| Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the lieutenant governor | |
 Standard of the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan | |
since 31 January 2025 | |
| Viceroy | |
| Style | Her Honourthe Honourable |
| Appointer | Thegovernor general on the advice of theprime minister |
| Term length | At the governor general's pleasure |
| Formation | September 1, 1905 |
| First holder | Amédée E. Forget |
| Website | www.ltgov.sk.ca |
Thelieutenant governor of Saskatchewan (/lɛfˈtɛnənt/) is the representative inSaskatchewan of the monarch, whooperates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with theten other jurisdictions of Canada. The lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan is appointed in the same manner asthe other provincial viceroys in Canada and is similarly tasked with carrying out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties.[1] The current lieutenant governor isBernadette McIntyre, who was sworn in on January 31, 2025.
The lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan is vested witha number of governmental duties and is also expected to undertakevarious 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 thevisitor to both theUniversity of Saskatchewan and theUniversity of Regina, 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,[2] will induct deserving individuals into theSaskatchewan Order of Merit and, upon installation, automatically becomes a Knight or Dame of Justice and the Vice-Prior in Saskatchewan of theMost Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.[3] The viceroy further presents otherprovincial honours and decorations, as well asvarious 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.[4] 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.[5]
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At these events, the lieutenant governor's presence is marked bythe lieutenant governor's standard, consisting of a blue field bearing the escutcheon of theArms of His Majesty in Right of Saskatchewan surmounted by a crown and surrounded by ten gold maple leaves, symbolizing theten provinces of Canada. Within Saskatchewan, the lieutenant governor also follows only the sovereign in theprovince's order of precedence, preceding even other members of theCanadian Royal Family and theQueen's federal representative. The former lieutenant governors of Saskatchewan are also honoured in official portraits collected together in the dedicated Qu'Appelle Gallery in theSaskatchewan Legislative Building.
The lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan came into being in 1905, upon Saskatchewan's entry intoCanadian Confederation,[6] and evolved from the earlier position oflieutenant governor of the North-West Territories. Since that date, 24 lieutenant governors have served the province, amongst whom were notable firsts, such asSylvia Fedoruk – the first female lieutenant governor of the province – andRussell Mirasty, the firstIndigenous person to hold the office. The shortest mandate by a lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan wasThomas Miller, from 27 February 1945 to 20 June 1945, while the longest wasHenry William Newlands, 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 theroyal prerogative, whenHenry Newlands had to select a newpremier afterJames Garfield Gardiner lost theconfidence of theLegislative Assembly and the opposingProgressive Conservative Party had managed to form a coalition with theProgressive Party and independent members of the assembly.[7] With the1944 election of theCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Party to a majority in the Legislative Assembly, the office of the lieutenant governor was targeted for spending cutbacks.Government House was closed and the viceroy given only a small office at theHotel Saskatchewan as a replacement, andguards of honour and playing of theViceregal 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.[7]