Louise Arbour has been a law professor, a trial judge, the first francophone appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal, a war crimes prosecutor, a Supreme Court of Canada justice and a United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

But in a recent interview, the Montreal-born jurist and legal scholar said she never sought out any of those top positions.

“Virtually everything I’ve done professionally, I’ve done by accident. I’ve never had a career plan,” Arbour said. “The phone rang.”

One can surmise that also holds true for her next mission. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Tuesday that Arbour has been selected as Canada’s new governor general.

She’s a formidable choice for a country facing threats to our sovereignty from the United States while dealing with not one but two separatist movements within. Although the role of the King’s representative in Canada is largely ceremonial, carrying out the duties of head of state on the monarch’s behalf, the governor general is charged with upholding the Constitution, serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and representing Canada on the world stage.

At a time when Canada is strengthening its military, forging alliances and seeking new trade partners around the globe, the naming of the internationally renowned Arbour projects strength, gravitas and integrity, as well as respect for human rights and the rule of law.

And with a potential referendum on the horizon in Alberta in October, as well........

© Montreal Gazette