Judith Guichon

Judith Guichon

Judith Guichon, rancher, entrepreneur, 29th lieutenant-governor of BRITISH COLUMBIA, from 2012 to present (b at Montreal, Que, 1947). Rancher Judith Guichon was instrumental in promoting sustainable livestock management in British Columbia prior to entering public service as the province's lieutenant-governor.

Early Career and Public Life

Judith Guichon was raised on a farm near Hawkesbury, Ontario, and moved to British Columbia in 1972. An advocate and practitioner of holistic management, a farming method that promotes sustainable management of livestock by emphasizing their natural habitat, Guichon has promoted sustainable farming and RANCHING in the British Columbia interior via her ranch, Gerald Guichon Ranch Limited.

Guichon's family has maintained a long tradition of farming and ranching and related community service, owning land in the Nicola Valley area since 1878. Guichon's father-in-law was awarded the ORDER OF CANADA in 1974 both for his leadership in the Cattleman's Association and for his contributions to Canadian agriculture. Judith Guichon has served as president of the British Columbia Cattlemen's Association; as a member of the Provincial Task Force on Species at Risk; as a part of the Ranching Task Force for BC and the British Columbia Agri-Food Trade Advisory Council; as a member of the Fraser Basin Council of British Columbia; as the director of the Grasslands Conservation Council of BC; and as a member of the Nicola Water Use Management planning committee. Today, Guichon's four children manage the family ranch, maintaining a large 700-head cow calf and 700-head yearling stock.

Guichon as Lieutenant Governor

On 2 November 2012 Guichon was appointed the 29th lieutenant-governor of British Columbia, succeeding Steven POINT. She was also awarded the ORDER OF BRITISH COLUMBIA that year.