Rideau Hall takes second look at hundreds of events in sweeping review

Rideau Hall is conducting a sweeping review of all the events and organizations the Governor General has supported, in some cases for decades, to determine which will remain tied to the Crown’s representative in Canada and what form that connection may take. (Photo By Concierge.2C – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

OTTAWA — Rideau Hall is conducting a sweeping review of all the events and organizations the Governor General has supported, in some cases for decades, to determine which will remain tied to the Crown’s representative in Canada and what form that connection may take.

Among those events are ones involving groups which have the patronage of the Governor General.

Groups usually re-apply for patronage when a new Governor General takes office and wait a few months for approval.

But approvals have taken longer than normal since Gov. Gen. Julie Payette took office and several historically backed organizations are still waiting for decisions. Events that the Governor General has hosted at Rideau Hall in the past, including a prestigious journalism award created by a former viceregal, have also been left in planning limbo as Rideau Hall determines which events will stay on the agenda, which will go and which will be done differently.

Sources connected to Rideau Hall, speaking on condition of anonymity said there are growing concerns that the delays hint at larger issues at Rideau Hall that go beyond the normal hiccups associated with a change of office-holder and the arrival of many new staffers, including Payette’s top aide.

A spokeswoman for Rideau Hall said new governors general usually review events and activities.

“When a new governor general takes office, it is a normal process for the office of the secretary to the governor general to define objectives for the new mandate and review the different events and activities,” Rideau Hall spokeswoman Marie-Eve Letourneau said.

“The governor general receives thousands of event invitations on an annual basis; each of these events is assessed individually, taking into account logistical and scheduling considerations.”

Briefing material provided to Payette over the summer when she was tabbed as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s choice for Rideau Hall hinted at the blistering schedule maintained by the viceregal and the 150-strong support staff at Rideau Hall.

A typical year involves more than 500 events, visits to dozens of communities, trips abroad for diplomatic reasons and to visit troops as Canada’s commander-in-chief, and signing off on 10,000 honours as well as thousands of government decisions and legislation.

The schedule traditionally includes a gala for the Michener Award for public service journalism created in 1970 by then-governor general Roland Michener. The foundation behind the award typically starts planning with Rideau Hall in late April, announces the nominees and award date around now and then hands out the award in early June.

But the review has left planning in limbo. In a release announcing fellowship winners, the foundation said this week that the award winner “will be announced during at ceremony held at a later time.”

Foundation president Alan Allnutt said organizers aren’t panicking about the delay yet — there are still a couple of weeks before organizers will have to consider backup plans. Allnutt said longtime members of the foundation recall similar delays in the past, particularly when there was a new governor general and there have been years that the event wasn’t held at Rideau Hall at all.

Payette has yet to move in to the official residence at Rideau Hall, which underwent a $1.7 million renovation to update heating and air conditioning systems, replace lights and make a washroom accessible, among other work. The work started in September is expected to be done this spring. Payette’s office couldn’t confirm a date for when she will move in.

In the meantime, National Capital Commission, which oversees maintenance for the six official residences in and around Ottawa, is finalizing plans for the future of the prime minister’s official residence.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family now live at Rideau Cottage, a heritage home on the Rideau Hall grounds, on account of the well-documented repair needs at 24 Sussex Drive.

A commission spokesman said officials are updating surveys of 24 Sussex, including the main home and four ancillary buildings, and testing for asbestos among other work “to ensure the federal government is able to make a prudent and informed decision” about what should happen to house.