Monday January 19, 2026 | Posted at 3:09 pm PT [Updated 4:49 pm PT]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon will be undertaking her first visit to Mexico starting today January 19, through January 21.
This trip is being taken at the request of Prime Minister Mark Carney to meet with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.
Simon was scheduled to arrive in Mexico at 3:45 pm Central Standard Time (1:45 pm Pacific Standard Time), according to a news release issued earlier today.
“Following the Year of the Indigenous Woman, which took place in 2025, the visit will also provide an opportunity to reaffirm Canada’s commitment to celebrating the strength, wisdom and cultural heritage of Indigenous women, and to learn from one another’s experiences and best practices,” states the Governor General’s office in a news release today.
“Canada and Mexico continue to build on more than 80 years of diplomatic relations, sharing a vibrant, multi-faceted relationship that is characterized by deep people-to-people ties, rich cultural connections and growing trade and investment, as stated in today’s news release.
Simon’s office says that the visit will contribute to the strong momentum in the growing bilateral relationship between Canada and Mexico which the governor general says is based on “shared values of prosperity, inclusivity, security and sustainability for all”.
Itinerary:
- January 19 – Round-table discussion with Indigenous Civil Society Leaders to discuss one another’s diversity and inclusion experiences and best practices.
- January 20 – Official welcome at 2 pm CT at the presidential palace, whereby Simon will be officially greeted by Sheinbaum and a guard of honour comprising both men and women. Then at 2:15 pm CT Simon and Sheinbaum will discuss shared values (open to media).
Agricultural sector:
In 2024, over 52,000 Mexican workers came to Canada under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP), according to the federal government’s Canada-Mexico Relations web page.
Under the TFWP, Mexico continues to be a top source country for the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP), often cited as a model for international labour-mobility arrangements. Of the close to 52,000 Mexican workers, over 26,000 came under the SAWP in 2024.
This recognizes the foundational role Mexican nationals play as a source of labour for Canada, specifically in sustaining the domestic agricultural sector.
Previous visit:
The last Canadian governor general who traveled to Mexico was Julie Payette, who represented Canada at the inauguration ceremony of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in 2018.
===== RELATED:
- GOVERNMENT LINK: CANADA-MEXICO RELATIONS
- NEWS SECTIONS: MEXICO | FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 | CANADA-NATIONAL