Government House is an historic building in Regina, Saskatchewan was originally completed in 1891 and used to be the official home of the Lieutenant Governor, the Queen’s representative in the province. Although the LG no longer lives in residence, it is still the office of the LG and the remainder of the building is open to the public for tours and events. I have in the past attended symphony concerts and teas in the ballroom as well as Christmas craft fairs. It is a nice treat to see the house decorated for the festive season.
Last summer I took an aunt and uncle who were visiting from England to see the house. They had paid a visit thirteen years earlier but another wing had been added since then to increase the functionality of the building for meetings and events. Government House is situated on Dewdney Avenue, just down the street from the RCMP Heritage Centre, also featured in another posting on this site.
We were given a short guided tour by costumed staff then left to our own devices to wander throughout the residence. One of my favourite rooms is the dining room which had the table set for a banquet. I also like the big copper tub in the main bathroom upstairs. It would surely keep the bath water nice and warm for a long time. After our tour through the house we wandered into the Amédée Forget museum and the J.E.N. Wiebe interpretive centre which provide a lot of interesting historical information about the building and the Queen’s visits to Saskatchewan.
In addition to the house, the 8.5 acres of Edwardian Gardens are available to the public. Have a wander around, try to name all the trees, even have a picnic. We were there at the end of the day and picked up the self-guided tour map of the gardens. Later in the summer, more of the flowers would be on show for visitors. The gardens are also the site of the annual New Year’s Day Levy put on by the Lieutenant Governor and is open to everyone. I’m afraid I haven’t been to one yet. It is usually too cold for me to want to venture outside!
www.governmenthouse.gov.sk.ca – admission is Free
