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List of lieutenant governors of Ontario facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Lieutenant Governor is the King's representative in the Canadian province of Ontario. This special role was created in 1867 when Ontario became a province during Confederation. Before that, a similar role existed for the old colony of Upper Canada.

From 1791 to 1841, the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada was a British official. They were chosen by the British government to lead the colony. Before 1791, the land that is now Ontario was part of the old Province of Quebec. It was managed by the governors of Quebec.

In 1841, Upper Canada and Lower Canada joined together. They formed the new Province of Canada. This new province had one Parliament and one Governor General. Upper Canada became known as Canada West. It did not have its own separate government or Lieutenant Governor. It was just a part of the larger Province of Canada.

Before Canada became a country, the Lieutenant Governors of Upper Canada were British. They were either government leaders or British Army officers. The first Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, General Sir Henry William Stisted, was the last British person to hold this job. After 1868, only Canadians were chosen for the position.

Lieutenant Governors of Upper Canada (1791–1841)

This section lists the people who served as Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. This was before Ontario became a province.

No. Portrait Name
(birth–death)
Time in Office Monarch
Reign
Started Ended
1 ColonelSimcoe.jpg John Graves Simcoe
(1752–1806)
1791 1798 George III
(1760–1820)
Peter Russell Portrait.jpg Peter Russell
(1733–1808)
Acting Leader
1796 1799
2 Peter Hunter
(1746–1805)
1799 1805
Alexander Grant
(1734–1813)
Acting Leader
1805 1806
3 Francis Gore Portrait.jpg Francis Gore
(1769–1852)
1806 1817
Major General Sir Isaac Brock.jpg Sir Isaac Brock
(1769–1812)
Acting
1811 1812
Mather Brown - Portrait of Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe Bt c1790 (oil on canvas).jpg Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe
1st Baronet
(1763–1851)
Acting
1812 1813
Sir Francis de Rottenburg
Baron of Rottenburg

(1757–1832)
Acting
1813 1813
Gordon Drummond (cropped).jpg Sir Gordon Drummond
(1772–1854)
Acting
1813 1814
George Murray Portrait.jpg Sir George Murray
(1772–1846)
Acting
1815 1815
Frederick Philipse Robinson Portrait.jpg Sir Frederick Philipse Robinson
(1763–1852)
Acting
1815 1815
Samuel Smith.png Samuel Smith
(1756–1826)
Acting Leader
1817 1818
4 Peregrine Maitland Portrait.jpg Sir Peregrine Maitland
(1777–1854)
1818 1828
George IV
(1820–1830)
5 John Colborne.jpg Sir John Colborne
(1778–1863)
1828 1836
William IV
(1830–1837)
6 Francis Bond Head.jpg Sir Francis Bond Head
(1778–1863)
1836 1838
Victoria
(1837–1901)
7 Major-General Sir George Arthur.jpg Sir George Arthur
(1778–1863)
1838 1839
8 Lord Sydenham.jpg Charles Poulett Thomson
1st Baron Sydenham
(1799–1841)
1839 1841

Lieutenant Governors of Ontario (1867–Present)

This section lists the people who have served as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario since 1867.

No. Portrait Name
(birth–death)
Time in Office Monarch
Reign
Premier
Tenure
Started Ended
1 Henry William Stisted Portrait.jpg Henry William Stisted
(1817–1875)
1 July
1867
14 July
1868
Victoria
(1837–1901)
John Sandfield Macdonald
(1867–1871)
2 WilliamPearceHowland23.jpg William Pearce Howland
(1811–1907)
15 July
1868
11 November
1873
Edward Blake
(1871–1872)
Sir Oliver Mowat
(1872–1896)
3 JohnWilloughbyCrawford23.jpg John Willoughby Crawford
(1817–1875)
12 November
1873
13 May
1875
William Buell Richards.jpg Sir William Buell Richards
(1815–1889)
Acting Leader
13 May
1875
18 May
1875
4 DonaldAlexanderMacdonald23.jpg Donald Alexander Macdonald
(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
(1822–1892)
1 June
1887
24 May
1892
John Hawkins Hagarty.png John Hawkins Hagarty
(1816–1900)
Acting Leader
24 May
1892
30 May
1892
7 GeorgeAireyKirkpatrick23.jpg George Airey Kirkpatrick
(1841–1899)
30 May
1892
7 November
1896
Arthur Sturgis Hardy
(1896–1899)
Kazimierz Gzowski.jpg Sir Casimir Gzowski
(1813–1898)
Acting Leader
{7 November
1896
18 November
1897
8 Lieutenant Governor the Honourable Sir Oliver Mowat Photo B (HS85-10-13453).jpg Sir Oliver Mowat
(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)
Acting Leader
19 April
1903
21 April
1903
9 William-Mortimer-Clark.png Sir William Mortimer Clark
(1836–1915)
21 April
1903
21 September
1908
Sir James Whitney
(1905–1914)
10 John Morison Gibson (close up).jpg Sir John Morison Gibson
(1842–1929)
21 September
1908
26 September
1914
George V
(1910–1936)
11 John Strathearn Hendrie.jpg Sir John Strathearn Hendrie
(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
(1840–1923)
Acting Leader
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
(1843–1944)
Acting Leader
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
(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
(1880–1970)
30 December
1957
1 May
1963
John Robarts
(1961–1971)
20 William Earl Rowe.jpg William Earl Rowe
(1894–1984)
1 May
1963
4 July
1968
21 William Ross Macdonald.jpg William Ross Macdonald
(1891–1976)
4 July
1968
10 April
1974
Bill Davis
(1971–1985)
22 Badge of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.svg Pauline Mills McGibbon
(1910–2001)
10 April
1974
15 September
1980
23 Badge of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.svg John Black Aird
(1923–1995)
15 September
1980
20 September
1985
Frank Miller
(1985)
David Peterson
(1985–1990)
24 Lincoln Alexander.jpg Lincoln Alexander
(1922–2012)
20 September
1985
10 December
1991
Bob Rae
(1990–1995)
25 Badge of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.svg Hal Jackman
(born 1932)
11 December
1991
24 January
1997
Mike Harris
(1995–2002)
26 Hilary M. Weston.jpg Hilary Weston
(born 1942)
24 January
1997
7 March
2002
27 James Bartleman 2014 (DSC9976) (cropped).jpg James Bartleman
(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
(1950–2023)
5 September
2007
23 September
2014
Kathleen Wynne
(2013–2018)
29 Elizabeth Dowdeswell 2020-01-01 (DSCF0094) (cropped).jpg Elizabeth Dowdeswell
(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
(born 1964)
14 November
2023
Source:

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List of lieutenant governors of Ontario Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.