In Canada , Government House is a title given to the royal residences of the country's monarch and various viceroys (the governor general , the lieutenant governors , and territorial commissioners [a] ). Though not universal, in most cases the title is also the building's sole name; for example, the sovereign's and governor general's principal residence in Ottawa is known as Government House only in formal contexts, being more generally referred to as Rideau Hall . The use of the term Government House is an inherited custom from the British Empire , where there were and are many government houses .
There is currently no government house for the Lieutenant Governors of Ontario (repurposed in 1937 and demolished in 1961 ), Quebec (destroyed by fire in 1966 ), Alberta (closed in 1938 and repurchased and repurposed in 1964 ), or the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories . The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario has a suite within the Ontario Legislative Building .
Present government houses [ edit ]
Former government houses [ edit ]
Building name
Residents' positions
Location
Image
Notes
Commissioner's Residence[1]
Commissioner of Yukon (1898–1953)
Dawson City
Now a Parks Canada historic site
Chateau St. Louis [2]
Governor of Quebec (1760 – 1791)Lieutenant-Governor of Lower Canada and Governor-General of British North America (1791 – 1834)
Quebec City
Destroyed by fire, 1834; now site of Château Frontenac
Chateau de Ramezay [2]
Lieutenant-Governor of Lower Canada and Governor-General of British North America (circa 1834)
Montreal
Now a museum.
Government House
Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (1800 – 1813)
York
Destroyed by explosion, 1813. Site is located with current day Fort York .
Elmsley House
Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (1800 – 1813)Governor General of the Province of Canada (1849 – 1852, 1856 – 1858)
Toronto
Destroyed by fire, 1862. Now occupied by Metro Hall and Roy Thomson Hall .
Alwington House
Governor General of the Province of Canada (1841 – 1844)
Kingston
Damaged by fire, 1958; demolished, 1959. Site now Alwington Place as well as retaining wall for Llynlea (Arthur Davies home) 1963.
Government House
Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario (1868 – 1912)
Toronto
Sold and demolished, 1912.
Chorley Park
Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario (1915 – 1937)
Toronto
Other uses, then demolished 1961. Now site of city park.
Spencerwood
Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (1870 – 1966)
Quebec City
Destroyed by fire in 1966.
Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories (1870 – 1876)
Fort Garry
Capital moved to Fort Livingstone.
Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories (1876 – 1877)
Fort Livingstone
Capital moved to Battleford. Now site of Fort Livingstone National Historic Site.
Cary Castle
Governor of Vancouver Island (1865 – 1866)Governor of the United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia (1868 – 1871)Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia (1871 – 1903)
Victoria
Destroyed by fire 1903.
Governor of British Columbia (18?? – 1866)Governor of the United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia (1866 – 1868)
New Westminster
Capital moved to Victoria. Now Royal City Manor.
Government House
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia (190? – 1957)
Victoria
Destroyed by fire 1957. Government House rebuilt after fire.
Government House
Lieutenant-Governor of the Northwest Territories (1883 – 1889)
Regina
Replaced 1889, demolished 1908. Now site of Luther College .
Government House
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (1913 – 1938)
Edmonton
Other uses 1948 – 1964, now the Alberta Government Conference Centre.
58 St. George's Crescent [3]
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (1966 – 2004)
Edmonton
Demolished 2005.
Government House in Fort Townshend
Governor of Newfoundland (1781 – 1831)
St. John's
The Monklands
Governor General of the Province of Canada (1844 – 1849)
Montreal
Capital moved (1849), now Catholic high school, Villa Maria .
Government House
Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories (1878 – 1883)
Battleford
Capital moved to Regina (1883), building destroyed by fire 2003. Still National historic site with archaeological remains of the destroyed structure.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Sources [ edit ]