Monarchy in Saskatchewan
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As a province within Canada, Saskatchewan uses a Westminster System of constitutional monarchy for its government, under Queen Elizabeth II as the reigning Queen of Canada since February 6, 1952. Due to Canada's federal nature, eleven legally distinct Crowns effectively exist in the country, with the Monarch being represented separately in each province, as well as at the federal level.
In Saskatchewan, the Sovereign is represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan, currently Dr. Gordon Barnhart, since 2006.
| “ | Parliamentary democracy has fostered tolerance and flexibility – a good balance between individual rights and collective responsibilities. And this is because the Constitutional Monarchy has always placed the emphasis on people in community – as it were, a national family with the Sovereign as its head.[1] | ” |
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[edit] Constitutional monarchy in Saskatchewan
Under the Canadian constitutional monarchy system the headship of state is not a part of either the federal or provincial jurisdictions; the Queen reigns impartially over the country as a whole. Thus, Saskatchewan has a separate government headed by the Queen; however, as a province, Saskatchewan is not itself a monarchy.
A Lieutenant Governor is appointed by the Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister of Canada, to serve as the Queen's representative in the province, carrying out all the Monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties of state on her behalf; though, as in the other Commonwealth Realms, the Monarch's role, and thereby the Vice-regal's role, is almost entirely symbolic and cultural, and the powers that are constitutionally hers are exercised wholly upon the advice of the elected government. In exceptional circumstances, however, the Monarch or vice-regal has acted against such advice based upon his or her reserve powers. All laws in Saskatchewan are enacted with the vice-regal's signature, known as giving Royal Assent; it and proclamation are required for all acts of the provincial legislature, usually granted or withheld by the Lieutenant Governor, with the Great Seal of Saskatchewan.
The Lieutenant-Governor, him or herself a recipient of the award, bestows the Saskatchewan Order of Merit on deserving Saskatchewan citizens. The Queen, other members of the Canadian Royal Family, and/or the Lieutenant Governor also attend various functions throughout the province and abroad, either as the host or a guest of honour.
[edit] Symbols
Images of St. Edward's, the Tudor, and King's Crown are visible on the Saskatchewan Coat of arms, military badges (see Canadian Armed Forces Tri-service badge), and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, the latter illustrating the Monarch's place as the ceremonial head of the Canadian honours system. Portraits of the Monarch are often found in government buildings, schools, and military installations.
The Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan bears a personal flag, or vice-regal standard, which consists of a blue field bearing the shield of the Saskatchewan coat of arms, surmounted by a crown, and surrounded by ten gold maple leafs, symbolizing the ten provinces. The flag is flown on the Lieutenant Governor's car, on the provincial landau (used on ceremonial occasions), and may also be flown on a building where the Lieutenant Governor is present; the vice-regal standard is never used inside a building.[2]
Monuments to members of the Royal Family are located across the province. In Saskatchewan's capital city, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Equestrian Statue stands prominently in front of the Legislative Building. Unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005, the bronze statue depicts Queen Elizabeth II on Saskatchewan-born horse Burmese, the favourite horse she was presented with by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1969.
The Office of the Queen's Printer publishes and distributes the authoritative versions of all Government of Saskatchewan legislation, regulations and other legislative publications including The Saskatchewan Gazette, the Statutes of Saskatchewan, the Regulations of Saskatchewan, theTables to Statutes and Regulations of Saskatchewan, the Rules of Court, and any publications that the Lieutenant Governor in Council orders.[3]
- Further information: National symbols of Canada and Canadian royal symbols
[edit] Official residence and office
Unlike other provinces, Saskatchewan does not have an official provincial residence for the monarch or vice-regal; instead he or she holds an office and a suite of rooms for entertaining at Government House. Originally built to house the Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories, the building was used as a royal residence between 1891 and 1945. The offices were returned to the building in 1984, while the Lieutenant Governor currently lives in a Saskatoon residence rented by the federal Crown.[4] Whenever the Sovereign is in the provincial capital, he or she resides at a hotel, normally the Hotel Saskatchewan.
