The lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia () is the

viceregal A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

representative in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native En ...

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

Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwea ...

s and any subdivisions thereof, and resides predominantly in oldest realm, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and No ...

. 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 33rd lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia is Arthur Joseph LeBlanc, who has served in the role since 28 June 2017.

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 Legion The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization (veterans' organization) founded in 1925. Membership includes people who have served as military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, Royal ...

(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 in 2006 undertook 289 engagements and 384 in 2007. Lieutenant Governor's Commission of Appointment, 1925

Lieutenant Governor's Commission of Appointment, 1925

Dissolution of the Nova Scotia Legislature, 2017

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 escutcheon of the Arms of 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 King's federal representative. The aides-de-camp who serve the lieutenant governor wear on their uniforms a badge consisting of the flag of the lieutenant governor in the form of a shield surmounted by a St. Edward's Crown. The

Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for ...

designed the badge, with the authorisation on 20 May 2011 of

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 t ...

David Johnston David Lloyd Johnston (born June 28, 1941) is a Canadian academic, author, and statesman who served from 2010 to 2017 as Governor General of Canada, the 28th since Canadian Confederation. He is the commissioner of the Leaders' Debates Commis ...

, as well as of Queen Elizabeth II for the use of the royal crown.

History

The office of lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia came into being in 1786, when the government of William Pitt adopted the idea that Nova Scotia, along with

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, and

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

, 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 Governor-in-chief was a title used in the British Empire for certain colonial governors, usually where authority was held over more than one colony. The title gave way in the 19th century to that of Governor-General, although it remained in use as ...

, 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 A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

. Since that date, 30 lieutenant governors have served the province among whom were notable firsts, such as Myra Freeman, the first female lieutenant governor of the province, and Mayann Francis, the first lieutenant governor of Black Nova Scotian ancestry. The shortest mandate by a Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia was Joseph Howe, for three weeks in July 1873, and the longest was Malachy Bowes Daly, from 1890 to 1900.

References

External links

Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
{{Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and Dominions

Role and presence

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links