The Montreal native has been tasked with establishing Canada as a "strong Nordic nation with multiple male and female athletes performing at the highest level".

He will also have the aim of propelling the country back onto the Winter Olympic podium by 2026 - when Canada could host the Games in Calgary.

Ensuring the Para-Nordic programme remains strong is another key target.

The former skier replaces Tom Holland, who retired following the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics in February.

"We are standing on the shoulders of a group of athletes and staff who have accomplished great things for our sport in Canada over the last two decades," said Lemyre, who has worked within the Norwegian cross-country set-up. 

"Together, we have to understand and identify what has led to these exceptional performances and provide the same opportunities for the next generation to succeed."

Despite his new position, Lemyre will continue a role in Norway as a professor of sports psychology at the University of Oslo.

"Cross-country skiing is a passion of mine," he added. 

"Things have come full circle for me since I left for Norway in 1996, and I'm very humbled to have this opportunity now to contribute to the growth of the Canadian programme.

"I am ecstatic to be able to bring my knowledge and skills back to my sport roots at home in Canada."

Canada has not won an Olympic cross-country medal since 2006 when Chandra Crawford won women's sprint gold and Sara Renner and Beckie Scott clinched team sprint silver.

Alex Harvey won the final race of the men's Cross-Country World Cup season in Falun in Sweden last term and also won the 50 kilometres freestyle World Championship gold in Lahti, Finland, in 2017.

In Para-skiing, Brian McKeever has dominated and added three more Paralympic golds at Pyeongchang 2018 to take him up to a total of 13.

"Nic is a highly-motivated professional who knows what it takes to win," said Shane Pearsall, chief executive at Cross Country Canada. 

"He has been through the peaks and valleys of a respected programme, while working closely with a number of accomplished high-performance directors who have achieved excellence on the biggest stage. 

"As a result, he understands the patience and time investment required to build a medal-winning programme.

"I am confident he can transfer this knowledge to help build a strong support team to ensure Canadian athletes and coaches achieve their performance goals."