Our Meeting with the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

Hosted in the northwest wing of Queen's Park, the OLIP interns enjoyed the privilege of meeting with the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. 

Upon settling in the drawing room, our conversation explored the constitutional and community-oriented dimensions of the Lieutenant Governor’s role, as well as the processes and responsibilities associated with serving as the King’s representative in Ontario. It was particularly meaningful to discuss how her extensive career in the education sector continues to shape the perspectives and values she brings to public service. We also spoke of the importance of supporting and uplifting Francophone and Francophile communities across the province. The interns particularly enjoyed the Lieutenant Governor’s heart-warming anecdotes as she illustrated her experiences as principal, and characterized schools as homes just as much as they are educational institutions.

Altogether, her commitment to fostering inclusion and celebrating Ontario’s linguistic and cultural diversity was evident throughout our conversation. It was incredibly insightful to learn about how she welcomes and engages with guests and dignitaries in her official capacity, as well as to hear about her warm experience meeting King Charles III. 

The visit concluded with a tour of the Lieutenant Governor’s office and the music room, where a rich Black History Month exhibit was on display. The showcase highlighted an array of art, photography, and music drawn from the Archives of Ontario – recognizing and celebrating the many contributions of Black communities across the province. 

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Honourable Edith Dumont for generously sharing her time and insights with the cohort this year. We would also like to thank Monique Armstrong and Sheryl X for guiding our tour of the Lieutenant Governor’s suite – we appreciated learning about the many intricacies and the exhibit’s wealth of information.