The present royal mansion is a two storey [[ building, with its own ceremonial porte-cochere entrance where members of the Canadian Royal Family and visiting foreign dignitaries are greeted. Inside are reception rooms, offices and support facilities. The Lieutenant Governor's office is the site of swearing-in ceremonies for Cabinet ministers, where Royal Assent is granted, and where the Lieutenant Governor receives the Premier.
- Further information: Government House (Saskatchewan)
[edit] Royal presence
Members of the Royal Family have been visiting Saskatchewan since before the province joined Confederation, either as a Royal tour, a Vice-regal tour, or as a "working visit" (meaning in association with a charity or military organization instead of a state affair). Queen Elizabeth II has traveled to Saskatchewan more than any other member of the Royal Family, touring all parts of the province from Fort Qu'Appelle to Kindersley.[5]
| “ | In pondering The Queen's remarks; in meeting today with her representative in Saskatchewan, the Lieutenant-Governor; in reflecting on my welcome encounter with the Governor General in Ottawa last night; I am conscious that the Canadian Crown is indeed a crucial element of Canada's distinctive presence in North America.[6] | ” |
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— The Prince of Wales in Regina, Saskatchewan, 2001
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Royal visits to Saskatchewan:
- The Princess Louise and Marquess of Lorne - 1882
- The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York - 1901
- Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught - 1906, 1912, 1916
- Duchess of Connaught - 1912, 1916
- Princess Patricia - 1912, 1916
- The Prince of Wales - 1919, 1927
- Prince George - 1927
- King George Vl and Queen Elizabeth - 1939
- Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother - 1985
- Princess Alice and The Earl of Athlone - 1941, 1944
- Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh - 1951, 1959, 1975, 1978, 1987, 2005
- The Duke of Edinburgh - 1977, 1987
- Princess Margaret - 1958, 1980
- Lord Louis Mountbatten - 1966
- Princess Alexandra and The Honourable Angus Ogilvy - 1967, 1972
- Prince Edward - 1978, 1994, 2003, 2006
- Princess Anne - 1982, 2004
- The Duke and Duchess of York - 1989
- The Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) - 2001
[edit] History
[edit] First Nations, Métis and the Crown
Treaties play an important role in the relationship between Saskatchewan First Nations and the Crown; Saskatchewan includes Treaties 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10, however, no bands in the province adhere to Treaty 2. First Nations originally made their treaties with Queen Victoria, giving them a "special relationship" with the sovereign. Under these treaties, First Nations surrendred land to the Crown in exchange for reserve lands and compensation such as livestock, ammunition, and certain rights.[7]
However, the treaties did not ensure peace: by 1885 the Métis people of Saskatchewan had concerns for the survival of their people, and, under Louis Riel, established the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan at Batoche, to administer an independent republic. The numerous battles between the Northwest Mounted Police and Riel's men came to be known as the North-West Rebellion. A further uprising by Cree warriors, led by Big Bear, against Frog Lake (dubbed the Frog Lake Massacre), was fuelled by anger over percieved unfairness in the treaties signed with the Queen.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex opened the First Nations University of Canada at its new Regina campus in 2003. Elizabeth II made the institution her first engagement during the centennial celebrations of Saskatchewan and Alberta in 2005. At the occasion she stated: "This stone was taken from the grounds of Balmoral Castle in the Highlands of Scotland – a place dear to my great great grandmother, Queen Victoria. It symbolises the foundation of the rights of First Nations peoples reflected in treaties signed with the Crown during her reign. Bearing the cipher of Queen Victoria as well as my own, this stone is presented to the First Nations University of Canada in the hope that it will serve as a reminder of the special relationship between the Sovereign and all First Nations peoples."[8]
In 2001 The Prince of Wales was named Pisimwa Kamiwohkitahpamikohk, or, "the sun looks at him in a good way", by an elder in a ceremony at Wanuskewin Heritage Park during his first visit to Saskatchewan.
