Dr. Wassim Salamoun officially becomes lieutenant-governor of P.E.I.
Dr. Wassim Salamoun was installed as the new lieutenant-governor of Prince Edward Island in a ceremony at the Confederation Centre of the Arts on Thursday.
Salamoun, the former medical director of hospitals in the western part of the province, is the 43rd lieutenant-governor since the colony of P.E.I. was established, and the 30th since the Island joined Canada as its seventh province in 1873.
"It is a great honour," Salamoun told Louise Martin of CBC News: Compass following his installation.
After beginning his career at Summerside's Prince County Hospital in 1989, Salamoun held various roles throughout the P.E.I. health system.
Working as an otolaryngologist, a medical specialist who treats conditions affecting the head and neck, Salamoun won numerous awards for his community service.
Dr. Wassim Salamoun is shown with Antoinette Perry, whom he replaced as the province's lieutenant-governor during a ceremony at the Confederation Centre of the Arts on Thursday. (Kerry Campbell/CBC)
He is a recipient of the Dr. Tom Moore Award from Prince County Hospital and the Putting Patients First Award from the Medical Society of P.E.I.
The appointment marks the first time a Prince Edward Island lieutenant-governor has been a first-generation immigrant of non-European descent, Salamoun said.
"It is a change. It is maybe a sign that our society is truly changing," said Salamoun, who was born in Lebanon.
Provincial lieutenant-governors are appointed by the Governor General of Canada on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. They fulfil the roles and functions of the Crown, including granting royal assent to new or amended provincial legislation.
Although the role's de facto power is limited, Salamoun said he hopes to use the position to help address intolerance and domestic abuse by speaking directly to young people.
With Premier Dennis King looking on at left, Dr. Wassim Salamoun signs a document during his installation on Thursday. (Kerry Campbell/CBC)
"Our society is quite diverse and they need to see that," he said. "They need to see that as a positive."
He takes over from Antoinette Perry, who had served as lieutenant-governor since 2017.
I enjoyed celebrating... Islanders every day. — Antoinette Perry, outgoing lieutenant-governor
"I did all I could in the role," Perry said Thursday. "I enjoyed celebrating... Islanders every day."
Salamoun and his wife Marie Salamoun-Dunne have two sons, and the family had lived in Summerside since 1989.
He intends to move into Government House with his wife, and will serve a term of at least five years.
