Former RCMP F Division Commander Russell Mirasty has been named Saskatchewan’s lieutenant-governor, the Office of the Prime Minister announced on Wednesday.
Mirasty takes the position which was left vacant after the 22nd Lt.-Gov. W. Thomas Molloy died from pancreatic cancer.
“As Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, I know [Mirasty] will continue to make a difference for the people of his province and all Canadians, and inspire others to create change in their communities,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a news release.
Mirasty, a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, joined the RCMP in 1976 and became the first Indigenous person to command an RCMP division. He has also served as the force’s Director General of National Aboriginal Policing at Headquarters in Ottawa. He retired from the RCMP in December 2013.
Mirasty will be sworn in at a ceremony at Government House in Regina on Thursday morning.
“I look forward to working with Mr. Mirasty as he assumes the role of Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant Governor,” Premier Scott Moe said in a written statement.
“With a deep connection to Saskatchewan’s Indigenous communities and a background of service with the RCMP, Mr. Mirasty will bring a valuable perspective to a role that has a rich history of service to the people of Saskatchewan.”
Mirasty will be be installed in a formal ceremony at the Legislative Building at an unspecified later date.
The Lt.-Gov. is appointed by the Governor General of Canada, on the recommendation of the prime minister, and serves as a representative of the Queen in their respective jurisdictions and gives Royal Assent to new legislation.