Published plans and annual reports 2024–2025: Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Overview

The King of Canada, His Majesty King Charles III, is the Head of State and is represented in Ontario by the Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Governor is empowered with the constitutional and representational responsibilities of the Crown in the Province.

The Office of the Lieutenant Governor provides the services that are required by the Lieutenant Governor in performing their constitutional, representational and community duties. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor provides support (such as administration, strategic planning, communications and events management) that enables the Lieutenant Governor to exercise the Crown's powers for the Legislature and the Government of Ontario, represent all Ontarians when interacting with important visitors from outside Ontario and abroad, and recognize excellence and achievements through Ontario's honours system.

Mandate

To provide services to support the Lieutenant Governor in fulfilling their constitutional, representational and community responsibilities.

The Program provides services that support the Lieutenant Governor in performing their constitutional duties, including:

• Appointment of the Premier
• Appointment of Cabinet ministers on the advice of the Premier
• Ratification of Orders-in-Council recommended by Cabinet
• Summoning, proroguing and dissolving the Legislature
• Granting Royal Assent to bills passed by the Legislative Assembly

The Program also enables the Office of the Lieutenant Governor to plan and implement the many activities and programs undertaken by the Lieutenant Governor across Ontario and abroad. These activities and programs focus on recognizing excellence and achievements of Ontarians and promoting reconciliation, unity and identity of Ontarians. In addition, the Program supports the Lieutenant Governor in fulfilling their duties in all aspects of Ontario’s honours system, including the Order of Ontario, several Ontario medals and awards, and various Lieutenant Governor’s awards.

Major functions

Representing the Crown in Ontario

Canada is a constitutional monarchy with the King as Sovereign and head of state. In Ontario, the Lieutenant Governor is the King’s representative while the Premier is the head of government. In Canada’s system of parliamentary democracy, the head of state (commonly called the Crown) holds supreme power on behalf of the people and lends it to be exercised by the government of the day. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor provides services that support the Lieutenant Governor in fulfilling their constitutional duties. These services include administration, strategic planning, communications and events management.

Powers and responsibilities

In Ontario, the Lieutenant Governor exercises the powers of the Crown, which derive from the constitution, the common law including the royal prerogative, and statute law. These powers are similar to those of The King and Governor General with regard to Parliament and the federal government, and are exercised according to constitutional convention (political rules of the constitution).

The Office of the Lieutenant Governor enables the Lieutenant Governor to:

• Ensure that Ontario always has a Premier who commands the confidence of the Legislative Assembly
• Appoint members of the Executive Council (Cabinet ministers) on the advice of the Premier
• Read the Speech from the Throne at the beginning of a parliamentary session
• Grant Royal Assent, the final step of the legislative process, to bills passed by the Legislative Assembly
• Summon, prorogue and dissolve the Legislature on the advice of the Premier
• Order elections to the Legislative Assembly on the advice of Cabinet, in accordance with the Election Act
• Approve government business such as regulations and public appointments by signing Orders-in-Council on the advice of Cabinet

The Lieutenant Governor remains strictly nonpartisan in carrying out these constitutional duties. In doing so, the Lieutenant Governor ensures that the democratic will of Ontarians and their elected representatives are upheld and that the constitutional conventions of responsible government are respected.

Administrator

In the event that the Lieutenant Governor is absent, ill or unable to act, the Administrator of the Government of Ontario may execute the office and functions of the Lieutenant Governor. In December 2017, the Governor General-in-Council approved an order-in-council appointing the Chief Justice of Ontario and other judges of the courts of Ontario, in order of seniority, to act as Administrator.

Honouring achievement

As the Crown’s representative, the Lieutenant Governor plays an important role in recognizing Ontarians through the honours system. Honours and awards strengthen the fabric of Ontario’s communities and shape the aspirations of Ontarians. They are a way to formally and publicly acknowledge the excellence, achievements and contributions of role models from all walks of life. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor supports the Lieutenant Governor in planning and implementing activities and programs to recognize Ontarians through the honours system.

As Chancellor of the Order of Ontario, the Lieutenant Governor presides over the annual investiture of new members. The Lieutenant Governor also serves as honorary chair of the Ontario Honours Advisory Council and presides annually at the presentation ceremonies of several Ontario medal programs:

• Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship
• Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers
• Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery
• Ontario Medal for Police Bravery

The Lieutenant Governor also presents Ontario’s official awards:

• Ontario Senior Achievement Award
• Lincoln M. Alexander Award (for efforts to eradicate racial discrimination)
• James Bartleman Indigenous Youth Creative Writing Award
• Hilary M. Weston Scholarship (for graduate-level social work students in the area of mental health)
• David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility

Successive Lieutenant Governors have created awards programs in partnership with independent organizations to recognize achievements in fields of endeavour, including:

• Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards (Ontario Heritage Trust)
• Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Marketing Excellence in Ontario (Economic Developers Council of Ontario)
• Lieutenant Governor’s Medal of Distinction in Public Administration (Institute of Public Administration of Canada in Ontario)
• Lieutenant Governor’s Cup (sport horse breeding), (Royal Agricultural Winter Fair)
• Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Ontario Wines (Ontario Wine Awards)
• Lieutenant Governor’s Distinguished Service Award (Royal Ontario Museum)
• Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Design Excellence in Architecture (Ontario Association of Architects)

The Lieutenant Governor may present national honours, including the Order of Canada, bravery decorations, the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers and commemorative medals, on behalf of the Governor General.