[edit] Royal and vice-regal connections
[edit] Royal designation and patronage
Royal University Hospital is a seven-story facility located at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. The province's main trauma centre, it houses maternal and child services, neurosurgery and cardiovascular surgery. It received royal designation from Queen Elizabeth II in 1990. The Queen also granted the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina royal title in 1993. She and the Duke of Edinburgh saw the natural history museum, the first of its kind to be established in the prairies, for the first time while on tour in 1959. The Princess Royal (Anne) later visited in 2004. The Queen also granted royal designations to the Royal United Services Institute (Regina) in 1979, and Saskatchewan's first and oldest golf club, the Royal Regina Golf Club, in 1998.
The Earl of Wessex has been Patron of the Globe Theatre (Prince Edward Building, Regina) since 1992. The Prince attended a special performance at the Globe, the only Canadian organisation granted his patronage to date, on his third visit to Saskatchewan in 2003. The Globe was founded in 1966 as the first professional educational theatre company in Saskatchewan.
- Further information: List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage
[edit] Armed forces
The Princess Royal accepted appointment as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regina Rifles on her 1982 visit, the same year the Rifles received royal designation. The century-old regiment served in France during the First World War, and in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. As Colonel-in-Chief, The Princess is informed of regimental activities and pays regular visits.
The Earl of Wessex (Prince Edward) became Colonel-in-Chief of the Saskatchewan Dragoons of Moose Jaw on visiting Saskatchewan in 2003, when he congratulated the regiment on its "contribution to Canada's proud tradition of citizen-soldiers in the community." Involved in peacekeeping operations in Cyprus, the Golan Heights, Bosnia and Croatia, the regiment has also provided aid during floods and forest fires in the prairies.
Her Majesty's Canadian Ships with Saskatchewan namesakes include HMCS Saskatchewan, HMCS Regina, HMCS Qu'Appelle and HMCS Saskatoon, which former Lieutenant-Governor Dr. Lynda Haverstock visited to present commemorative centennial medals in 2006.
[edit] Communities
- Regina - The provincial capital, known also to Saskatchewan citizens as "The Queen City," was named in honour of Queen Victoria in 1882 (Regina is Latin for Queen); name having been suggested by Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Louise, wife of Canadian Governor General the Marquess of Lorne
- Prince Albert - Named for Prince Albert, Prince Consort to Queen Victoria in 1866, and its name was suggested by community founder Reverend James Nisbet
- Aberdeen - Named for John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, and Governor General of Canada (1893-1898)
- 'Earl Grey - Named for Sir Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey, and Governor General of Canada (1904-1911), at the suggestion of an official of the Canadian Pacific Railway[9]
- Tweedsmuir - Named in 1936 for John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, and Governor General of Canada (1935-1940)
- Hudson Bay and Cumberland House - Trace their roots to Canada's oldest company, the Hudson's Bay Company, founded under Royal Charter issued of King Charles II in 1670. The town of Hudson Bay of approximately 2,000 residents was built near two separate Hudson's Bay trading posts, one established in 1757 and another in 1790. In Commonwealth Realms, Royal Charters are granted by the Monarch and give special status to incorporated bodies. Cumberland House, Saskatchewan's oldest community, was the first inland trading post of the H.B.C.
[edit] Education
| “ | Your Majesty, to mark this occasion, and to celebrate our parliamentary institutions, I would like to announce a gift from the government and people of Saskatchewan - a gift in your name which will strengthen these institutions. It is called The Queen Elizabeth the Second Scholarship in Parliamentary Studies.[10] | ” |
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— Premier Grant Devine, Saskatchewan Legislative Building, Regina, 1987
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[edit] Schools
Schools named for Canadian Sovereigns:
- King George School in Moose Jaw
- King George Community School in Prince Albert
- Queen Elizabeth School in Lloydminster
- Victoria School in Kamsack
- Queen Elizabeth School in Weyburn
- Victoria, King George and Queen Elizabeth schools in Saskatoon
- King Edward School in Saskatoon (closed - current site of the King Edward Manor)
Schools named for other members of the Canadian Royal Family:
- Prince Arthur Community School in Moose Jaw
- Prince Philip and Princess Alexandra schools in Saskatoon
- Queen Mary, Princess Margaret and Prince Charles schools in Prince Albert
Schools named for Governors General:
- Roland Michener and Vincent Massey schools in Saskatoon
- Connaught and Massey schools in Regina
- Vincent Massey Community School in Prince Albert
- Vanier Collegiate Institute in Moose Jaw
- Earl Grey School in Earl Grey
Schools named for Lieutenant Governors:
- F.W. Johnson Collegiate in Regina
[edit] Prizes and Scholarships
- Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship in Parliamentary Studies: $20,000 for graduate and post-graduate studies in Saskatchewan, established to commemorate the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh to Saskatchewan (1987).
