Government House
10 Kennedy Street
Since 1883, the stately three-storey mansion known as the
Government House has been the residence of Manitoba's lieutenant-governors.
Located at 10 Kennedy Street in the heart of downtown Winnipeg,
it has long served as a centre of political and social activity.
More importantly, it has served as a constant reminder of
this province's political evolution and as a symbol of the
nation's constitutional heritage.
In 1870, Manitoba entered Confederation and in 1872, the
former Hudson's Bay Company house at Upper Fort Garry was
officially leased to the Dominion for use as the original
home of the province's first lieutenant-governor, Adams G.
Archibald. However, the decline of the upper fort and the
HBC's plans to dismantle the complex in the early 1880s prompted
the federal government to begin work on a new government house.
The new lieutenant-governor's residence was located at 10
Kennedy Street in the City of Winnipeg on a piece of land
which had been appropriated in 1872 as a 20-hectare Dominion
and provincial government reserve.
In 1874, this tract of land was divided down its length and
the eastern half, which extended on both sides of Broadway,
was designated as a provincial reserve. The southern portion
of the reserve was seven hectares. At the northern end of
this section, the federal government constructed Manitoba's
first provincial legislative buildings and on the south built
Government House, the lieutenant-governor's residence.
Work on both buildings was to commence in 1881, but Government
House was completed in 1883, one year before the finishing
touches were made to the legislative buildings. The architectural
designs for the house were drawn up by Thomas Scott and the
staff of the Chief Architect's Office in the Department o
Public Works, Canada. A simplified version of the Second Empire
style was chosen for the three-storey mansion to compliment
the nearby legislative buildings.
The interior of the residence and most of the outbuildings
were completed in 1883. Although the entire complex was not
completely finished by July 1, everything was in readiness
by the time Lieutenant-Governor James Cox Aikins moved in
during the third week of September.
Aikins's experience as a politician, cabinet minister and
senator provided him with excellent credentials for his work
in Manitoba. A falling out between prime minister Macdonald
and senator Aikins led to his appointment as lieutenant-governor
in Manitoba, a remote posting ideal for 'unwanted' politicians.
Over the years, the house at 10 Kennedy Street underwent
a number of changes. Rooms designed for one purpose came to
serve as others: a library became a drawing room, a second
floor bedroom doubled as a ballroom and the lieutenant-governor's
office became an aide's room, once the incumbent was given
his own chambers at the legislative buildings.
A conservatory, designed by Walter Chesterton, was added
to the greenhouse in 1886, and a ballroom and veranda were
added to the house around the turn of the century. Some of
these were later torn down and replaced by other additions:
a sunroom, an assembly room, a new garage and modern greenhouse.
An important alteration was made in the 1940s when a kitchen
wing was attached to the residence. Apparently, the basement
kitchen had become quite a nuisance, particularly on one occasion
when, much to the dismay of the hostess, the dumbwaiter broke
sending hot dishes clattering down the shaft.
By the mid-1890s, Government House was in serious need of
repair. During the winter of 1896-97 observers claimed the
house was barely habitable: the cleaning system needed overhauling,
plumbing fixtures had to be renewed, and the hearths and fireplaces
needed to be rebuilt and refilled. These and all subsequent
repairs, renovations and extensions, were paid for by the
provincial government.
On September 6, 1870, Lieutenant-Governor Adams Archibald
held a reception at Upper Fort Garry so that the general populace
could meet and chat with the Canadian government's new representative
in Manitoba. This marked the first of many social events organized
and preceded over by Manitoba's lieutenant-governors.
Archibald followed the reception with a New Year's Levee
held on January 2, 1871, a celebration that has become an
annual tradition. The event drew an ever increasing number
of citizens. In 1971, the site of the New Year's Levee switched
from 10 Kennedy Street to the more commodious corridors of
the legislative building.
The first New Year's Levee held at the Kennedy Street residence
provided curious citizens with an opportunity to view the
handsome interior of the new house. According to one account,
the main hall had been tastefully decorated with festoons
of evergreens, and a larger evergreen horseshoe, with the
words, 'A Happy New Year' inscribed upon its white linen background,
welcomed guests in the foyer. The event began at four in the
afternoon and lasted for over two hours. The main table in
the dining room was graciously laid out with garnished platters
of turkey, prairie chicken, partridge, duck, venison and other
dishes for the enjoyment of the guests.
Government House in Winnipeg's fourth oldest lieutenant-governor's
residence and the fifth oldest Government House in the country.
It is now situated in close proximity to three buildings which
symbolize the political and administrative heart of the Province:
Frank Simon's grand Legislative Building, Samuel Hooper's
Land Titles Office and Victor Horwood's Law Courts Building
and Power House.
Although somewhat overpowered by the still formalism of the
large limestone structures nearby, Government House remains
an important landmark in Winnipeg and an integral part of
the political and social life of the province.
° provided by the Manitoba Historic Resources Branch
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