P.E.I.'s 1st female Acadian lieutenant-governor 'filled with pride'

For weeks Antoinette Perry has been holding a secret: her name was put forward to be the next lieutenant-governor of Prince Edward Island.

She got the call from the Privy Council Aug. 4.

"I was in shock, I think, initially, but very pleased. I was just filled with pride," Perry told CBC's Island Morning.

It's just carrying my culture to another level.- Antoinette Perry

But she had to keep her excitement to herself until it was official. She received the official offer in a phone call from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday evening. Gov.-Gen. David Johnston signed the official papers Thursday morning, and it was announced that afternoon.

Perry was a music teacher in Tignish, in the far west of P.E.I., for 32 years. Since her retirement in 2009 she said she has been using her extensive community connections to bring people together, making introductions that will help everyone move forward.

"The position fits what I have been dreaming of and thinking about since my retirement, is I've got to find something where I can really connect with a lot of people," she said.

1st Acadian woman

Perry will be the first Acadian woman to serve as lieutenant-governor of P.E.I.

"It's just carrying my culture to another level," she said.

"I see it in the order that the flags flies: Canadian first, then an Islander, and then an Acadian. I wouldn't be able to live my culture out as well as I can if I didn't live on this beautiful Island or this great country."

The transition process will start Saturday, with a call to current Lt.-Gov. Frank Lewis, who has been serving in the role since 2011, at Government House. Perry expects to be officially installed by mid-October.

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