Government House in Fredericton to attend a garden party
hosted by the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick,
Brenda Murphy. For those unfamiliar, a 'government house' is
the term for an official residence of the monarch in Canada
and around the Commonwealth. In Canada the government
houses also serve as the residence of Her Majesty's vice-regal
representatives.
Exterior
However, in 1890 then Lieutenant-Governor Samuel Tilley
relocated as he felt the maintenance budget for the building
was too small (given the current ramshackle nature of the
prime minister's official residence this is believable). For the
next 109 years the building served a number of purposes
including a military barracks and headquarters of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police. In 1958 it was designated a
National Historic Site of Canada followed by a similar
provincial designation in 1996. This kicked off an effort to
refurbish the building which finished in 1999 and the building
returned to its original purpose as a government house.
gardens. Indeed, the event I was
attending was in honour of Her
Majesty's Platinum Jubilee and
an addition to the ground's gardens to mark the event. There
are a number of large trees on the
property and its distance from
the downtown core gives it the feel of a private residence. The
building overlooks the Saint John River and a cycling path runs along the back between the building and the river.
Brunswick Day celebrations.
Interior
floors with the first and second storey open to the public and
the third storey serving as the residence.
There is an extensive collection of artwork housed on the first and second floors. Spiral stairways at both ends of the building provide access to the upper floors. One wing of the main floor is set aside for First Nations artwork owing to their close relationship with the Crown. |
is one of several government houses in Canada that has never
had a monarch spend the night.
Gallery
A Kisaragi Colour