Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan - History

History

Further information: List of lieutenant governors of Saskatchewan

The office of Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan came into being in 1905, upon Saskatchewan's entry into Canadian Confederation, and evolved from the earlier position of Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories. Since that date, 20 lieutenant-governors have served the province, amongst whom were notable firsts, such as Sylvia O. Fedoruk – the first female lieutenant-governor of the province. The shortest mandate by a Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan was Thomas Miller, from 27 February 1945 to 20 June 1945, while the longest was Henry William Newlands, from 18 February 1921 to 30 March 1931.

It was in 1929 that the Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan's personal discretion was required in the exercise of the Royal Prerogative, when Henry Newlands had to select a new Premier after James Garfield Gardiner lost the confidence of the Legislative Assembly and the opposing Progressive Conservative Party had managed to form a coalition with the Progressive Party and independent members of the assembly. With the election in 1944 of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Party to a majority in the Legislative Assembly, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Saskatchewan was targeted for spending cutbacks. Government House was closed and the viceroy given only a small office at the Hotel Saskatchewan as a replacement, and guards of honour and playing of the Viceregal Salute were dispensed with. This trend continued, due to lack of initiative rather than hostility towards the Crown, until the 1980s when the viceroy's honours were restored and Government House was saved from demolition.