Nunavik’s ‘bossy little old lady’ leaves enduring legacy
Mary Simon taught Canadians about ajuinnata when they really needed it
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon poses for a photo at Rideau Hall on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, one day before the 2025 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. (Photo by Mike Carroccetto, special to Nunatsiaq News)
Canadians now know about ajuinnata — thanks to Gov. Gen. Mary Simon.
She introduced many of us to the Inuit concept of perseverance or never giving up shortly after she became governor general in 2021. That should be her vice-regal legacy.
Ajuinnata was her trademark motto, but she shared it with Canadians and others. It helped set the tone Canadians needed to hear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her leadership reinforced the message that governments at all levels were promoting.
Five years later, her time as the King’s representative in Canada is winding down. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced this week that former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour will succeed Simon in the coming weeks.
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau announced Simon would become the first Indigenous person to hold that office. It was an appointment steeped in symbolism.
At the time, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed said Simon was “an ideal Governor General for this place and time.”
His assessment proved to be spot on.
Think back to how tumultuous 2021 was: the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canadians were finally coming to terms with the truth of the abuses of Indigenous children at residential schools.
And the previous governor general, former astronaut Julie Payette, had recently crashed and burned after allegations she had turned Rideau Hall into a toxic workplace.
Enter Simon, a calm, mild-mannered Inuk woman. Despite her telling the country that her Inuit name, Ningiukadlak, means bossy little old lady, in public she conveyed serenity, wisdom and grace.
Simon — who experienced online abuse herself, and who shut down comments on her official social media accounts because of it — urged Canadians to stand up to what has become a scourge in Canadian society.
Simon was a friend to Nunatsiaq News and its readers while she was governor general. The Nunavik-born leader made time for several one-on-one interviews, including at the end of 2023 and on last year’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Of course, Simon’s inability to speak French — one of Canada’s two official languages — proved to be controversial … but, not surprisingly, she persevered.
She promised to learn French. With her professional track record, it seemed likely that, with some study, she would achieve a level of proficiency exhibited by many unilingual leaders who must learn French once their career trajectory thrusts them onto the national stage.
Her ability to function in the language of Molière improved slightly but she never demonstrated the proficiency and comfort level typically expected of national leaders.
The country didn’t collapse.
It’s probably good that Arbour is fluent in both English and French — a return to the tradition of having a governor general who can speak both. Some day, there will be a governor general who speaks English, French and an Indigenous language.
It’s not that long ago that governors general spoke only English and were members of the British upper crust — dukes and earls — sent to Canada as a reward.
In 1952, Vincent Massey became the first Canadian-born governor general. And it wasn’t until 1967 that Roland Michner became the first francophone to hold the office.
With her remaining time in Rideau Hall measured in days, it’s appropriate to look at Simon as the governor general Canada didn’t know it needed.
Don’t think so
Dear AI, please write me some hallmark schlock.
Wonder , what , the “bossy little old lady ” is getting for a pension , bet you no worries unlike other “lttle old ladies ” .
GG get 190kpension for life plus a 200k a year expense account.
No food banks for mary , unlike some poor families .
Mary Simon did not create the position of Governor General. Our system of government did that.
Mary Simon will get whatever pension is prescribed for her position according to the Governor General Act of Canada passed by our parliament.
These Governor General benefits have been duly voted in by our elected leaders as appropriate for the duties of the job.
These benefits are well aligned with what an already accomplished and nationally recognized citizen (as most Governors General are), could reasonably expect to gain instead of retiring in peace and quiet (as they most likely might otherwise do).
That is a big reason why salaries and benefits are set for a job; an employer wants to attract and retain the caliber of people that they think are necessary to do the job.
Mary Simon will get exactly what is due to her, just like a white male Governor General, or a Governor General of any other distinct identity.
You are entitled to disagree with that, although I somehow doubt most complaining about her benefits here online would be as vociferous about this if she was not an Inuk woman.
If it were a guy from Ontario retiring from this job, you probably would not give it a passing thought. Yet here we have many northerners complaining about Mary Simon getting what is due to her.
The lateral violence we have in the north is getting to be ridiculous. Here we had a lady speaking our language, often instead of French, on the world stage, representing all 40 million Canadians. And, she did the job well.
Why is it so hard for us to celebrate Inuk success? Is it because so many of us do not want to make the effort, (or do not recognize the effort) required to achieve even a portion of what Mary Simon has done, for herself, her family, her community, our people and our country?
” BAH ! HAMBUG ! “
I wonder where all the people crying about anything colonial when it comes to funding or explaining anything bad in Canada are when it comes to representing a queen from another country…
I had high hopes when Ms. Simon was appointed gov general. I thought that with her being indigenous that she might bring more of a humble and ordinary person approach to the position, and not be consumed with the lavish luxury like her predecessors. Boy was I mistaken!!! She enjoyed to the max the private jets, fancy meals and first class hotels every bit as much as if not more than the people before her. I was so disappointed by that.
GG Adrienne Clarkson had the same said of her spending. Canadians could vote in a referendum to either close the office as Jamaica and I believe Australia has done or cap their expense accounts. Continuity in heads of state has its positive side but there are things to evaluate. The being caught up in the politics of the day, beholding to a government which has appointed the GG is a point needing clarity, it was evident in her term. Mark Carney and Louise Arbour’s splashy announcement before a long row of flags in the background photo op is telling of how things and expense accounts may go.
Remember Adrienne Clarkson , when , she was the GG . She lived it up , went to her head , you could say !
Not unfamiliar territory for anyone working in leadership positions in the Norht.
to all those disparging against Mary .i think you’re all just ppiling on and feeling sour grapes !’she has done an incredible job and i for one am proud of her.
bossy ol’ white man(not Witt)
I m just jealous , stuck , being a working stiff !!!
Why do we need a governor general anyway. Just to read speeches in Parliament. Please really what do they produce . Now folks this is not about racism, being Inuk, this is about the system ,there have been other people in this position before her, living large. In a recent article I read from facts obtained from the government this little old lady like others did and will do very well for herself. $ 70.000 limo service on a trip overseas , I bet a lot of her Inuk friends and relatives can’t even spell limousine thru no fault of their own let alone ride in one, thousands of dollars for inflight service, clothing allowance, the list goes on . Now don’t forget the large salary, the hundreds of thousands of dollars for her expenses in the coming years and the $150,000 a year pension she is going to receive after only 5 gruelling years of work. GOOD WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT. This is not only about this lady it’s about the system it’s about a lot of things that need to be changed in the way money and services are wasted. These are not lies or racism, these are facts that were in print from government. You can get this info yourself.
Mary Simon has championed issues affecting Inuit for decades. As GG she brought much needed attention various aspects of our culture.
She earned and is entitled to everything that the feds have to offer.
I challenge any northerner to become knowledgeable enough to be offered such a role.
Where are our young activists? Tiktoking much?
Mary Simon will always be respected in my books.
REALLY ! Entitled to everything the government has to offer. A minute part of the taxes that I and others have to pay to keep their entitlement going while we struggle to pay bills and eat. And I’m talking about the people of the north too who most of the time are going without.
Got a problem with established policies? Talk to your MP.
Don’t let the voting booth door hit you in your brain on the way out.
Why would you talk to MPs about this? They’re not doing anything to reform the way things are, why should they, they’re living off the fat of the land too. Why should we have policies like this forever. My brain tells me I’m tired of policies that enable the few probably such as yourself. Maybe the truth hurts.
So all the grippers herein I think would absolutely refuse to accept the salarie and benefits of the position if they were appointed. Hey look there goes a bunch of flying pigs.