It was on this day in 1999 that Adrienne Clarkson was sworn in as the 26th Governor General of Canada.
The former CBC broadcaster was the second woman to hold the office.
While no stamp of Ms. Clarkson has been issued to date, the former governor general was one of several leaders featured on a very interesting commemorative cover created for VANPEX 2007.
Hosted by the British Columbia Philatelic Society, best known in the philatelic community as the BC Phil, the club chose the theme: “Nationhood to Nationality: 1867-1947-2007” – celebrating the passage of the 1867 British North America Act, through the 1947 Citizenship Act, to the multicultural Canada of 2007.
Using the theme as his creative springboard, B.C. Philatelic Society member Derren Carman produced two commemorative show covers for VANPEX; each is available in different varieties.
B.C. Philatelic Society member Derren Carman produced this commemorative show cover for VANPEX 2007, featuring Clarkson and other famous Asian-Canadians.
Both covers featured reproductions of the 1947 Canadian Citizenship Issue, and one cover included portraits of famous Asian-Canadians, including politician Ujjal Dosanjh, former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, environment advocate David Suzuki, educator Ratna Ghosh, novelists Joy Kogawa and Rohinton Mistry, and politician and academic Tom Shoyama.
According to Wikipedia, Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 1941 as a refugee from Hong Kong and was raised in Ottawa, Ont. After receiving a number of university degrees, Clarkson worked as a producer and broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and a journalist for various magazines.
Her first diplomatic posting came in the early 1980s, when she promoted Ontario culture in France and other European countries. She was in 1999 appointed as governor general by Queen Elizabeth II, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chrétien, to replace Roméo LeBlanc as viceroy, and she occupied the post until succeeded by Michaëlle Jeanin 2005.
On Oct. 3, 2005, Clarkson was sworn into the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, giving her the accordant style of The Honourable; however, as a former Governor General of Canada, Clarkson is entitled to be styled for life with the superior form of The Right Honourable.
She subsequently published her memoirs, founded the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, and became Colonel-in-Chief of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.