Gordon Leslie Barnhart (born January 22, 1945) is a former Clerk of the
Senate of Canada and the
Saskatchewan Legislature, as well as former Secretary of the
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
. He was the
20th Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan
The lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan () is the viceregal representative in Saskatchewan of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as well as the other Commonw ...
from 2006 until 2012. He was the interim President of the
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
as from May 21, 2014 until October 24, 2015.
Biography
Barnhart was born in
Saltcoats, Saskatchewan
Saltcoats is a town in east-central Saskatchewan near the Manitoba border in Canada. The town's population was 474 in 2011. The town was built in the late 19th century, and its economy was driven by the railway. There is no longer passenger servic ...
. He completed his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
in
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
in 1967 and in 1968, he took a job teaching grades 10 and 11 history at North Battleford Collegiate Institute (now
North Battleford Comprehensive High School
North Battleford Comprehensive High School (NBCHS) is one of three high schools in the city of North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. NBCHS has a student body of around 1300 students, and a faculty of approximately 60 teachers.
History
Constructi ...
). In 1968, after only four months of teaching, he was appointed Clerk of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly, the youngest to take on such a position across the Commonwealth. During his tenure, he worked on his
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
at the
University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public university, public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the Unive ...
, completing it in 1977.
In 1989,
Governor General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...
Jeanne Sauvé
Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé (; April 26, 1922 – January 26, 1993) was a Canadian politician and journalist who served as Governor General of Canada, the 23rd since Canadian Confederation.
Sauvé was born in Prud'homme, Saskatchewan, and educate ...
, on the advice of
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Brian Mulroney, appointed Barnhart to
Clerk of the Senate, and thereby
Clerk of the Parliaments
The Clerk of the Parliaments is the chief clerk of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The position has existed since at least 1315, and duties include preparing the minutes of Lords proceedings, advising on proper parlia ...
. After five years, which included contributing to the failed
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord (french: Accord de Charlottetown) was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October ...
, he resigned from his position in the Senate. He returned to the University of Saskatchewan, where he completed his
Doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...
in 1998.
From 2000 to 2005, he served as Secretary of the University of Saskatchewan. He retired to teach political studies classes, specializing in Canadian politics, government and the
Canadian Senate.
In 2001, Barnhart's book ''Peace, Progress and Prosperity'' (), which provided the first detailed biography of Saskatchewan's first premier,
Thomas Walter Scott
Walter Scott (full name: Thomas Walter Scott) (October 27, 1867 – March 23, 1938) was the first premier of Saskatchewan from 1905 to 1916.
Scott was Saskatchewan's second longest-serving Premier, serving one continuous term from 1905 to 1 ...
, was first published. Some of his other works include ''Saskatchewan's Premiers of the Twentieth Century'', ''Building for the Future; a photo journal of Saskatchewan's Legislative Building'' and ''Parliamentary Committees: Enhancing Democratic Governance''.
On April 28, 2006,
Canadian Prime Minister
The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority the elected House of Commons; as such ...
Stephen Harper announced that Gordon Barnhart would replace
Lynda Haverstock
Lynda Maureen Haverstock ( Ham; born September 16, 1948) is the former leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, and served as the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan from 2000 un ...
as
Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan
The lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan () is the viceregal representative in Saskatchewan of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as well as the other Commonw ...
. He was sworn in on August 1, 2006. Barnhart's term ended on March 22, 2012, when he was replaced by
Vaughn Solomon Schofield.
The
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
announced that Barnhart would return to the faculty of the Department of History as of April 1, 2012 as an adjunct professor.
On May 21, 2014, it was announced that Barnhart had been appointed interim President at the University of Saskatchewan to replace
Ilene Busch-Vishniac
Ilene Busch-Vishniac is an American-born mechanical engineer and university administrator. She served as Dean of the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from 1998 to 2003 then resigned the position to serve as President of th ...
who was fired. He served as interim president until October 24, 2015, when he was succeeded by
Peter Stoicheff.
On June 30, 2014, Barnhart was named a Member of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the cen ...
.
As mayor of the town of
Saltcoats, Barnhart has served as the president of the organization of Municipalities of Saskatchewan from 2017 - 2021. During his 2021 re-election for the Municipalities of Saskatchewan presidency, Barnhart was found to be vacationing in Hawaii despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the border between the United States and Canada being closed to nonessential travel. Barnhart lost his re-election bid by an overwhelming margin, receiving 115 votes compared to the victor,
Rodger Hayward's 351 votes.
As Lieutenant-Governor
As lieutenant-governor, Barnhart carries out such duties as reading throne speeches, swearing in premiers and cabinet ministers, opening legislative sessions, approving legislation and bestowing honours to Saskatchewan citizens.
Upon being sworn in, Barnhart expressed his respect and admiration for his predecessors. As an academic, he expects to focus his efforts on education. He also plans on travelling a great deal to continue the office's accessibility to average Saskatchewanians provided by Haverstock.
Barnhart hosted hundreds of visitors on the occasion of his first New Year's
Levee at Government House in 2007, a traditional event that lieutenant-governors in Regina have hosted since 1884.
Barnhart also initiated the "Lieutenant-Governor's Leadership Forum",
which will accept eighteen grade 11 and 12 students each year from 2007 till 2011 to tour the province, meet successful leaders in various fields, and to develop the students' own leadership abilities.
Additional roles
*Visitor to the University of Saskatchewan
*Visitor to the University of Regina
Patronage
*Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association
*Canadians Clubs of Saskatchewan
*Canadian Parents for French
*Canadian Peony Society Show, Regina, 2008
*Conexus Arts Centre
The Conexus Arts Centre, known from 1970 till 2006 (and still largely known) as the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts, is a theatre complex located within Wascana Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, which largely replaces former theatres downt ...
, Regina
*Saskatchewan Craft Council
*Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association
*International Biology Olympiad, Saskatoon, 2007
*Lung Association of Saskatchewan
*Luther College, Regina
* Monarchist League of Canada
*Saskatchewan Music Festivals Association
*Saskatchewan Poet Laureate Program
*Lyric Musical Theatre (formerly Regina Lyric Light Opera)
* Saskatchewan Youth Parliament
*Saskatchewan Architectural Heritage Society
Arms
See also
*Monarchy in Saskatchewan
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Saskatchewan as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Saskatchewan's jurisdiction is referred to as ''the ...
* Government House (Saskatchewan)
References
External links
Official website of the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
by Sarah Macdonald, ''The Leader-Post'', July 31, 2006, retrieved August 1, 2006,
retrieved December 18, 2006,
Office of the Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan
Feature interview with the ''Sheaf'' newspaper (2007)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnhart, Gordon
20th-century Canadian civil servants
21st-century Canadian historians
Canadian male non-fiction writers
Historians of Canada
Lieutenant Governors of Saskatchewan
Members of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit
Presidents of the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan alumni
Living people
1945 births
People from Saltcoats, Saskatchewan
Members of the Order of Canada
Legislative clerks