This is a list of women who have served as viceroys in Canada. Canada is a constitutional monarchy with King Charles III as the reigning Canadian monarch. As the King does not reside in Canada, his daily responsibilities in the country are undertaken by the Governor General of Canada in the federal jurisdiction and by a lieutenant governor in each of the ten provincial jurisdictions. Collectively, these individuals are the King's official viceregal representatives.
This list also includes women who have served as commissioners, an office in each of Canada's three federal territories with similar function to provincial viceroys.
Governors general A total of five women have served, and one currently serving, as the Governor General of Canada.
Image Name Home province Start of mandate End of mandate Notes Saskatchewan 14 May 1984 28 January 1990 First female governor general in Canadian history; appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau; member of the Fransaskois community. Ontario 7 October 1999 First visible minority and first Chinese Canadian to be appointed governor general by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien; first governor general without a military or political background. Quebec 1 October 2010 First Black Canadian woman to serve as a vicereine in Canada. Appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on advice of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Quebec 2 October 2017 21 January 2021 First former astronaut to serve as a vicereine in Canada. Appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Quebec 26 July 2021 8 June 2026 First Inuk to serve as a vicereine in Canada. Appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Quebec 8 June 2026 incumbent First Governor General of Canada appointed by King Charles III on the advice of Prime Minister Mark Carney; former puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Lieutenant governors A total of 33 women have served, or are currently serving, as the lieutenant governor of a province. , there are 8 serving provincial female viceroys in Canada.
Image Name Province Start of mandate End of mandate Notes Ontario 10 April 1974 First vicereine in Canadian history; appointed Lieutenant Governor of Ontario by Governor General Jules Léger upon the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Manitoba 23 October 1981 11 December 1986 First female lieutenant governor in Manitoba. Alberta 22 January 1985 11 March 1991 First female lieutenant governor in Alberta. Saskatchewan 7 September 1988 31 May 1994 First female lieutenant governor in Saskatchewan. 16 August 1990 30 August 1995 First female lieutenant governor in Prince Edward Island. New Brunswick 21 June 1994 18 April 1997 First female lieutenant governor in New Brunswick. Quebec 30 January 1997 7 June 2007 First female lieutenant governor in Quebec; first person with a physical disability to serve as a viceroy in Canada. New Brunswick 18 April 1997 26 August 2003 Succeeded Margaret McCain as Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick; first woman to succeed another female vicereine in Canada. Ontario 24 January 1997 7 March 2002 Alberta 11 February 2000 6 January 2005 Died while in office at the age of 75. Saskatchewan 21 February 2000 1 August 2006 Nova Scotia 17 May 2000 7 September 2006 First female lieutenant governor in Nova Scotia. British Columbia 30 September 2007 First female lieutenant governor in British Columbia. Prince Edward Island 31 July 2006 15 August 2011 Nova Scotia 7 September 2006 12 April 2012 Second Black Canadian to serve as a vicereine in Canada, after Governor General Michaëlle Jean. British Columbia 2 November 2012 24 April 2018 Saskatchewan 22 March 2012 21 March 2018 New Brunswick 23 October 2014 2 August 2019 Died while in office at the age of 63 Alberta 12 June 2015 26 August 2020 Ontario 23 September 2014 14 November 2023 Manitoba 19 June 2015 24 October 2022 Wife of former Premier Gary Filmon. Prince Edward Island 20 October 2017 17 October 2024 British Columbia 24 April 2018 30 January 2025 Newfoundland and Labrador 3 May 2018 14 November 2023 First female lieutenant governor in Newfoundland and Labrador. New Brunswick 8 September 2019 22 January 2025 First openly LGBTQ lieutenant governor; and the first openly LGBTQ person to hold any viceregal office in Canada. Alberta 26 August 2020 incumbent First South Asian and the first Muslim to hold a viceregal office in Canada. Manitoba 24 October 2022 incumbent First Jewish lieutenant governor of Manitoba Ontario 14 November 2023 incumbent Newfoundland and Labrador 14 November 2023 incumbent Quebec 25 January 2024 incumbent New Brunswick 22 January 2025 incumbent British Columbia 30 January 2025 incumbent Saskatchewan 31 January 2025 incumbent
Territorial commissioners In each of the three territories of Canada, a commissioner acts as the formal head of state. Unlike the Governor General or a lieutenant governor (who are officially representatives of the Canadian monarch) the commissioners are appointed by and represent the Government of Canada. However, while they are not formally viceroys, they perform in their respective territories the same duties as a provincial lieutenant governor.
A total of fourteen women have served, or are currently serving, as a commissioner; one woman, Helen Maksagak, has served terms as a commissioner in two territories.
Image Name Territory Start of mandate End of mandate Notes Yukon 20 January 1979 10 October 1979 First female territorial commissioner in Canadian history; resigned from position within one year to run for public office in the 1980 Canadian federal election. 16 January 1995 26 March 1999 First female Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. Nunavut 1 April 1999 1 April 2000 First Commissioner of Nunavut following its creation on 1 April 1999. Yukon 23 June 1995 1 October 2000 Northwest Territories 31 March 2000 29 April 2005 Nunavut 21 April 2005 10 April 2010 Yukon 1 December 2005 Nunavut 10 April 2010(acting) 10 May 2010 Would become acting Commissioner (as Deputy Commissioner) in 2015 and finally service as full Commissioner. Nunavut 10 May 2010 11 May 2015 Nunavut 11 May 2015(acting); 23 June 2015(official) 22 June 2020 Two-time acting Commissioner/Deputy Commissioner, 2010 and 2015. Northwest Territories 14 May 2024 Yukon 12 March 2018 31 May 2023 Nunavut 22 June 2020(acting) 12 January 2021 Nunavut 14 January 2021 incumbent Yukon 31 May 2023 incumbent
See also List of female premiers in Canada List of elected and appointed female heads of state List of Canadian monarchs
References