- Queen Elizabeth II Centennial Aboriginal Scholarship: $20,000 for First Nations and Métis graduates of the First Nations University of Canada, established to commemorate the visit of The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to Saskatchewan (2005).
- Prince of Wales Scholarship: $500 for students in community schools as an incentive to high school graduation, established to commemorate the first visit of The Prince of Wales (Charles) to Saskatchewan (2001).
- Prince Edward Drama Scholarship: $500 for youth studying theatre in Saskatchewan, established to commemorate the visit of The Earl of Wessex, Patron of Regina’s Globe Theatre (2003).
- C. Irwin McIntosh Journalism Prize: $450 awarded annually to two students of the School of Journalism, University of Regina, for the best publishable journalistic article on wildlife, habitat, or environmental issues. It was established in memory of Cameron Irwin McIntosh, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan (1978-1983), for his fervent interest in conservation matters.[11].
[edit] Arts
The Cameron McIntosh Memorial Cup is sponsored by the late Cameron Irwin McIntosh, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan (1978-1983). It is awarded annually at Theatre Saskatchewan's TheatreFest, an event held since 1933 [12].
[edit] Sport
Princess Patricia, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and the daughter of Canadian governor-general the Duke of Connaught visited Saskatchewan several times as a child, and was consequently beloved by the people of Saskatchewan. Regina's Western Hockey League team, the Regina Pats, is named in her honour. The team is the oldest major junior hockey franchise in the world that have continuously operated from their original location and use the same name.
[edit] Places of interest
[edit] Public
In Saskatchewan's capital city, the Queen Elizabeth II Gardens were opened by the Earl of Wessex in 2003, and officially inaugurated by the Queen in 2005. At Government House Heritage Property can be found the Queen Elizabeth II Wing, also opened by the Queen as part of provincial centennial celebrations in 2005. Prince of Wales Branch Library, opened as Eastern Branch Library in 1913, was renamed after a visit by the Prince of Wales in 1919 (Prince Edward and later King Edward VIII).
Originally named the South Saskatchewan River Generating Station, Saskatoon's natural gas-fired Queen Elizabeth Power Station was renamed and commissioned by the Queen in 1959. The Prince of Wales Promenade along the South Saskatchewan River was opened by the Prince of Wales in 2001 and is a popular viewpoint along the Meewasin Valley trails. "Duke of Edinburgh Way" can be found at the McKell Wascana Conservation Project outside of Regina, which the Duke dedicated on visiting with The Queen in 2005. Victoria Avenue, named for Queen Victoria also runs through the city of Regina, and crosses Albert Street, named in honour of Victoria's consort, Albert.
Other places of interest around the province include Prince Edward Park in Melfort, and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Rose Garden in Moose Jaw, both inaugurated by the Earl of Wessex in 2003. Also the sod-turning for the Prince of Wales Culture and Recreation Centre in Assiniboia was performed by the Prince of Wales on visiting Saskatchewan in 2001.[13]
Viceroy was named for the title of Governors General of India, and its streets honour three Governors General of Canada who also served as Viceroys of India: Dufferin, Landsdowne and Minto. The Duke of Connaught, Governor General of Canada, and Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, are also commemorated in its street names.
[edit] Private
The Patricia Hotel in Saskatoon is named for Princess Patricia (the nightclub attached to the hotel, colloquially known as "the Pat", is a prominent city nightclub).
Sir Vere Ponsonby, Earl of Bessborough and 14th Governor General of Canada gave consent for Saskatoon's most prominent hotel to be formally named "Bessborough" in 1931. The Hotel Bessborough is a Chateau-style riverbank hotel in downtown Saskatoon, and one of the landmarks most associated with the city.
