Gov. Gen. David Johnston tours 8 Hudson Bay communities

Canada's Governor General is in the North this week, visiting severalNunavutandNunavikcommunities alongHudson Bay.

David Johnston and his wife Sharon began their visit in Churchill, Man., Wednesday before moving on toArviat Thursday.

In Arviat, he presented a Governor General's academic medal (bronze) to 16-year-old Shelby Angalik. Earlier this year she was Team Nunavut's flagbearerat the Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk.

Johnston saidhe was encouraged to see someone that young be a leader in her community.

"One of her projects has been to develop a literacy program in the library, but particularly geared to very young children who would not have been reading in their own homes. But she brings that reading, that literacy and that love of books into their homes and develops the custom of going to the library."

Johnston said Angalik will soon graduate from high school and plans to study library scienceat the University of Manitoba.

Johnston saidhe has been to the North seven or eighttimes since being appointed Governor General in 2010 and is always struck by the generosity of Northerners.

In fact, he and his wife receive so many gifts, they began putting them in a conference room at Rideau Hall they call "The Indigenous Peoples Room."

Johnston says he often tells people not to give them gifts and instead mark the visit with a donation to a local charity.

"Northern people, of course, do that anyway, but feel that they must present gifts. So we say, well, if it is your art, then we will gladly display it in this room, so that when you come to visit us at Rideau Hall, which we call the home of the people of Canada, you'll be able to come to your room and see it there."

He added thatduring theirvisit to Arviat, his wife mentioned that they had 12 grandchildren and were expecting their 13thin July. Within minutes, he said, they were giventwo amautis, so their grandchildren will be able to carry the new baby.

The Governor General's itinerary includes scheduled stops in Chesterfield Inlet,RankinInlet, Coral Harbour, Cape Dorset, andSalluitbefore wrapping up next Tuesday in Kuujjuaraapik.