Canada's next Governor General, Michaelle Jean, begins her new job with strong support from Quebecers and young people and a significant opportunity to strengthen support for her vice-regal role, a new poll has found.

According to the results of a CTV/Globe and Mail poll conducted by The Strategic Counsel, Jean has the potential to build support in Quebec, a province typically reluctant to embrace any vestiges of the British Monarchy.

Unlike the rest of Canada, where 64 per cent of those polled said they think the Governor General's job is an important one, that figure in Quebec was just 37 per cent. The potential that Jean could turn that around however, is found in her overall popularity.

In stark contrast to the rest of the country -- where only 38 per cent of those surveyed thought her appointment was a good choice -- Jean had the support of 71 per cent in Quebec.

"This particular appointment seems to blunt and mute the opposition where it's most pronounced, which is in the province of Quebec," Allan Gregg, chairman of The Strategic Counsel, told The Globe.

Jean's popularity also skews to younger adults and women, 65 per cent of whom think her role is important, versus 51 per cent of men.

Overall, 30 per cent of respondents said they simply don't know enough about Jean to say whether or not she'll be good in her new job.

However, the poll results seem to suggest that as Canadians get to know their new Governor General better, Jean can expect her popularity to rise.

After hearing the broad outline of her life story, starting from Jean's childhood in Haiti to her emigration and successful career as a multilingual broadcaster, her approval rating jumped from 46 per cent to 63 per cent.

The poll also found that Canada's 27th Governor General appears to have weathered the storm of controversy over she and her French-born husband Jean-Daniel Lafond's alleged support of Quebec sovereignty.

After hearing about the controversy, only 21 per cent said their opinions of Jean worsened. Sixty-three per cent said their opinions didn't change at all.

Also, while 67 per cent said they believed that a person's opinions should be taken into account when choosing a governor general, 70 per cent said they believed Jean was committed to Canada.

When Jean becomes Governor General, she will be the first black person, the third woman and, at age 48, one of the youngest to take up the post as the Queen's representative in Canada and the country's de facto head of state.

Other highlights include:

• Canadians under the age of 30 were most impressed by Jean's biography, registering a 22-per cent spike in the popularity of her selection after hearing her life story.
• Overall, almost 6-in-10 Canadians (57%) regard the Governor General as an important and relevant institution. Singling out Quebec, only 37 per cent there agreed.
• A slightly larger proportion of Canadians (67%) said the $19 million spent on the Governor General every year is a "poor" use of taxpayers' dollars. Only 28 per cent said the budget was a "good" use for the cash.

Gauging Canadians' attitudes in the run-up to the changeover at Rideau Hall, Gregg, Kelly, Sullivan & Woolstencroft: The Strategic Counsel asked 1,000 adults what a series of questions.

Conducted between Sept. 21 and 25, the poll results are considered accurate within +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

CTV and CTV Newsnet will have live coverage of Jean's installation as the nation's 27th Governor General on Tuesday morning, beginning at 10:25 a.m. ET. You can also watch it live online at CTV.ca.