Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (icon) is the viceregal
representative in Nova Scotia
of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province
but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada
and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom
. The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia 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 present, and 30th, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia is Mayann Francis, who has served in the role since 7 September 2006.
(Nova Scotia-Nunavut Command). Also, The viceroy, him or herself a member and Chancellor of the order, will induct deserving individuals into the Order of Nova Scotia
and, upon installation, automatically becomes a Knight or Dame of Justice and the Vice-Prior in Nova Scotia of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
. The viceroy further presents numerous 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; the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia in 2006 undertook 289 engagements and 384 in 2007.
At these events, the lieutenant governor's presence is marked by the lieutenant governor's standard
, consisting, unlike most other viceregal flags in Canada, of the Royal Union Flag
defaced with the shield of the Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Nova Scotia
surrounded by a circle of 18 green maple leaves. This is the last of the Canadian governors' flags to retain the original design set out by Queen Victoria in 1869, though for a period in the 1950s, the lieutenant governor used a flag bearing simply the arms of the province. Within Nova Scotia, 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
.
adopted the idea that Nova Scotia, along with New Brunswick
, Quebec
, and Prince Edward Island
, should have as their respective governors a single individual. The earlier post of Governor of Nova Scotia thus came to be occupied by the overreaching authority of the governor-in-chief, who was represented in the colony by a lieutenant. The modern incarnation of the office, however, was established in 1867, upon Nova Scotia's entry into Confederation
. Since that date, 30 lieutenant governors have served the province, amongst whom were notable firsts, such as Myra Freeman
the first female lieutenant governor of the province and Mayann Francis the first lieutenant governor of West Indian
ancestry. The shortest mandate by a Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia was Joseph Howe
, for three weeks in July 1873, while the longest was MacCallum Grant
, from 1916 to 1925.
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
representative in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province
Monarchy in Nova Scotia
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Nova Scotia as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Nova Scotia's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Nova Scotia, Her Majesty in Right of...
but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada
Canadian federalism
Canada is a federation with two distinct jurisdictions of political authority: the country-wide federal government and the ten regionally-based provincial governments. It also has three territorial governments in the far north, though these are subject to the federal government...
and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia is appointed in the same manner as the other provincial viceroys in Canada
Lieutenant Governor (Canada)
In Canada, a lieutenant governor is the viceregal representative in a provincial jurisdiction of the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom...
and is similarly tasked with carrying out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties. The present, and 30th, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia is Mayann Francis, who has served in the role since 7 September 2006.
Role and presence
The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia 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 Nova Scotia institutions, such as the Multicultural Association of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Salmon Association, and the Royal Canadian LegionRoyal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
(Nova Scotia-Nunavut Command). Also, The viceroy, him or herself a member and Chancellor of the order, will induct deserving individuals into the Order of Nova Scotia
Order of Nova Scotia
The Order of Nova Scotia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Instituted on 2 August 2001, when Lieutenant Governor Myra Freeman granted Royal Assent to the Order of Nova Scotia Act, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
and, upon installation, automatically becomes a Knight or Dame of Justice and the Vice-Prior in Nova Scotia of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
. The viceroy further presents numerous 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; the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia in 2006 undertook 289 engagements and 384 in 2007.
Flags of the Lieutenant Governors of Canada
As the viceregal representative of the monarch of Canada, the lieutenant governors of the Canadian provinces have since Confederation been entitled to and have used a personal standard. Within a lieutenant governor's province, this standard has precedence over any other flag, including the national...
, consisting, unlike most other viceregal flags in Canada, of the Royal Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
defaced with the shield of the Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Nova Scotia
Coat of arms of Nova Scotia
The coat of arms of the province of Nova Scotia is the oldest provincial achievement of arms in Canada, and the oldest British coat of arms outside Great Britain. It was granted in 1625 by King Charles I for the first Scottish colony on the Canadian mainland...
surrounded by a circle of 18 green maple leaves. This is the last of the Canadian governors' flags to retain the original design set out by Queen Victoria in 1869, though for a period in the 1950s, the lieutenant governor used a flag bearing simply the arms of the province. Within Nova Scotia, the lieutenant governor also follows only the sovereign in the province's order of precedence
Order of precedence in Nova Scotia
The Nova Scotia order of precedence is a nominal and symbolic hierarchy of important positions within the province of Nova Scotia. It has no legal standing but is used to dictate ceremonial protocol at events of a provincial nature....
, preceding even other members of the Canadian Royal Family and the Queen's federal representative
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
.
History
The office of Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia came into being in 1786, when the government of William PittWilliam Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
adopted the idea that Nova Scotia, along with New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, should have as their respective governors a single individual. The earlier post of Governor of Nova Scotia thus came to be occupied by the overreaching authority of the governor-in-chief, who was represented in the colony by a lieutenant. The modern incarnation of the office, however, was established in 1867, upon Nova Scotia's entry into Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
. Since that date, 30 lieutenant governors have served the province, amongst whom were notable firsts, such as Myra Freeman
Myra Freeman
-References:* . Government of Nova Scotia. Accessed 2010-12-22....
the first female lieutenant governor of the province and Mayann Francis the first lieutenant governor of West Indian
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
ancestry. The shortest mandate by a Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia was Joseph Howe
Joseph Howe
Joseph Howe, PC was a Nova Scotian journalist, politician, and public servant. He is one of Nova Scotia's greatest and best-loved politicians...
, for three weeks in July 1873, while the longest was MacCallum Grant
MacCallum Grant
MacCallum Grant was a Canadian businessman and the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.Born in Hants County, Nova Scotia, the son of John Nutting and Margaret Grant, Grant was educated in Newport, Nova Scotia. He commenced his business career with S. A. White & Co, in 1873. He was a member of...
, from 1916 to 1925.