The lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan () is the representative in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

of the monarch, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada. The lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan is appointed in the same manner as the other provincial viceroys in Canada and is similarly tasked with carrying out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties. The current lieutenant governor is

Bernadette McIntyre Bernadette McIntyre (born February 1958) is the 24th lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan. She was appointed by the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, on December 6, 2024. McIntyre was sworn in on January 31, 2025 at the Saskatchewan ...

, who was sworn in on January 31, 2025.

Role and presence

The lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan is vested with a number of governmental duties and is also expected to undertake various ceremonial roles. For instance, the lieutenant governor acts as patron, honorary president, or an honorary member of certain Saskatchewan institutions, such as the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association, the Saskatchewan Craft Council, and the provincial poet laureate program. Further, Saskatchewan's lieutenant governor acts, by law, as the

visitor A visitor, in English and Welsh law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution, often a charitable institution set up for the perpetual distribution of the founder's alms and bounty, who can interve ...

to both the

University of Saskatchewan The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Universities in Canada, Canadian public university, public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...

and the

University of Regina The University of Regina is a public university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a j ...

, and under special circumstances may be called upon in this role, as happened in the University Crisis of 1919 at the University of Saskatchewan. The lieutenant governor, him or herself a member and Chancellor of the order, will induct deserving individuals into the

Saskatchewan Order of Merit The Saskatchewan Order of Merit is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Instituted in 1985 by Lieutenant Governor Frederick Johnson, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Grant Devine, the order is admi ...

and, upon installation, automatically becomes a Knight or Dame of Justice and the Vice-Prior in Saskatchewan of the

Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of St John, and also known as St John International, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedica ...

. The viceroy further presents other provincial honours and decorations, as well as various awards that are named for and presented by the lieutenant governor; these are generally created in partnership with another government or charitable organization and linked specifically to their cause. These honours are presented at official ceremonies, which count amongst hundreds of other engagements the lieutenant governor partakes in each year, either as host or guest of honour; in 2006, the lieutenant governor undertook 250 engagements and 450 in 2007. At these events, the lieutenant governor's presence is marked by the lieutenant governor's standard, consisting of a blue field bearing the escutcheon of the Arms of Majesty in Right of Saskatchewan surmounted by a crown and surrounded by ten gold maple leaves, symbolizing the ten provinces of Canada. Within Saskatchewan, the lieutenant governor also follows only the sovereign in the province's order of precedence, preceding even other members of the Canadian Royal Family and the Queen's federal representative. The former lieutenant governors of Saskatchewan are also honoured in official portraits collected together in the dedicated Qu'Appelle Gallery in the

Saskatchewan Legislative Building The Saskatchewan Legislative Building is located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and houses the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. History The Saskatchewan Legislative Building was built between 1908 and 1912 in the Be ...

History

The lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan came into being in 1905, upon Saskatchewan's entry into

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation () was the process by which three British North American provinces—the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick—were united into one federation, called the Name of Canada#Adoption of Dominion, Dominion of Ca ...

, and evolved from the earlier position of

lieutenant governor of the North-West Territories This is a list of historical lieutenant governors of the North-West Territories, Canada. The position of Lieutenant Governor lasted from the acquisition of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory in 1869 to the creation of Alberta and Sask ...

. Since that date, 24 lieutenant governors have served the province, amongst whom were notable firsts, such as

Sylvia Fedoruk Sylvia Olga Fedoruk ( e-doruk Ukrainian: Федорук) (May 5, 1927 – September 26, 2012) was a Canadian physicist, medical physicist, curler and the 17th lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan, from 1988 to 1994. Life Born in Canora, Saskat ...

the first female lieutenant governor of the provinceand

Russell Mirasty Russell Mirasty (born 1956 or 1957) is a former lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan. He was appointed by Governor General Julie Payette, on the constitutional advice of the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, on July 17, 2019. Mirasty was ...

, the first Indigenous person to hold the office. The shortest mandate by a lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan was Thomas Miller, from 27 February 1945 to 20 June 1945, while the longest was

Henry William Newlands Henry William Newlands (March 19, 1862 – August 9, 1954) was a Canadian politician and lawyer, who served as the fourth lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan, 1921 to 1931. Biography Born in March 1862 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Henry Willia ...

, from 18 February 1921 to 30 March 1931. It was in 1929 that the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan's personal discretion was required in the exercise of the

royal prerogative The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, Privilege (law), privilege, and immunity recognised in common law (and sometimes in Civil law (legal system), civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy) as belonging to the monarch, so ...

, when Henry Newlands had to select a new

premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

after

James Garfield Gardiner James Garfield Gardiner (30 November 1883 – 12 January 1962) was a Canadian farmer, educator, and politician. He served as the fourth premier of Saskatchewan and as a minister in the Canadian Cabinet. Political career Gardiner was first elec ...

lost the

confidence Confidence is the feeling of belief or trust that a person or thing is reliable. * * * Self-confidence is trust in oneself. Self-confidence involves a positive belief that one can generally accomplish what one wishes to do in the future. Sel ...

of the Legislative Assembly and the opposing Progressive Conservative Party had managed to form a coalition with the Progressive Party and independent members of the assembly. With the 1944 election of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Party to a majority in the Legislative Assembly, the office of the lieutenant governor was targeted for spending cutbacks.

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries. Government Houses in th ...

was closed and the viceroy given only a small office at the Hotel Saskatchewan as a replacement, and

guards of honour A guard of honour (Commonwealth English), honor guard (American English) or ceremonial guard, is a group of people, typically drawn from the military, appointed to perform ceremonial duties – for example, to receive or guard a head of state ...

and playing of the Viceregal Salute were dispensed with. This trend continued, due to lack of initiative rather than hostility towards the Crown, until the 1980s when the viceroy's honours were restored and Government House was saved from demolition.

References

External links

Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
{{Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and Dominions *

Westminster system in Canada 1905 establishments in Saskatchewan

Role and presence

History

See also

References

External links