Canadians looking for a glimpse into the thinking of the incoming governor general need search no further than the theme David Johnston has given to his installation ceremony.
Friday's ceremony is entitled "The Smart and Caring Nation: A Call to Service."
Government officials preparing the day's events have been focused on representing the "call to service" element in the history-rich process of installing Canada's 28th governor general.
The morning ceremony will include veterans, children, a pee-wee hockey player, a community volunteer and an Olympic athlete, along with the usual pomp and circumstance on Parliament Hill and then back at Rideau Hall.
Johnston, 69, and his wife, Sharon, will receive 13 roses from accomplished Canadians and then later deliver the roses to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on behalf of all Canadians.
But it's the first part of the official theme — smart and caring — that will likely guide Johnston's approach to the office, his associates say.
"I think that's very consistent with the pursuits and the passion that David has had for his entire life. He comes by those words very honestly," said long-time friend Tom Jenkins, executive chairman of Open Text Corp.
"Clearly, as a vision for the country, it's a very exciting vision. It's a forward looking one that embraces everyone and really deals with the aspirations that we have for our children in the next generation."
Johnston, by all accounts, has smarts and caring in abundance.
The grandfather of seven has a large, extended and tight-knit family that he makes no secret of adoring.
The former university president has a long list of academic achievements, a background in law and widespread respect for his innovative thinking.
Despite his impressive resume and titles, he is known for being accessible to his students, occasionally joining in student life and even writing up academic references for anyone who can persuade him they are deserving.
Since he was designated the next governor general by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in July, Johnston spent the summer tying up numerous loose ends at the University of Waterloo, attending a long series of sod-turning ceremonies that should prepare him well for the ceremonial aspects of his new job.
But ever the scholar, he was also busy reading, studying the monarchy, getting briefed, and travelling to England to see the Queen.
The early days on the job will be dedicated to similar study, officials say. Johnston will be immersed in learning the technicalities and the protocol of being the Queen's representative in Canada, as well as brushing up on his good-but-rusty French.
But the focus on smart and caring has more to do with how he sees Canada than how he sees himself, said Jenkins.
"These are not just words for David Johnston. These are not safe words. These are words he has lived his life by."
Johnston's 15-minute address in the Senate Chamber on Friday morning will seek to set the tone for his five-year term.
As Canada's new Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces, he will undoubtedly pay extensive tribute to veterans and to the officers in the field.
But Johnston has long made it his mission to elevate the level and quality of education and research in Canada, both within academic institutions and in the private sector.
His friends and colleagues expect no less of him in his new position.
Johnston's approach to "smart" is very Canadian, and is not a push for ruthless competition, Jenkins said.
"We say, you have two choices. You can work hard or you can work smart. And if you work smart, it leaves you a lot of time to play. Or a lot of time to care," he explained.
Johnston has also asked that the ceremony be as inclusive as possible. He has invited his predecessor, Michaelle Jean, as well as the lieutenant governors from all the provinces.
And after he has been made officially the new governor general, the first people to congratulate him will be a group of 143 individuals picked to mark the 143rd year of Confederation.
"This will be quite a dramatic moment," said Kevin McLeod, the Usher of the Black Rod and Canadian Secretary to the Queen, speaking to reporters earlier this week.
Overall, he said, the ceremony will be "highly symbolic" with a mix of tradition and some new elements added by Johnston.
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