| Lieutenant Governor of Alberta | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the lieutenant governor | |
 Flag of the lieutenant governor | |
 | |
| Viceroy | |
| Seat | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Appointer | Thegovernor general on the advice of theprime minister |
| Term length | At the governor general's pleasure |
| Formation | 1 September 1905 |
| First holder | George H. V. Bulyea[1] |
| Website | lieutenantgovernor |
Thelieutenant governor of Alberta (/lɛfˈtɛnənt/) is the representative inAlberta of the monarch. The lieutenant governor 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.[2]
Salma Lakhani is the current lieutenant governor. On 26 August 2020, she was installed as the 19th lieutenant governor, becoming the first South Asian and Muslim in Canadian history to hold the role.[3][4]
The lieutenant governor is vested witha number of governmental duties and is also expected to undertakevarious ceremonial roles. The lieutenant governor, who is the Chancellor and a member of theAlberta Order of Excellence,[5] inducts deserving individuals into the order. Upon appointment, the lieutenant governor automatically becomes a Knight or Dame of Justice and the Vice-Prior in Alberta of theMost Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.[6] 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.[7] 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 328 engagements and 280 in 2007.[8]
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 Alberta surmounted by a crown and surrounded by ten gold maple leaves, symbolizing theten provinces of Canada. Within Alberta, the lieutenant governor also follows only the sovereign in theprovince's order of precedence, preceding even other members of theCanadian royal family and theGovernor General of Canada.
.svg)
The office of lieutenant governor of Alberta came into being in 1905,[1] upon Alberta's entry intoCanadian Confederation,[9] and evolved from the earlier position oflieutenant governor of the North-West Territories. Since that date, 19 lieutenant governors have served the province, amongst whom were notable firsts, such asNorman Kwong—the firstAsian-Canadian lieutenant governor of Alberta—andHelen Hunley—the first female lieutenant governor of the province. The shortest mandate by a lieutenant governor of Alberta wasPhilip Primrose, from 1 October 1936 to his death on 17 March 1937, while the longest wasJohn C. Bowen, from 23 March 1937 to 1 February 1950. In 1956, following his appointment, Lieutenant GovernorJohn J. Bowlen became the first provincial viceroy in Canada to be granted an audience with the Canadian monarch, starting a tradition that continues today for all of Canada's lieutenant governors.[10]
One of the few examples in Canada of a viceroy exercising theroyal prerogative against or withoutministerial advice came in 1937, when John Bowenreserved royal assent to three bills passed through thelegislative assembly; two of the bills would have put the province's banks under the control of the provincial government, while a third, theAccurate News and Information Act, would have forced newspapers to printCabinet rebuttals to stories the ministers objected to. All three bills were later declared unconstitutional by theSupreme Court of Canada and theJudicial Committee of the Privy Council, though, in retaliation for this move by Bowen, hispremier,William Aberhart, closedGovernment House (the viceregal residence), removed the lieutenant governor's secretary and support offices, and took away his official car.[11][12] Nearly seven decades later,Lois Hole, lieutenant governor from 2000 until her death in 2005, publicly stated that she wished to discuss with her premier,Ralph Klein, the proposed Bill 11, which was meant to allow privatehealth care to compete with thepublic health care system. From this it was suspected that Hole might reserve royal assent to the bill; however, Hole eventually did allow the bill to pass.[13]
The lieutenant governor no longer has a home provided as a residence during his or her term.[1]
From 1913 to 1938,[1] the title holder resided at Government House and from 1966 to 2004 at 58 St. George's Crescent inGlenora.[14] The former home is nowAlberta Government Conference Centre, and the latter was demolished in 2005.[14]
A residence was built for Lieutenant Governor John J. Bowlen, in which he lived from 1950 to 1959, at 13604 Ravine Drive.
The federal expenses of the lieutenant governor in the exercise of her official duties for fiscal year 2022–23 were:[16]
| Order of precedence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Order of precedence in Alberta as of 2015[update] | Succeeded by |
