Government House

As the Ceremonial Home of all British Columbians, Government House continues the long-standing tradition of honouring the contributions of British Columbians at this beautiful historic site. The House contains the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the representative of Her Majesty The Queen of Canada, and the offices of administrative staff who support the duties and activities associated with the appointment.

As an official residence and the Province’s centre of hospitality, accommodation is afforded to visitors that can include members of the Royal Family, international royalty, ambassadors, members of the judiciary and other honoured guests of British Columbia. When the Lieutenant Governor is in residence, his personal standard can be seen flying from the flagpole.

Government House and its surroundings are an attractive and enduring reminder of British Columbia’s historic past, and a continuing symbol of allegiance to the Crown.

A National Historic Site

In 2002, Government House and its grounds were officially designated as a National Historic Site. Since 1865, the property has served as the official residence of the Governors of Vancouver Island and later, the Lieutenant Governors of British Columbia.

The property is also home to the Cary Castle Mews, a collection of the oldest Canadian buildings of their type west of Winnipeg. The buildings were originally built in the 1870s and consisted of stables, a root cellar, a guardhouse, a small jail, a chicken coop, a wash house and accommodations for staff.

Also found on the Government House property is a rare Garry oak ecosystem. In Canada, Garry oak ecosystems are found only on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and on the neighbouring southern Gulf Islands. Home to several thousand plant, animal and insect species, the Garry oak ecosystem on the Government House property remains one of the largest examples of an intact Garry oak ecosystem in an urban setting.

As steward of a property rich in Canadian and British Columbian history, former Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo championed the project that resulted in the National Historic Site designation. A commemorative plaque was officially unveiled by the Honourable Iona Campagnolo at a ceremony at Government House on October 2, 2003.