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David Onley next Ont. Lt.- Gov.

TORONTO (CP) _ David Onley, a longtime reporter, anchor and host of Citytv in Toronto, will be the next lieutenant-governor of Ontario.

The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the appointment Tuesday, calling Onley a respected author, broadcaster and tireless champion for people with disabilities.

Onley will replace James Bartleman, who became the 27th lieutenant-governor in March 2002, and whose term is over at the end of the month.

In an interview with Citytv, Onley said it was a "distinct privilege and a distinct blessing to have been given this vote of confidence by the prime minister."

However, Onley admitted he didn’t immediately jump at the opportunity to serve as lieutenant-governor.

"Had my wife, Ruth, not supported it right from the very get-go … I wouldn’t have considered it," he said.

Onley’s appointment is a "great day for Ontario," said Bartleman, who has used the role to champion many causes such as aboriginal literacy and mental health.

Given the job doesn’t come with any tangible power, Bartleman said it’s up to the office holder to use the position to connect with people and talk about issues the government hasn’t been able to make "huge headway" in.

"There is a tremendous moral power associated with the office," Bartleman said in an interview from his home in Perth, Ont. "If lieutenant-governors and governors general confine their role to a purely ceremonial one, the office will eventually be regarded as irrelevant."

But Bartleman said he’s certain Onley won’t be a simple figurehead.

"I’m really happy that he has been named," said Bartleman, who called Onley as soon as he learned of his appointment Tuesday morning.

Onley joined Citytv as a science and weather specialist in 1984 and is the author of the novel "Shuttle."

He is active in a number of community organizations, notably the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons.

Onley, who was stricken with polio as a child, was appointed to chair the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council at the Ontario legislature in December 2005.

He told Citytv the lieutenant-governor plays an important role, not just as the Queen’s representative in Ontario, but also in representing important causes, such as accessibility for the disabled.