Antoinette Perry sworn in as P.E.I. lieutenant-governor

Antoinette Perry was sworn in as P.E.I.'s 42nd lieutenant-governor Friday morning at the Tignish Parish Centre in Tignish, P.E.I.

This is the first time a lieutenant-governor has been sworn in outside of Charlottetown.

"I am honoured to accept with gratitude the role bestowed on me today, in accepting the responsibility I am inspired by the dedicated service displayed so gracefully and elegantly by her majesty Queen Elizabeth II," Perry said. 

"As a girl guide, I recall having a great desire to meet her one day and now I get to live that dream — a few years later," she joked.

Perry was a music teacher in Tignish for 32 years.

'Volunteering for the cause'

One point she reiterated throughout her speech was for people, like her students, to learn, connect and pass on.

Something she learned as a child from her idol.

As a girl guide, I recall having a great desire to meet her one day and now I get to live that dream — a few years later.- Antoinette Perry, about Queen Elizabeth II

"My first teacher taught by example, not only did she impart knowledge and modelled life skills, but she also modelled the true spirit of selfless giving — volunteering for the cause," Perry said.

"She realized that if she was fortunate enough to have the knowledge to help someone who reached out to her, she connected with them and she had the tools to help, in somehow raising nine children, she magically found the time to enrich someone else's life.

"My idol was my mother, Anne-Marie Perry."

Perry's biggest draw to the position was being able to celebrate volunteerism and recognize the lives of Islanders from tip to tip.

A part of her, she said, that will carry on the spirit of her mom.

"Volunteers not only provide support for the well-being of others, they also enrich the quality of life for so many," Perry said.

"Whether it is a first responder, offering medical assistance, a volunteer fire fighter saving a life, a musician entertaining seniors in the community centre, a community member organizing a fundraiser, they all provide support for the well-being of others and also enrich the quality of life for all of us."

As the new resident of Fanningbank, Perry concluded her speech by thanking her family, friends, community members and the volunteers that helped her make the transition to the province's "ceremonial home."

"I invite you to learn about, to connect with and pass along the stories of Fanningbank," she said. 

"There's a richness to discover, I can't wait to start discovering."

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