
Why Canada’s next Governor General matters right now
From The Big Story by Frequency Podcast Network
June 8, 2026 · 20 min · Episode 1875
About this episode
The episode discusses the significance of Louise Arbour's appointment as Canada's next Governor General and its implications for the country's identity and connection to the monarchy.
Louise Arbour, a former lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is being sworn in as Canada's next Governor General. It comes at a nuanced time for Canada's global identity. Host Catherine Jette speaks to Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto about the Governor General's role in Canada, whether or not Canadians feel connected to the monarch, and how Arbour could use this precarious geopolitical moment to capture the country's appetite for unity and identity.
People in this episode
Host: Catherine Jette
Guest: Nelson Wiseman
Topics covered
- Governor General
- Canada
- politics
- identity
- geopolitics
- monarchy
Keywords
- Governor General
- Louise Arbour
- Canada
- Catherine Jette
- Nelson Wiseman
- politics
- identity
- monarchy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Toronto
Places: Canada
More episodes of The Big Story
- Big Headlines: Carney's looking for new partnerships in the City of Love and the World Cup kicks off in Canada · June 12, 2026 · 7 min
- FIFA, politics, and the future of soccer · June 12, 2026 · 26 min
- Big Headlines: Police across Canada mourn the loss of a Toronto officer and Trump threatens to "hit Iran very hard tonight" · June 11, 2026 · 7 min
- Drones redefine the Ukraine-Russia war · June 11, 2026 · 25 min
- Big Headlines: Police across Canada mourn the loss of an Ontario officer and Trump says Iran is taking too long to reach a deal · June 10, 2026 · 6 min
- Inside the Uganda chimpanzee civil war · June 10, 2026 · 20 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Big Story podcast page.