David Johnston

Who is David Johnston?

David Lloyd Johnston CC CMM COM CD FRSC FRCPSC is a Canadian academic, author, and statesman who is the current Governor General of Canada, the 28th since Canadian Confederation.

Johnston was born and raised in Ontario, studying there before enrolling at Harvard University and later Cambridge and Queen's universities. He went on to work as a professor at various post-secondary institutions in Canada, eventually serving administrative roles as dean of law at the University of Western Ontario, principal of McGill University, and president of the University of Waterloo. At the same time, Johnston involved himself with politics and public service, moderating political debates and chairing commissions in both the federal and provincial spheres, his most renowned position in that field being the chairmanship of the inquiry into the Airbus affair. He was in 2010 appointed as governor general by Queen Elizabeth II, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, to replace Michaëlle Jean as viceroy. At the time, Johnston was predominantly praised as a worthy choice for the Queen's representative, though his appointment was denounced by some Quebec sovereigntists.