The Lieutenant Governors

The Lieutenant Governors

The lieutenant governors are appointed by the Governor General, in the name of The King, on the advice of the prime minister. Each represents The Sovereign within their province. In this way, the vice-regal representatives mirror the country’s federal system, underlining that the provinces are as potent in the exercise of their constitutional responsibilities as is the national government in its assigned jurisdictions. It is an historic office, in a sense pre-dating that of the Governor General, as the earliest colonial governors—of whom Samuel de Champlain was first—in fact he had responsibility for areas roughly corresponding to some of today’s provinces.

Following the use of a successful ad hoc advisory panel for the selection of a Governor General in 2010, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on November 4, 2012, the creation of a permanent new Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments, chaired by the Canadian Secretary to The Queen, Kevin MacLeod, with permanent members Robert Watt (Citizenship Judge and formerly first Chief Herald of Canada) and Jacques Monet, SJ (historian, author and former University president). The new non-partisan Advisory Committee provided the Prime Minister with non-binding recommendations on the selection of the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors. For the purpose of recommending a Lieutenant Governor, two temporary members were added to the Committee from the province concerned.

As of the 2015 election, the Advisory Committee is dormant.

As with the Governor General, the lieutenant governors are appointed to serve at His Majesty’s pleasure. However, by custom, vice-regal appointments are five years. Not infrequently this time may be extended. For many years, males occupied all or most of the positions. Reflecting societal changes, today’s are mainly female.

The role of the lieutenant governors is both constitutional and social. As representative of the Sovereign, they form a part of the provincial legislative assemblies, summoning and dissolving its sessions and giving royal assent to legislation in The King’s name. They must approve all actions (“Orders-in-Council”) of the provincial executive councils. Generally, they preside over the provinces’ honours systems, allowing the provincial Orders and similar recognitions to carry the dignity and prestige of the Crown. Socially, they lend their vice-regal patronage to a variety of causes and community events, ranging from the Scouts to prizes for academic and literary achievement, thus underlining the important role of the Crown in encouraging Canadians to give of their best. Each lieutenant governor chooses several areas of special concern that serve to draw the attention of the population to wide-ranging causes such as reconciliation, inclusiveness and to youth issues.

Much of the most influential role of the Crown takes place in local communities, day to day, and often under the radar of the national media, through the constant round of vice-regal activities undertaken by Canada’s ten lieutenant governors, through very modest budgets. Each represents The King in a way reflective of the province and of their own personal style.

Below are brief descriptions of The King’s provincial representatives.

The Hon. Janice Filmon, former Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba with the Late Queen

Alberta

The Honourable Salma Lakhani

Installation: August 26, 2020
Position most recently held prior to appointment: Volunteer in Edmonton community organizations
Key focus: Mentorship of ESL students, support for new immigrants, health care education
Quotable: “I have spent many days reflecting on the immense significance, and incredible privilege, of being appointed as Her Majesty’s representative in this great province, almost 50 years after the British government graciously allowed us to complete an education that brought us here…to this remarkable country and extraordinary province, which opened its arms and became a home to a young couple who arrived in the middle of the night, from a world away, unsure of what the future would bring.” – Installation Speech
www.lieutenantgovernor.ab.ca

British Columbia

The Honourable Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia

Installation: 30 January, 2025
Position most recently held prior to appointment: Philanthropist and entrepreneur, co-founder of Pacific Autism Family Network
Key focus: The power of compassion, the call to service, and the perseverance to create a better world
Quotable: “As I look toward the future, I see a BC where empathy is not just encouraged but expected, where service is not just acknowledged, but celebrated and meaningful inclusion is not just an idea, but a reality.”
www.ltgov.bc.ca

Manitoba

The Honourable Anita R Neville

Installation: October 24, 2022
Position most recently held prior to appointment: community activist in charitable and non-profit projects
Key focus: Reconciliation, justice, learning

www.manitobalg.ca

New Brunswick

The Honourable Louise Imbeault

Installation: 22 January, 2025
Position most recently held prior to appointment: Chancellor, Université de Moncton, Head of Bouton d’Or Acadie, a publishing house that promotes Acadian and Indigenous stories.
Key focus: Acadian culture, the arts, and Indigenous Peoples
Quotable: “I will strive to bring different cultural communities together, promote social justice and honour our treaty obligations, while working towards the elimination of systemic inequalities.”
www.gnb.ca

Newfoundland and Labrador

The Honourable Joan Marie J. Aylward

Installation: November 14, 2023
Position most recently held prior to appointment: Executive Director, St Patrick’s Mercy Home; Vice-Chair, NL Labour Relations Board; Chair, Aging Population Committee for Health Accord for NL
Key focus: Education, “children as leaders today”
Quotable: “While many aspects of this position are ceremonial, its endurance maintains the commitment of our province and our Canada to a constitutional democracy steeped in the history of struggle, loss and error.” (from Installation address)
www.govhouse.nl.ca

Nova Scotia

The Honourable Mike Savage

Installation: 13 December, 2024
Position most recently held prior to appointment: Mayor, Halifax Regional Municipality
Key focus: Sustainability, accessibility and inclusion.
Quotable: “It is a profound honour to be entrusted with the duties and responsibilities of this office. I am deeply committed to serving both the Crown and the people of this remarkable province, while celebrating its rich heritage, diverse communities and boundless potential for the future.”
lt.gov.ns.ca

Ontario

The Honourable Edith Dumont

Installation: November 16, 2023
Position most recently held prior to appointment: Vice-President of Partnerships, Communities, and International Relations, Université de l’Ontario français
Key focus: Support democracy in Ontario, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
Quotable: “My goal will be to ensure, both in words and through positive social action, that the office of the lieutenant-governor remains a relevant institution for advancing civic engagement, building inclusive communities, and supporting the future of our democracy” (extract from Installation address)
www.lgontario.ca

Prince Edward Island

The Honourable Dr. Wassim Salamoun

IInstallation: 17 October, 2024
Position most recently held prior to appointment: Medical Director of Hospitals in Western Prince Edward Island
Key focus: To address issues of intolerance and domestic abuse, speak with young people
Quotable: “It is something that is totally new, totally different from what I’ve done, and there’s some excitement to learning and doing something really, really different.” “Our society is quite diverse and they need to see that… as a positive.”
www.lgpei.ca

Québec

The Honourable Manon Jeannotte

Installation: January 25, 2024
Position most recently held prior to appointment: Director, First Nations Executive Education at HEC Montreal
Key focus: Being a representative voice for all Quebecers
Quotable: “The Crown represents one of the colonizers of the First Peoples of this continent. As an Aboriginal person, I should be the very first to want its abolition. However, this is not the case… Like the majority of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, I agreed to work with the system in place, namely the system of constitutional monarchy, of which Quebec is an integral part…This process of acceptance is precisely part of reconciliation…I respect differences of opinion… I will always act with respect for the different parties sitting in the National Assembly and I expect in return the same welcome… and the same respect.”
www.lieutenante-gouverneure.qc.ca

Saskatchewan

The Honourable Bernadette McIntyre

Installation: January 31, 2025
Position most recently held prior to appointment: Principal, Soreco Consulting; Interim Executive Director, Globe Theatre, Regina
Key focus: Volunteerism
Quotable: “Growth and success come from the combined strength of many people. You are those people.”
www.ltgov.sk.ca