List of vicereines in Canada

A total of twenty women have served, or are currently serving, as vicereine in Canada. An additional seven women have performed as territorial commissioners similar function to the monarch and viceroys.

Canada is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as the reigning Canadian monarch. As the Queen does not always reside in Canada, her daily responsibilities in the country are in the federal jurisdiction undertaken by the Governor General of Canada and by a lieutenant governor in each of the ten provincial jurisdictions. Collectively, these individuals are the Queen's official viceregal representatives; as women, they are described as vicereine, the female variant of viceroy.

Governors general

A total of three women have served as the Governor General of Canada.

Name Home Province Start of Mandate End of Mandate Notes
Jeanne Sauvé Saskatchewan 14 May 1984 28 January 1990 First female governor general in Canadian history; appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau; member of the Fransaskois community.
Adrienne Clarkson Ontario 7 October 1999 27 September 2005 First visible minority and first Chinese Canadian to be appointed governor general; first governor general without a military or political background.
Michaëlle Jean Québec 27 September 2005 1 October 2010 First Black Canadian woman to serve as a vicereine in Canada.

Lieutenant governors

A total of fifteen women have served, or are currently serving, as the lieutenant governor of a province. As of 2013, all of the provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador have had at least one woman serve as lieutenant governor. As of 2015, there are five vicereines currently serving.

Name Province Start of Mandate End of Mandate Notes
Pauline McGibbon Ontario 10 April 1974 15 September 1980 First vicereine in Canadian and Commonwealth history; appointed Lieutenant Governor of Ontario by Governor General Jules Léger upon the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Pearl McGonigal Manitoba 23 October 1981 11 December 1986 First female lieutenant governor in Western Canada.
Wilma Helen Hunley Alberta 22 January 1985 11 March 1991 First female lieutenant governor in Alberta.
Sylvia Fedoruk Saskatchewan 7 September 1988 31 May 1994 First female lieutenant governor in Saskatchewan.
Marion Reid Prince Edward Island 16 August 1990 30 August 1995 First female lieutenant governor in Atlantic Canada.
Margaret McCain New Brunswick 21 June 1994 18 April 1997 First female lieutenant governor in New Brunswick.
Lise Thibault Québec 30 January 1997 7 June 2007 First physically disabled person to serve as a viceroy in Canada.
Marilyn Trenholme Counsell New Brunswick 18 April 1997 26 August 2003 Succeeded Margaret McCain as Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick; first woman to succeed another female vicereine in Canada.
Hilary Weston Ontario 24 January 1997 7 March 2002
Lois Hole Alberta 11 February 2000 6 January 2005 Died while in office at the age of 75.
Lynda Haverstock Saskatchewan 21 February 2000 1 August 2006
Myra Freeman Nova Scotia 17 May 2000 7 September 2006 First female lieutenant governor in Nova Scotia.
Iona Campagnolo British Columbia 25 September 2001 30 September 2007 First female lieutenant governor in British Columbia.
Barbara Oliver Hagerman Prince Edward Island 31 July 2006 15 August 2011
Mayann Francis Nova Scotia 7 September 2006 12 April 2012 Second Black Canadian to serve as a vicereine in Canada, after Governor General Michaëlle Jean.
Judith Guichon British Columbia 2 November 2012 incumbent
Vaughn Solomon Schofield Saskatchewan 22 March 2012 incumbent
Elizabeth Dowdeswell Ontario 23 September 2014 incumbent
Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau New Brunswick 23 October 2014 incumbent
Lois Mitchell Alberta 12 June 2015 incumbent
Janice Filmon Manitoba 19 June 2015 incumbent

Territorial commissioners

In each of the three territories of Canada, a commissioner is the formal head of state. Unlike the governor general or a lieutenant governor, who are officially representatives of the Queen of Canada, the commissioners are appointed by the Government of Canada and therefore, they are not technically viceregal representatives. However, they too perform duties akin to a viceroy.

A total of eight women have served, or are currently serving, as a commissioner; one woman has served terms as a commissioner in two territories.

Name Territory Start of Mandate End of Mandate Notes
Ione Christensen Yukon 20 January 1979 10 October 1979 [1] First female territorial commissioner in Canadian history; resigned from position within one year to run for public office in the 1980 Canadian federal election.
Helen Maksagak Northwest Territories 16 January 1995 26 March 1999 Last official Commissioner of the Northwest Territories before its partition to create the territory of Nunavut.
Helen Maksagak Nunavut 1 April 1999 1 April 2000 First Commissioner of Nunavut following its creation on April 1, 1999.
Judy Gingell Yukon 23 June 1995 1 October 2000
Glenna Hansen Northwest Territories 31 March 2000 29 April 2005
Ann Meekitjuk Hanson Nunavut 21 April 2005 10 April 2010
Geraldine Van Bibber Yukon 1 December 2005 17 December 2010
Nellie Kusugak Nunavut 10 April 2010 (acting) 10 May 2010
Edna Elias Nunavut 10 May 2010 11 May 2015
Nellie Kusugak Nunavut 11 May 2015 (acting);
23 June 2015 (official)		 incumbent

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=5a7a63bc-1c7c-4516-9cc3-37210b02cd4d&Language=E&Section=ProvincialExperience
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