To learn more about Canadian or Quebec politics, both McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal offer wonderful political science degrees, that you may want to look into.
Montreal’s Concordia University has a wonderful women’s studies program at the Simone do Beauvoir Institute
The duties of a governor general is to represent the ruling British Monarch in Canada. The governor general carries out administrative duties and also celebratory or festive activities. We will now look at the three female governor generals of Canada, two of which were from Montreal.
Adrienne Clarkson was sworn as governor general on October 8, 1999. She began her royal position by delivering the most powerful and poignant eulogy over the grave site of Canada’s unknown soldier in Souchez, France on May 28, 2000. The unmarked grave carried the remains of this soldier who fought at the famous battle of Vimy Ridge.
John Fraser, Canadian journalist and academic, reported, “You have to go back pretty far to find anyone who stirred national emotions the way Clarkson did with her magnificent speech…”
Her eulogy acknowledged the Royal Canadian Legion and reflected the great respect she had for the Canadian Military. Clarkson reinforced that respect by moving to have the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry bestowed the Commander-in-Chief’s Unit Commendation on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.
Following the 9/11 terrorists attacks, Adrienne Clarkson was quick to acknowledge and praise Operation Yellow Ribbon where Canada diverted traffic from the heavily digested New York and DC area in order to ward off potential threats to America. Canadians also opened up their hearts and homes to stranded American passengers.
She then presided over a memorial service for the victims of 9/11 on Parliament Hill which proved to be the largest single Canadian vigil attended by the public (1,00,000 people) on Parliament Hill. She dispatched Canadian Solders on the advise of the Canadian government to Afghanistan.
Note: The Governor General is the commander-in-chief of the Canadian Forces.
Adrienne Clarkson was the first governor general and thus commander-in-Chief to visit Canadian troops where ever they were stationed since 1945. She visited the troops in Afghanistan in 2002 and returned to spend New Years with them. She also visited the Persian gulf to spend Christmas on a Canadian destroyer. Adrienne Clarkson also made a trip to visit the troops in war-torn Kosovo.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Clarkson