List of lieutenant governors of Ontario

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The following is a list of lieutenant governors of Ontario and the lieutenant governors of the former colony of Upper Canada. The office of Lieutenant Governor of Ontario was created in 1867, when the Province of Ontario was created upon Confederation. [1] The predecessor office, lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, was a British colonial officer, appointed by the British government to administer the government of the colony, from 1791 to 1841. (Prior to 1791, the territory which is now Ontario was part of the old Province of Quebec, which was administered by the colonial governors of the Province of Quebec.)

Contents

In 1841, the two provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada were abolished and merged into the new Province of Canada, with a single Parliament and Governor General. Upper Canada was known as Canada West, but did not have a separate government or lieutenant governor. It was simply an administrative division of the Province of Canada.

Prior to Confederation, the lieutenant governors of Upper Canada were either British colonial administrators or British Army officers. The first lieutenant governor of Ontario, General Sir Henry William Stisted, was the last British lieutenant governor. From 1868 onwards, only Canadians were appointed to the position.

Lieutenant governors of Upper Canada, 1791–1841

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Monarch
Reign
Took officeLeft office
1 ColonelSimcoe.jpg John Graves Simcoe [2]
(1752–1806)
17911798 George III
(1760–1820)
Peter Russell Portrait.jpg Peter Russell [3]
(1733–1808)
Administrator of the Government
17961799
2 Peter Hunter [4]
(1746–1805)
17991805
Alexander Grant [5]
(1734–1813)
Administrator of the Government
18051806
3 Francis Gore Portrait.jpg Francis Gore [6]
(1769–1852)
18061817
Isaac Brock portrait 1, from The Story of Isaac Brock (1908)-2.png Sir Isaac Brock
KB
(1769–1812)
Acting
18111812
Rogerhalesheaffe.jpg Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe
1st Baronet

(1763–1851)
Acting
18121813
Sir Francis de Rottenburg
Baron of Rottenburg

(1757–1832)
Acting
18131813
Gordon Drummond.jpg Sir Gordon Drummond
(1772–1854)
Acting
18131814
George Murray Portrait.jpg Sir George Murray
GCB , GCH
(1772–1846)
Acting
18151815
Frederick Philipse Robinson Portrait.jpg Sir Frederick Philipse Robinson
KCB , GCH
(1763–1852)
Acting
18151815
Samuel Smith.png Samuel Smith [7]
(1756–1826)
Administrator of the Government
18171818
4 Peregrine Maitland Portrait.jpg Sir Peregrine Maitland [8]
KCB , GCH
(1777–1854)
18181828
George IV
(1820–1830)
5 John Colborne.jpg Sir John Colborne [9]
GCB , GCMG
(1778–1863)
18281836
William IV
(1830–1837)
6 Francis Bond Head.jpg Sir Francis Bond Head [10]
KCH
(1778–1863)
18361838
Victoria
(1837–1901)
7 Major-General Sir George Arthur.jpg Sir George Arthur [11]
KCH
(1778–1863)
18381839
8 Lord Sydenham.jpg Charles Poulett Thomson
1st Baron Sydenham
[12]
PC
(1799–1841)
18391841

