The King’s representative in Canada is in Alberta for her first official visit to the province.

Governor General Mary Simon will spend five days in the province, meeting with local leaders and raising awareness on various issues affecting Canadians.

Simon began her tour at 4 Wing Fighter Base Cold Lake in honor of the centennial of the Royal Canadian Air Force, where she and her husband Whit Fraser were welcomed with a short ceremony.

Afterward, the two men visited a Cold Lake First Nation school to meet with children, staff and Elders.

The revitalization and preservation of Indigenous languages ​​are among the many issues Simon plans to address during his visit. In addition to raising awareness, it will reward several Albertans for their services in their communities.

On Saturday, the Governor General traveled to Jasper National Park to meet with the community and see first-hand the remarkable efforts made by many community members to help with the recovery from the wildfires in the town.

“It’s to show our support and the contributions that I think we’re trying to make to make people feel like they’re getting their lives back together and tackling the very real issues that they’ve been facing “, said Simon.

Simon will spend most of her Alberta visit in the capital region and on Sunday she met with members of the C5 North East Community Hub, a collective of five social service agencies in Clareview.

There, she took an African dance class and cooked soup and bannock for the community.

Governor General Mary Simon meets with community members at the C5 Northeast Community Hub in Edmonton on October 27, 2024. (Adel Ahmed/CTV News Edmonton)“It’s been very inspiring to see organizations come together…people working together to solve problems that individuals are facing,” Simon told media Sunday at the community center.

She said her visit to Alberta “gives me a real opportunity to get to know the people who live in their areas and the challenges they face.”

On Monday, Simon is due to attend MacEwan University for a fireside chat and panel discussion on the impact of online harassment and online safety.

Later in the day, she will attend a luncheon on economic reconciliation at Government House, before investing seven Albertans into the Order of Canada.

Simon will conclude his trip on Tuesday with a visit to the Alberta Legislative Assembly and a meeting with Premier Danielle Smith and Indigenous leaders.

With files from Jeremy Thompson and Adel Ahmed of CTV News Edmonton