BC's new Lieutenant Governor has been officially installed.
The Honourable Janet Austin has a long history of public service, and most recently served as the CEO of Metro Vancouver's YWCA where she helped expand housing for single mothers,
and worked to improve the lives of women and children, and families.
Austin told members of the Legislature she accepts the responsibility of representing Her Majesty, the Queen of Canada, with humility and gratitude for the confidence placed in her.
"Our Queen has given us a symbol of civility, dignity, and self-sacrifice. Ever gracious and courteous, she has earned the respect of people around the world. I promise to do my best to represent her in British Columbia with the commitment to public service and the kind concern for others that she has always exemplified."
Premier John Horgan welcomed the 30th Lieutenant Governor for the province.
Horgan says during Austin's 15 years as the CEO of Metro Vancouver YWCA, she worked to improve lives in Vancouver and across the province:
She has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of women, children and families right across British Columbia. And she's helped to make life more accessible for vulnerable people through her work, not just at the YWCA, but as a Board member of TransLink, on the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, on the Canadian Paediatric Society, as well as Women's Health Research Institute in Vancouver."
Horgan called Austin a tireless advocate for fairness and social justice.
The ceremony was punctuated with a 15-gun salute in Victoria's inner harbour, followed by an inspection of the 100-person Guard of Honour.
A Guard of Honour is traditionally paraded on formal occasions when the Monarch or Vice-Regal representatives are present in the Legislative Assembly.