Alberta’s 19th lieutenant-governor was installed during a ceremony at the legislature on Wednesday.
Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani of Edmonton is the first Muslim in Canadian history to serve in the vice-regal position.
Born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, she has an honours degree in clinical biochemistry from the University of Manchester.
Lakhani, an Ismaili Muslim, has been in Edmonton for more than 40 years, owning and operating an early childhood education centre.
After taking her oath, Lakhani gave a speech, sharing her experience of immigrating to Canada with her husband.
She recalled encountering generosity and civic spirit among Albertans. She spoke about the importance of continuing to ensure all Albertans are uplifted, regardless of means, ability, religion, race, gender identity or sexual orientation.
“We have much to be proud of, but our striving for justice equity does not end here. We must continue to work together to make this province the best it can be, to ensure that all Albertans are able to achieve their full potential and feel a sense of belonging and province,” Lakhani said.
“Let us commit to uphold the values of a province that carries everyone forward.”
Speaking during the ceremony, Premier Jason Kenney said Lakhani’s story is a “brilliant example” of the ideals of equality and unity, and said his government looks forward to working with her.
“What a wonderful symbol it is, to have the first Canadian viceroy, coming from the Ismaili community, which has done so much to be a global leader in a vision of pluralism, of unity in diversity,” Kenney said.
In 2005, Lakhani was awarded the Alberta Centennial Medal for outstanding achievements in the province. In 2012, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal honouring service to Canada.
Lieutenant-governors, the highest-ranking officers in each province, carry out a variety of official duties including swearing in the premier and cabinet, opening each session of the legislative assembly and signing bills into law.
Outgoing lieutenant-governor Lois Mitchell, who has held the post since June 2015, performed her final official function Tuesday, swearing in new ministers during a cabinet shuffle.
Lakhani’s installation was greeted with hope and celebration by communities and institutions that have ties to her.
“As a community it gives us lots of pride and great joy to see that one of our own has gone up into that office,” said Frederick Lubwama, outgoing president of the Uganda Cultural Association of Alberta.
Lubwama said he hopes the appointment changes perceptions about immigrants’ capabilities, and that Lakhani’s position helps increase understanding of and services for newcomers to the province.
“We think it’s an opportunity for us to showcase what immigrants can do,” he said.
Carolyn Campbell, president of NorQuest College, said Lakhani has been a “remarkable friend” to the school and its students for over a decade.
“Salma Lakhani has been a truly positive example for students, and a mentor and a role model,” Campbell said.
NorQuest gave Lakhani an honourary diploma in 2019 in recognition of her work as a founding member of the 1,000 Women movement, which has raised over $3.3 million to aid students facing financial obstacles. Campbell said she’s known the new lieutenant-governor for several years.
“Her kindness just shines through in every conversation that one has with her. Her genuine interest in you as a person, her curiosity, her engagement and focus,” Campbell said.
Campbell said she believes Lakhani will bring her intelligence and a focus on education to the post as an excellent representative for the province.
Demands for government intervention in Air Canada labour talks could negatively affect airline competition in Canada, the CEO of travel company Transat AT Inc. said.
“The extension of such an extraordinary intervention to Air Canada would be an undeniable competitive advantage to the detriment of other Canadian airlines,” Annick Guérard told analysts on an earnings conference call on Thursday.
“The time and urgency is now. It is time to restore healthy competition in Canada,” she added.
Air Canada has asked the federal government to be ready to intervene and request arbitration as early as this weekend to avoid disruptions.
Comments on the potential Air Canada pilot strike or lock out came as Transat reported third-quarter financial results.
Guérard recalled Transat’s labour negotiations with its flight attendants earlier this year, which the company said it handled without asking for government intervention.
The airline’s 2,100 flight attendants voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike mandate and twice rejected tentative deals before approving a new collective agreement in late February.
As the collective agreement for Air Transat pilots ends in June next year, Guérard anticipates similar pressure to increase overall wages as seen in Air Canada’s negotiations, but reckons it will come out “as a win, win, win deal.”
“The pilots are preparing on their side, we are preparing on our side and we’re confident that we’re going to come up with a reasonable deal,” she told analysts when asked about the upcoming negotiations.
The parent company of Air Transat reported it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31. The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
It attributed reduced revenues to lower airline unit revenues, competition, industry-wide overcapacity and economic uncertainty.
Air Transat is also among the airlines facing challenges related to the recall of Pratt & Whitney turbofan jet engines for inspection and repair.
The recall has so far grounded six aircraft, Guérard said on the call.
“We have agreed to financial compensation for grounded aircraft during the 2023-2024 period,” she said. “Alongside this financial compensation, Pratt & Whitney will provide us with two additional spare engines, which we intend to monetize through a sell and lease back transaction.”
Looking ahead, the CEO said she expects consumer demand to remain somewhat uncertain amid high interest rates.
“We are currently seeing ongoing pricing pressure extending into the winter season,” she added. Air Transat is not planning on adding additional aircraft next year but anticipates stability.
“(2025) for us will be much more stable than 2024 in terms of fleet movements and operation, and this will definitely have a positive effect on cost and customer satisfaction as well,” the CEO told analysts.
“We are more and more moving away from all the disruption that we had to go through early in 2024,” she added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
