Mary Simon

Born in Fort Severight, Quebec, on August 21, 1947, Simon is Inuk on her mother's side. She spent a brief stint in the 1970s as a CBC Northern Service producer and announcer before moving into public service, sitting on the board of the Northern Quebec Inuit Association and working the Charlottetown Accord negotiations. From 1994 to 2004 she served as Canada's first ambassador for circumpolar affairs and led negotiations to create the Arctic Council; she also held the post of Canadian ambassador to Denmark from 1999 to 2002. On July 6, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Queen Elizab…