The Lieutenant Governor encourages civic engagement and pride, seeking to foster a sense of belonging among communities throughout Ontario.
Related duties include:
Visiting Ontarians
The Lieutenant Governor conducts engagements in municipalities and Indigenous communities throughout the province to learn about the diverse aspirations, priorities, and local initiatives of people living in Ontario.
The Lieutenant Governor regularly makes official visits to municipalities, which involve courtesy calls (i.e., formal meetings) with mayors and local representatives. Official visits may also include civic receptions and roundtables with residents and community groups to discuss topics of local importance. These visits are often timed around significant local events. To invite the Lieutenant Governor to your community, please visit this page.
Community Awards
In addition to presenting awards as part of Ontario’s honours system, the Lieutenant Governor partners with non-profit and professional organizations, as well as the provincial government, to present and promote awards that recognize excellence and service. Please see Honours and Awards for more.
Supporting Equity, Culture and Heritage
The Lieutenant Governor seeks to instill a sense of belonging among Ontarians by promoting the preservation of heritage and the flourishing of diverse cultures across the province. Through an extensive program of engagements, she encourages Ontarians to work together to build more equitable and resilient communities—whether they be based on place, shared interests, cultural heritage, or practice.
She regularly promotes active citizenship, often by meeting with volunteers and those engaged in public service. She advocates for meaningful causes in a non-partisan, non-policy prescriptive way. Making use of her unique ability to convene people from all walks of life, she encourages information-sharing and partnerships to benefit the public good.
The Lieutenant Governor engages with young Ontarians by visiting schools, engaging with youth groups, and meeting with participants in model parliament programs.
The Lieutenant Governor also continues to lend support to two legacy initiatives related to worthy causes: the Lieutenant Governor’s Games at Variety Village (a daylong sporting event for youth of all abilities, created by the Honourable John Black Aird in 1983) and the Lieutenant Governor’s Indigenous Summer Literacy Camps in Partnership with Indigenous Communities, created by the Honourable James Bartleman in 2005 and administered by the non-profit organization, United for Literacy.
Viceregal Patronage
The Lieutenant Governor supports organizations that make outstanding contributions to civil society. She grants her viceregal patronage to a select number of community, charitable, military, and cultural associations, as well as public service organizations, shining a light on their efforts and endeavours. For more information, please see Viceregal Patronage.