The Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc was born in Memramcook (L'Anse-Aux-Cormier), New Brunswick in 1927. Mr. LeBlanc was educated at l'Université St-Joseph, Memramcook, where he obtained a B.A. in 1948 and a B.Ed. in 1951. He also attended l'Université de Paris from 1953 to 1955, where he studied French Civilization.

Mr. LeBlanc was employed as a teacher at Drummond High School, New Brunswick (1951-1953) and at the New Brunswick Teachers' College, Fredericton (1955-1959). In 1960, Mr. LeBlanc began a career in journalism and became a correspondent for Radio-Canada in Ottawa (1960-1962), the United Kingdom (1962-1965) and the United States (1965-1967). In 1965, he became the Founding President of the CBC/Radio-Canada Correspondents' Association.

He served as Press Secretary to the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson from 1967 to 1968 and to the Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau from 1968 to 1971. From 1971 to 1972, he was the Assistant to the President and Director of Public Relations at l'Université de Moncton.

First elected to the House of Commons in 1972 representing Westmorland-Kent, New Brunswick, Mr. LeBlanc served for ten years as a Minister of the Crown. He held the portfolios of Minister of State (Fisheries) (1974-1976), Minister of Fisheries and the Environment (1976-1979), Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (1980-1982), and Minister of Public Works and Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the National Capital Commission (1982-1984).

Between 1974 and 1984, he made official visits to the USSR (twice), Poland, Cuba, the EEC, the United Kingdom and France. He was also a Member of the delegation to the United Nations Law of the Sea Conference from 1974 to 1979. In addition, Mr. LeBlanc served on the following Cabinet Committees: External Affairs and Economic Affairs (1974-1982); Communications (1974-1984), serving as Chairman from 1976 to 1981; Priorities and Planning (1975-1984); and Social Affairs (1982-1984).

Mr. LeBlanc was summoned to the Senate of Canada on June 29, 1984. While a Senator, he was a Member of the Canada-France Parliamentary Association and the International Association of French-speaking Parliamentarians. He also served on the following Senate Committees: Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (1984-1993), serving as Chairman from 1989 to 1993; Foreign Affairs (1986-1994); and the Sub-Committee on Security and National Defence (1992-1994). He was appointed Speaker of the Senate on December 7, 1993.

In 1985-1986, Mr. LeBlanc was a Visiting Scholar at the Institute of Canadian Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa. He has also been a part-time Faculty Member, Canadian Studies (Current Issues Seminar), at Concordia University in Montreal. He has received a Doctorate of Civil Law, honoris causa, from Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick (1977), a "Doctorat en Administration publique, honoris causa", from the Université de Moncton, New Brunswick (1979) and a Doctorate of Laws, honoris causa, from Université Sainte-Anne, Nova Scotia (1995).

Mr. LeBlanc was appointed Governor General of Canada on 22 November 1994 and was sworn into office on 8 February 1995.

Mr. LeBlanc is married to Diana Fowler and they have four children.

Her Excellency Mrs. Diana Fowler LeBlanc, C.C.
Born in Toronto, Ontario in 1940, Diana Fowler LeBlanc was educated at King's Hall, Compton, Quebec. She obtained a diploma in French Civilization from the University of Paris in 1959.

In 1960, Mrs. LeBlanc interrupted her degree in French and Spanish at McGill University in Montréal and returned to Paris where she worked in the news room of Radio-Canada. She transferred to the CBC London (U.K.) office where she remained until 1964.

From 1969 to 1980, Mrs. LeBlanc held various organizational and administrative positions in a number of different fields including medicine, law, sales and marketing, engineering and music publishing.

From 1980 to 1989, she worked as a medical conference organiser for the Spastics Society of London, and subsequently was associated with a number of projects for the British Heart Foundation, and the British and International Societies for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (BSPCAN and ISPCAN). During that time, Mrs. LeBlanc also organized educational courses in Developmental Paediatrics for doctors and therapists concerned with cerebral palsy and other childhood diseases.

Between 1989 and 1992, while still in London, Mrs. LeBlanc worked as Committee Secretary for Libertas, a non-profit charity to help people with a variety of disabilities, and did volunteer work for Mobility Trust, a charitable organization for people with impaired mobility.

Mrs. LeBlanc has recently completed a degree in Social Work, and has a special interest in oncology, mental health and palliative care.