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Government House (Alberta)
Encyclopedia
Government House is the former official residence of the lieutenant governors of Alberta, currently retained for ceremonial events and entertaining.
The property for the house was purchased by the Province of Alberta
in 1910, as well as the surrounding area. Construction on the building, intended from the outset to house the Lieutenant Governor, began in 1912, and the official opening was held on October 7, 1913. The three storey building is constructed of sandstone in the Jacobean Revival style
. It was used as a royal residence between its completion in 1913 and 1937; the Legislature cited economic concerns, as well as the closing of the Ontario Government House
the year previous, as reasons for the closure. However, the closure also came soon after Lieutenant Governor John C. Bowen
refused to grant Royal Assent
to three controversial bills passed through the Legislative Assembly
, and was, along with the removal of his support staff and official car, seen as an act of retaliation by Premier
William Aberhart
. The building was sold, and the furniture and fixtures were sold.
The building was used a boarding house for American pilots flying supplies up to the Alaska Highway
and then was acquired by the federal government as military hospital during the Second World War. After the war the building was used as convalescent home for veterans. The house and grounds were returned to the provincial Crown in 1964. The grounds became the site for the Provincial Museum of Alberta. The building itself was extensively restored and reopened as conference center for the Alberta government. It has since hosted many important functions including visits by Queen Elizabeth
and Pope John-Paul II.
Members of the Canadian Royal Family and visiting foreign dignitaries are greeted at the ceremonial porte-cochere
. Inside are reception rooms, conference rooms and support facilities; it is here that the Lieutenant Governor presides over swearing-in ceremonies for Cabinet ministers. Every Thursday while the legislature is in session, the caucus
of the governing party meets in the Alberta Room, a 100-seat conference room on the top floor.
While not in use, members of the public can take tours of the building at no cost. On display are artifacts and original pieces of furniture from the building's time as a residence, and information is also provided about the building's restoration and current functions.
Until 2005, unlike other provinces, Alberta has separate buildings for the official residence, office, and entertaining venue for the viceroy. The lieutenant governor lived in a Crown owned house in the Glenora
district of Edmonton
, while holding an office at the Legislative Assembly building
, where Royal Assent is granted, and where the Lieutenant Governor received the Premier. The house in Glenora was demolished in 2005, and as of 2008 there is no official residence for the lieutenant governor.
Whenever the sovereign is in the provincial capital, he or she resides at a hotel, normally the Hotel Macdonald
. This situation is similar to that of London
, where the monarch maintains St. James Palace as an official court for diplomatic and ceremonial functions, but resides elsewhere.
In 2011, the Government of Alberta stated a new Government House would be constructed after 2015.
The property for the house was purchased by the Province of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
in 1910, as well as the surrounding area. Construction on the building, intended from the outset to house the Lieutenant Governor, began in 1912, and the official opening was held on October 7, 1913. The three storey building is constructed of sandstone in the Jacobean Revival style
Jacobethan
Jacobethan is the style designation coined in 1933 by John Betjeman to describe the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the English Renaissance , with elements of Elizabethan and...
. It was used as a royal residence between its completion in 1913 and 1937; the Legislature cited economic concerns, as well as the closing of the Ontario Government House
Government House (Ontario)
Government House was the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada and Ontario, Canada. Four buildings were used for this purpose, none of which exist today, making Ontario one of four provinces to not have an official vice-regal residence....
the year previous, as reasons for the closure. However, the closure also came soon after Lieutenant Governor John C. Bowen
John C. Bowen
John Campbell Bowen was a clergy man, insurance broker and long serving politician. He served as an Alderman in the City of Edmonton on the municipal level and then went on to serve as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1926 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition...
refused to grant Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
to three controversial bills passed through the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
, and was, along with the removal of his support staff and official car, seen as an act of retaliation by Premier
Premier of Alberta
The Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Alberta is Alison Redford. She became Premier by winning the Progressive Conservative leadership elections on...
William Aberhart
William Aberhart
William Aberhart , also known as Bible Bill for his outspoken Baptist views, was a Canadian politician and the seventh Premier of Alberta between 1935 and 1943. The Social Credit party believed the reason for the depression was that people did not have enough money to spend, so the government...
. The building was sold, and the furniture and fixtures were sold.
The building was used a boarding house for American pilots flying supplies up to the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
and then was acquired by the federal government as military hospital during the Second World War. After the war the building was used as convalescent home for veterans. The house and grounds were returned to the provincial Crown in 1964. The grounds became the site for the Provincial Museum of Alberta. The building itself was extensively restored and reopened as conference center for the Alberta government. It has since hosted many important functions including visits by Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and Pope John-Paul II.
Members of the Canadian Royal Family and visiting foreign dignitaries are greeted at the ceremonial porte-cochere
Porte-cochere
A porte-cochère is the architectural term for a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th...
. Inside are reception rooms, conference rooms and support facilities; it is here that the Lieutenant Governor presides over swearing-in ceremonies for Cabinet ministers. Every Thursday while the legislature is in session, the caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
of the governing party meets in the Alberta Room, a 100-seat conference room on the top floor.
While not in use, members of the public can take tours of the building at no cost. On display are artifacts and original pieces of furniture from the building's time as a residence, and information is also provided about the building's restoration and current functions.
Until 2005, unlike other provinces, Alberta has separate buildings for the official residence, office, and entertaining venue for the viceroy. The lieutenant governor lived in a Crown owned house in the Glenora
Glenora
-Places:* Glenora, British Columbia, also Fort Glenora, an unincorporated settlement in British Columbia, Canada* Glenora, Ontario, a community in Ontario, Canada* Glenora, Edmonton, a neighborhood in Edmonton, Canada...
district of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, while holding an office at the Legislative Assembly building
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
, where Royal Assent is granted, and where the Lieutenant Governor received the Premier. The house in Glenora was demolished in 2005, and as of 2008 there is no official residence for the lieutenant governor.
Whenever the sovereign is in the provincial capital, he or she resides at a hotel, normally the Hotel Macdonald
Hotel Macdonald
The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is a hotel built in 1912 in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway...
. This situation is similar to that of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where the monarch maintains St. James Palace as an official court for diplomatic and ceremonial functions, but resides elsewhere.
In 2011, the Government of Alberta stated a new Government House would be constructed after 2015.
See also
- Government Houses of CanadaGovernment Houses of CanadaIn Canada, Government House is a title given to the official residences of the country's monarch and various viceroys...
- Government Houses of the British Empire
- Monarchy in AlbertaMonarchy in AlbertaBy the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in Alberta as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Alberta's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Alberta, Her Majesty in Right of Alberta, or The...
- Lieutenant Governor of AlbertaLieutenant Governor of AlbertaThe Lieutenant Governor of Alberta is the viceregal representative in Alberta of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the nine other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
- List of Lieutenant Governors of Alberta