The Queen's Hotel on 1st Avenue South is believed to have been named for Queen Victoria. A frame structure built in the 1880s was replaced by a stone building between 1892 and 1894. The latter was replaced by a larger and more elegant building in 1911 by owner Duncan Kennedy. It was destroyed by fire in 1980. The Royal Hotel, constructed during the same period, and the King Edward Hotel (1906) also have royal namesakes.
The King George Hotel (1912) is the second oldest hotel still standing in the city, and is named for King George V. Known locally as the KG, it was once an elegant property, but its condition has greatly declined throughout the years. Boarded up in the early 2000s, its renovation and restoration has begun after a developer bought the property in 2006. Beneath the ceramic tiles lies a façade of terra cotta and stone. The upper floors included niches which held a series of terra cotta knights in armour.
[edit] Monarchism in Saskatchewan
The Monarchist League of Canada, a non-profit organisation established in 1970 to foster understanding of the Canadian Constitutional Monarchy, manages two separate branches based in Regina (South Saskatchewan) and Saskatoon (North Saskatchewan). A single province-wide branch was divided in 2004 in order to accommodate a growing membership. The League normally enjoys the patronage of Saskatchewan's Lieutenant-Governors.
The League's North Saskatchewan Branch, in partnership with the Saskatoon Public School Division, provided educational toolkits to all of Saskatoon's primary and secondary public schools in 2005. The Branch has until now participated in ten regional or national news media interviews, and has hosted more than 250 guests at public functions, including two Lieutenant Governors of Saskatchewan.
The League's South Saskatchewan Branch hosts an annual Queen's Birthday Luncheon as well as regular public seminars. Gordon L. Barnhart, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, granted patronage to both Saskatchewan Branches of the League in 2006.
[edit] External links
- Office of the Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan
- The Monarchy in Saskatchewan
- Monarchist League (Saskatoon & North Saskatchewan)
- Monarchist League (Regina & South Saskatchewan)
- Royal Visits to Saskatchewan
- Royal Visit to Saskatchewan & Alberta (2005)
- Elizabeth II Speech at Saskatchewan Legislature (2005)
- Elizabeth II Speech at Government of Canada Luncheon (2005)
- Elizabeth II marks Legislative Building Anniversary (1987)
- The Queen in Saskatchewan (1987)
- Queen Visits Canadian Light Source (2005)
- Princes of Wales Visits Canada (2001)
- Saskatchewan Honours Future King (2001)
- Prince of Wales addresses the Saskatchewan Legislature (2001)
- Significance of Treaties Reaffirmed Through Historic Royal Visit (2001)
- Award Winner Receives Royal Treatment (2003)
- Earl of Wessex Visits His Regiment (2003)
- Saskatchewan Welcomes The Princess Royal (2004)
- Princess Receives Honorary Degree in Regina (2004)
- Mace Runner Presentation Ceremony (2006)
- Caribou Slippers for Prince Charles (1959)
- Royal Visit to University of Saskatchewan (1939)
- Royal Visit to Saskatchewan (1939)
- Prince of Wales Becomes a Cowboy (1919)
- Inviting the Lieutenant-Governor
Recent Speeches from the Throne:
- Speech delivered by Lieutenant Governor Lynda Haverstock, 2005
- Speech delivered by Lieutenant Governor Lynda Haverstock, 2004
- Speech delivered by Lieutenant Governor Lynda Haverstock, 2002
- Speech delivered by Lieutenant Governor Jack Wiebe, 1997
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, in Saskatoon, 1987
- ^ Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan: Lieutenant Governor's Standard
- ^ Office of the Queen's Printer
- ^ Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan: History
- ^ Archives of Ontario: Pomp and Ceremony, Decorations and Decorum
- ^ The Prince of Wales in Regina, 2001
- ^ The Monarchy in Saskatchewan
- ^ Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, at the First Nations University of Canada, 2005
- ^ Earl Grey History
- ^ Saskatchewan Premier Grant Devine on Legislative Building Anniversary (16 October 1987)
- ^ University of Regina Journalism Prize
- ^ Theatre Saskatchewan (2003)
- ^ Saskatchewan Royal Connections
