Saskatchewan’s outgoing Lieutenant Governor reflects on time in position

WATCH: Mick Favel speaks with outgoing Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Russ Mirasty.

As a new Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan (Lt.-Gov.) prepares to enter the role at the end of January, outgoing Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty reflected on his tenure last week and spoke about what’s to come.

In an interview with CTV News, Mirasty said while he knew his appointment was subject to change after five years, he still has some mixed feelings.

“It’s nice to have an end date and to be able to start planning for the future, which for us is to go home to La Ronge and just enjoy our home in the north. And other than that, just thinking about, you know, the time that’s passed, and people we’ve met, the events we’ve attended, lots has happened,” he said.

Mirasty was appointed as the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan on July 17, 2019, and was the first Indigenous person to take on the duty.

During his time in the position, Mirasty connected with youth, particularly Indigenous youth in the province, placing emphasis on education and setting goals. He highlighted his own experience as an example of what could be achieved.

“I look at myself coming into this role, and even my previous role, being the commanding officer of the RCMP in Saskatchewan, I hope that young Indigenous people look at that, or look at me and say, ‘How did he do that?’ And my answer would be, just have to work at it. Believe in yourself. Have those goals. Set some goals for yourself, focus on your education initially, and doors will open for you,” he said.

“So, I hope that’s the message that I’m able to extend to young people throughout the province.”

Mirasty, whose first language is Woodland Cree, was able to use that to his advantage when it came to meeting new people in northern communities.

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“I remember, especially in northern Saskatchewan, we went to an event at a school. The principal and the young student met us at the driveway and were visibly nervous, and then afterwards, the principal said, ‘You know, we weren’t sure whether we could actually talk to you or what we should say to you,’ and what broke the ice there was my ability to speak Cree,” he explained.

“I knew she spoke Cree and so responded to her in Cree, and that [was] an instant ice breaker, if you will. And so, with that aspect too, once people knew and recognized we were Indigenous First Nations and could speak the language in some communities, that certainly helped a lot.”

Mirasty highlighted memorable moments from his time in the position, having attended about 225 to 250 events annually.

“I think the first event, the first official event that we attended, was the opening of the Western Canada Games in Swift Current, summer of 2019, and it stands out because it was the first and it was that moment, going to that event, standing in front of all these athletes in the arena, struck me as I’m here as Lieutenant Governor, and so that that really does stand out,” he recalled.

You can watch the full interview with Mirasty using the video player at the top of this article.