, Adrienne Clarkson was criticized for putting foreign duties above Canadian duties and for accepting too much advise from her staff, the Prime

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Clarkson

http://www.ccmms.ca/clarkson.asp