Nicola Valley rancher Judith Guichon has been named B.C. Lieutenant Governor, as Sto:lo Grand Chief Steven Point's five-year term comes to an end.
Guichon runs the family cattle ranch in the Nicola Valley. She has served as president of the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association, a director of the Grassland Conservation Council of B.C., and on provincial governments task forces on ranching and species at risk.
Born in Montreal in 1947, Guichon was raised on a farm in Ontario. She studied holistic farm management, which promotes sustainable management of livestock by emphasizing their natural habitat, and with her late husband, commercial pilot Lawrence Guichon, she introduced the technique in B.C.
Her four children now help her manage a 700 head cow-calf and 700 yearling beef cattle operation near Merritt.
“Mrs. Guichon has dedicated herself to her community, province and country,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. “She is a leader in keeping British Columbia’s agriculture and cattle industries environmentally sound and she has worked hard to promote and protect the ranchers of British Columbia.”
Premier Christy Clark thanked Point for his work and congratulated Guichon.
"She has a deep appreciation for the history and traditions of British Columbia and has spent a lifetime ensuring that we all stay connected to our roots – particularly through her work with the BC Cattlemen's Association," Clark said.
Lieutenant Governors are appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of prime ministers. They serve five-year terms as the Queen's representative in each province, declaring new legislation and performing ceremonial duties around the province.
Point is a former provincial court judge and elected chief of the Skowkale First Nation. Before being named to chief commissioner of the B.C. Treaty Commission. Point served as an elected Chief of the Skowkale First Nation for 15 years. He also served as the tribal chair of the Stó:lo Nation Government.