Students at Westlock Elementary School received a royal visitor Jan. 29.
Alberta’s Lieutenant-Governor Lois Mitchell first addressed students at a school-wide assembly, where she emphasized the importance of reading and having a strong education.
“Every single hour of the day you are making a decision,” she said. “You need to learn how to make good decisions.”
While she spoke on a variety of topics, her biggest message was the importance of staying active and that it was never too late to try something new.
“My husband jokes that I can’t skate as fast as him because I didn’t learn as a child,” she said.
“But I don’t care, I enjoy it and I’m going to get the exercise.
“Don’t ever measure yourself against anyone else.”
Students asked her about her role as the Queen’s representative, what she enjoyed about her job and the strangest bill she ever gave royal assent to. She responded that the Farm Safety Bill that required farm owners to get WCB coverage for their employees was the most eventful bill she’s seen so far.
“I can tell you (the government) learned a valuable lesson from that,” she said, before moving on to lighter topics. She also spoke about visiting Buckingham Palace in London, the best part of which was seeing Queen Elizabeth’s pet Welsh Corgis.
“I have the greatest job in the world,” she said.
“My only boss is the Queen.”
Mitchell also read Lucy Tries Short Track by Lisa Bowes to a mix of students from various classes before sitting down for a question-and-answers session on democracy with Grade 6 students. Classes from Busby School and Barrhead Elementary School also joined in via CCTV.
The discussion eventually moved to sports. Students asked her what her favourite sport was.
“That’s easy. Canadian football,” she said, noting that her team-allegiances were the cause of some friction in her family. “I’m an Edmonton Eskimo fan, but my husband is part owner of the Calgary Stampeders.”
Mitchell, whose background is in teaching, had to cut her visit short to return to Edmonton to swear-in newly minted UCP leader Jason Kenney. However, she left some parting words of wisdom.
“You don’t have to be any kind of braggart,” she told the students. “If you’re good at what you do, other people will brag for you.”
