The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, the 29th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, made her first official trip to London on Monday, where she met London’s City Council and shared her idea for a stronger Ontario.
Dowdeswell spoke specifically about her vision for Ontario in the World, and as part of her tour of the province, Dowdeswell wishes to find out more within each community she visits to see how they fit within that vision.
Along with protecting the integrity of the crown, she acts as a “chief storyteller,” learning from the people she meets and shine a light on smaller communities.
“We live in our own little communities, and we don’t often reach out to the rest of the province. So it’s always a surprise. I learn something new every day.”
Her initial focus was to listen to Ontarians to see what resonates with them.
“We form stereotypes of what a particular community is like, and what its interests are. When you’re there on site and you’re talking to people, you really see what it’s like and what challenges them, but also what they’re so proud of.”
Dowdeswell is hoping to find out how Ontario can contribute to the rest of the world, especially with the intellectual resources available, and find out how we can be “bold and ambitious” as we strengthen our global impact.
She is also focused on “economic prosperity and innovation, while maintaining environmental protection and development, as well as social inclusion.” She pointed specifically to London as a community that can be a staple of this vision, especially with its close proximity to the United States.
The city commemorated her trip to the forest city with a presentation of a plaque, as well as a tree to be planted in her honour. The act is one that resonates with Dowdeswell specifically, as she has a passion for the environment, which she feels is a fundamental basis for life on earth.
