Government House

When Regina became the capital city of the North West Territories in 1882, a home for the Lieutenant-Governor was needed. The Lieutenant-Governor at the time was Edgar Dewdney. Dewdney had been in charge of finding a site for a capital and had selected Regina over other candidates, probably because he owned land near the site. His land was located in what is now Regina's west-end, and he anticipated that the CPR's railway station would be located near that land. Dewdney anticipated wrongly, however – the CPR put its station where Casino Regina now stands. The west-end of the city became more of a federal government site – the Territorial Administration Building was located there, as was the North West Mounted Police headquarters. It was only natural that the home for the Lieutenant-Governor be located in the west-end as well.

The first Government House was built in 1883 on the spot where Luther College now stands. It was a wooden structure, portable buildings that were assembled in Ottawa and Montreal and transported west by train. It was never intended to be a permanent residence, although it served as a home of government for eight years and was not destroyed until 1910.

The second Government House, still in use today, was built between 1889 and 1891. It was a source of controversy for Prime Minister John A. Macdonald at the time of its construction, although Macdonald staunchly defended the decision. The building was designed by Dominion architect Thomas Fuller. In all, nine Lieutenant-Governors have lived in the building. In the 1940s Government House became a veterans' hospital and later a school. It was not until 1984 that the Lieutenant-Governor's office was returned to the building. Today the facility is a working office for the Lieutenant-Governor, as well as serving as a historical landmark and tourist attraction. Renovations currently underway will provide space for a museum in the building.