Lieutenant governors of Ontario, 1867–present

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Monarch
Reign
Premier
Tenure
Took officeLeft office
1 Henry William Stisted Portrait.jpg Henry William Stisted
CB
(1817–1875)
1 July
1867
14 July
1868
Victoria
(1837–1901)
John Sandfield Macdonald
(1867–1871)
2 WilliamPearceHowland23.jpg William Pearce Howland
PC
(1811–1907)
15 July
1868
11 November
1873
Edward Blake
(1871–1872)
Sir Oliver Mowat
(1872–1896)
3 JohnWilloughbyCrawford23.jpg John Willoughby Crawford
QC
(1817–1875)
12 November
1873
13 May
1875
William Buell Richards.jpg Sir William Buell Richards
PC
(1815–1889)
Administrator of the Government
13 May
1875
18 May
1875
4 DonaldAlexanderMacdonald23.jpg Donald Alexander Macdonald
PC
(1817–1896)
18 May
1875
30 June
1880
5 John Beverley Robinson.png John Beverley Robinson
(1821–1896)
1 July
1880
31 May
1887
6 Sir Alexander Campbell.jpg Sir Alexander Campbell
PC , KCMG , QC
(1822–1892)
1 June
1887
24 May
1892
John Hawkins Hagarty.png John Hawkins Hagarty
(1816–1900)
Administrator of the Government
24 May
1892
30 May
1892
7 GeorgeAireyKirkpatrick23.jpg George Airey Kirkpatrick
PC , QC
(1841–1899)
30 May
1892
7 November
1896
Arthur Sturgis Hardy
(1896–1899)
Kazimierz Gzowski.jpg Sir Casimir Gzowski
KCMG
(1813–1898)
Administrator of the Government
{7 November
1896
18 November
1897
8 Lieutenant Governor the Honourable Sir Oliver Mowat Photo B (HS85-10-13453).jpg Sir Oliver Mowat
PC , GCMG , QC
(1820–1903)
18 November
1897
19 April
1903
Sir George William Ross
(1899–1905)
Edward VII
(1901–1910)
Charles Moss 1902.jpg Sir Charles Moss
(1840–1912)
Administrator of the Government
19 April
1903
21 April
1903
9 William-Mortimer-Clark.png Sir William Mortimer Clark
KCMG , KC
(1836–1915)
21 April
1903
21 September
1908
Sir James Whitney
(1905–1914)
10 John Morison Gibson (close up).jpg Sir John Morison Gibson
KCMG , KC
(1842–1929)
21 September
1908
26 September
1914
George V
(1910–1936)
11 John Strathearn Hendrie.jpg Sir John Strathearn Hendrie
KCMG , CVO
(1857–1923)
26 September
1914
20 November
1919
Sir William Howard Hearst
(1914–1919)
Ernest Charles Drury
(1919–1923)
12 L. H. Clarke 1920.jpg Lionel Herbert Clarke
(1859–1921)
20 November
1919
29 August
1921
William Ralph Meredith.png Sir William Ralph Meredith
QC
(1840–1923)
Administrator of the Government
29 August
1921
10 September
1921
13 Henry Cockshutt.jpg Henry Cockshutt
(1868–1944)
10 September
1921
12 January
1927
Howard Ferguson
(1923–1930)
14 William Donald Ross.jpg William Donald Ross
(1869–1947)
12 January
1927
25 October
1931
George Stewart Henry
(1930–1934)
WilliamMulock.jpeg Sir William Mulock
PC , KCMG
(1843–1944)
Administrator of the Government
25 October
1931
1 November
1932
15 Herbert Alexander Bruce.jpg Herbert Alexander Bruce
(1868–1963)
1 November
1932
23 November
1937
Mitchell Hepburn
(1934–1942)
Edward VIII
(1936)
George VI
(1936–1952)
16 Albert Matthews (cropped).jpg Albert Edward Matthews
(1873–1949)
23 November
1937
26 December
1946
Gordon Daniel Conant
(1942–1943)
Harry Nixon
(1943)
George A. Drew
(1943–1948)
17 Ray Lawson.jpg Ray Lawson
OBE
(1886–1980)
26 December
1946
18 February
1952
Thomas Laird Kennedy
(1948–1949)
Leslie Frost
(1949–1961)
Elizabeth II
(1952–2022)
18 Badge of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.svg Louis Orville Breithaupt
(1890–1960)
18 February
1952
30 December
1957
19 Official Portrait of the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, John Keiller MacKay, by Moshe Matus.jpg John Keiller MacKay
OC , DSO , VD , QC
(1880–1970)
30 December
1957
1 May
1963
John Robarts
(1961–1971)
20 William Earl Rowe.jpg William Earl Rowe
PC
(1894–1984)
1 May
1963
4 July
1968
21 William Ross Macdonald.jpg William Ross Macdonald
PC , OC , CD , QC
(1891–1976)
4 July
1968
10 April
1974
Bill Davis
(1971–1985)
22 Badge of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.svg Pauline Mills McGibbon
OC
(1910–2001)
10 April
1974
15 September
1980
23 Badge of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.svg John Black Aird
OC , QC
(1923–1995)
15 September
1980
20 September
1985
Frank Miller
(1985)
David Peterson
(1985–1990)
24 Lincoln Alexander.jpg Lincoln Alexander
PC , OOnt , CD , QC
(1922–2012)
20 September
1985
10 December
1991
Bob Rae
(1990–1995)
25 Badge of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.svg Hal Jackman
CM
(born 1932)
11 December
1991
24 January
1997
Mike Harris
(1995–2002)
26 Hilary M. Weston.jpg Hilary Weston
OOnt
(born 1942)
24 January
1997
7 March
2002
27 James Bartleman 2014 (DSC9976) (cropped).jpg James Bartleman
OOnt
(1939–2023)
7 March
2002
5 September
2007
Ernie Eves
(2002–2003)
Dalton McGuinty
(2003–2013)
28 David Onley 2013 (LG 2043) (cropped).jpg David Onley
OOnt
(1950–2023)
5 September
2007
23 September
2014
Kathleen Wynne
(2013–2018)
29 Elizabeth Dowdeswell 2020-01-01 (DSCF0094) (cropped).jpg Elizabeth Dowdeswell
OC , OOnt
(born 1944)
23 September
2014
14 November
2023
Doug Ford
(since 2018)
Charles III
(since 2022)
30 Installation of Edith Dumont in 2023 (cropped 3-4).jpg Edith Dumont
OOnt
(born 1964)
14 November
2023
Source: [13] [14]

See also

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