The Lieutenant Governor also honours Ontarians receiving awards from community organizations, such as Scouts Canada (The King’s Venturer Award), The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards, St. John Ambulance and organizations with vice-regal patronage.

Community involvement

The Lieutenant Governor actively promotes reconciliation efforts with First Nations, Metis and Inuit people throughout the province. This includes meeting with Indigenous leaders, elders and knowledge keepers and bearing witness to traditional ceremonies.

The Lieutenant Governor also:

• lends support to initiatives bearing the name of the Office, such as the Lieutenant Governor’s Games at Variety Village (a daylong sporting event for youth of all abilities) and the Lieutenant Governor’s Indigenous Summer Literacy Camps in Partnership with Indigenous Communities, which are administered by the non-profit organization, United for Literacy.
• engages with young people in the province through participation in several model parliaments and regularly meets with those serving in the Ontario Legislative Page Program and the Ontario Legislature Internship Programme.
• lends the prestige of the Office in support of important initiatives, promoting dialogue and bringing issues into the public consciousness in keeping with their adopted areas of focus.
• hosts or attends hundreds of engagements each year (either at Queen’s Park or elsewhere), promoting volunteerism, encouraging community service and supporting worthwhile causes.

In addition to these initiatives, the Lieutenant Governor maintains active relationships with members of the uniformed services through honorary appointments such as the Colonel of the Regiment of The Queen’s York Rangers (1st American Regiment), and by attendance at ceremonies honouring veterans and first responders. The Lieutenant Governor also maintains a corps of Aides de Camp made up of individuals that represent a number of uniformed services.

2023–24 activities

Transition of Lieutenant Governors

For the first time in over nine years, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor supported the transition of Lieutenant Governors by onboarding the 30^th Lieutenant Governor and supporting the wind down of the activities of the 29^th Lieutenant Governor. The office also supported the peaceful transfer of power, which successfully took place on November 14, 2023, with the Installation Ceremony of the new Lieutenant Governor.

Constitutional duties

In 2023–24, the Lieutenant Governor approved 1,984 Orders-in-Council. This included:

• Appointment of the Secretary of the Cabinet
• 23 Deputy Minister appointments
• 50 Justice of the Peace appointments
• 29 Provincial Judge appointments (plus 2 Associate Judges and 3 Regional Judge appointments)

Additionally, the Lieutenant Governor signed:

• 48 proclamations
• 377 regulations
• 124 Great Seal letters and lease letters (patent issued under the Public Lands Act)
• 92 Great Seal letters (patent under the Mining Act)

The Lieutenant Governor granted Royal Assent 27 times.

Diplomatic engagement

The Lieutenant Governor met with many members of the diplomatic corps throughout 2023–24. This included:

• High Commissioner of Cyprus
• Ambassador and Consul General of Cuba
• Ambassador of Qatar
• Ambassador of Japan
• President of Iceland
• Consul General of Germany
• Honorary Consul General of Finland
• Consul General of Sri Lanka (twice)
• Consul General of Cambodia
• Consul General of Uruguay
• Consul General of the United States (twice)
• Cabinet Secretary of Kenya
• Secretary of State of Portugal
• Consul General of Argentina
• Consul General of Chile
• Consul General of France
• Consul General of the United States
• Consul General of the United Kingdom (twice)
• Consul General of Poland
• High Commissioner of St. Kitts and Nevis
• Ambassador of Belgium
• Consul General of Japan

Community engagement

During the 2023–24 fiscal year, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor supported the participation of the 29^th and 30^th Lieutenant Governors in over 400 public engagements reaching all corners of the province and Ontarians of all backgrounds and ages.

Engagements in 2023–24 included the following:

• Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III
  • A ceremony at Queen’s Park to mark the Coronation, including military elements, a drum circle, the presentation of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers to five Ontarians, and a fair for families.
  • A partnership with the Empire Club of Canada to host a panel on the Coronation.
  • A partnership with Concerts in Care to facilitate a 4-part series that brought the music of the Coronation to seniors living in over 20 long-term care homes across the province.
  • Support for 15 community Coronation celebrations through individualized video messages.
  • A partnership with Clearwater Farms for a Coronation celebration in Georgina.
  • Participation in community ceremonies to commemorate the Coronation hosted by British Consul General, the City of Toronto, and St. James Cathedral Church.
  • A social media campaign around the Coronation, which made over 69,000 impressions on social media and had over 2,200 engagements.
• Relationship with Indigenous Communities
  • Participation in a sacred ceremony with members of the Mississaguas of the Credit First Nation and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at the Chapel Royal at Massey College, also known as Gi-Chi-Twaa Gimaa Nini Mississauga Anishinaabek AName Amik (The King’s Anishinaabek Sacred Place).
  • Hosting of a delegation from the Mississiagua Nation who had recently met with His Majesty The King in the United Kingdom; and hosting the James Bartleman Indigenous Youth Creative Writing Award ceremony in Thunder Bay for the first time; an annual awards program commemorating the legacy of Ontario’s 27th Lieutenant Governor by recognizing up to six Indigenous students for their creative writing talent.
  • Addressing the Métis Nation of Ontario during the opening of their Annual General Assembly.
  • Participating in a ceremony in Kenora Indigenous Leaders to mark the 150^th anniversary of Treaty 3.
  • The 30^th Lieutenant Governor’s first event following her Installation, was a sacred fire ceremony at the Chapel Royal at Massey College with leaders from the Mississauga Nation.
• Joined members of the policing community at the annual Ontario Police Memorial.
• Attended a Remembrance Day service in the Town of Bowmanville and met with veterans.
• Presided over the investiture ceremony of the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honour, and numerous other honours and awards ceremonies.
• Hosted Ontarians for the New Year’s Day Levee at the Lieutenant Governor’s Suite.
• Attended several community events to recognize important moments across the province, supporting the themes of diversity and inclusion, women and girls, education, youth, and seniors.
• As part of supporting the municipal order of government and learning about local issues, the Office supported the Lieutenant Governor’s visits to over 30 Ontario communities.

Communicating with Ontarians

The Office of the Lieutenant Governor continues to prioritize communications with Ontarians. Examples and results of this work include the following:

• The section of the website including information about the Lieutenant Governor’s constitutional responsibilities and the role of the Crown in Ontario is widely consulted by the media, students and the public with over 3,800 page views in 2023–24.
• The Lieutenant Governor maintains active social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and published over 200 posts in 2023–24.
• The Lieutenant Governor recorded over 30 video messagesthat were broadcast as part of events around Ontario.
• The Lieutenant Governor provided 60 special event messages to charitable organizations and 2,251 congratulatory greetings to Ontarians celebrating birthdays (90 years and older) and anniversaries (50 years and longer).

Table 1: Ministry Planned Expenditures 2024–25 (Million of dollars)

Legislation

The Constitution Act, 1867, as well as federal and provincial legislation, directly governs the operation of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Ontario provincial legislation applying to this office includes the Lieutenant Governor Act.

Lieutenant Governor Act          
R.S.O. 1990, Chapter L.13

Powers vested in Lieutenant Governor

1. In matters within the jurisdiction of the Legislature, all powers, authorities and functions that, in respect of like matters, were vested in or exercisable by the governors or lieutenant governors of the several provinces now forming part of Canada or any of the provinces, under commissions, instructions or otherwise, at or before the passing of the Constitution Act, 1867, are, so far as the Legislature has power thus to enact, vested in and exercisable by the Lieutenant Governor or Administrator for the time being of the Province of Ontario, in the name of Her Majesty or otherwise as the case requires, subject always to the Royal Prerogative as heretofore. R.S.O. 1990, c. L.13, s. 1.

Power to remit sentences

2. Section 1 shall be deemed to include the power of commuting and remitting sentences for offences against the laws of Ontario or offences over which the legislative authority of the Province of Ontario extends. R.S.O. 1990, c. L.13, s. 2.

Lieutenant Governor a corporation sole

3. The Lieutenant Governor for the time being is a corporation sole, and all bonds, recognizances and other instruments by law required to be taken to the Lieutenant Governor in his or her public capacity shall be taken to him or her by the name of the office of Lieutenant Governor, and may be sued for and recovered by him or her by the name of the office of Lieutenant Governor, and the same shall not in any case go to or vest in the personal representatives of the Lieutenant Governor during whose government the same were so taken. R.S.O. 1990, c. L.13, s. 3.

Power to appoint deputies for certain purposes

4. The Lieutenant Governor may, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, from time to time, appoint any person or persons, jointly or severally, to be his or her deputy or deputies for Ontario or any part or parts thereof, for the purpose of executing marriage licences, money warrants and commissions under any Act of the Legislature. R.S.O. 1990, c. L.13, s. 4.

Detailed financial information

For additional financial information, see:

• Expenditure Estimates
• Public Accounts of Ontario
• 2024 Budget

Organization chart

• Lieutenant Governor
  • Chief of Staff and Private Secretary
    • Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Corporate Services
      • Chief Steward
        • Assistant Steward
        • Support Service Worker (P/T)
      • Lead, Finance and Operations
    • Executive Assistant^{footnote 4[4]}
      • Administrative Assistant
    • Manager, Strategic Communications and Planning
    • Senior Writer and Communications Advisor (two positions)
    • Advisor, Communications and Events
    • Manager, Event Operations
    • Senior Advisor, Program and Events (five positions)