Lieutenant Governor to host New Year’s Levee in Thunder Bay

TORONTO – The Hon. James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and Her Worship Lynn Peterson, Mayor of Thunder Bay, announced today that the Lieutenant Governor’s New Year’s Levee will take place in Thunder Bay on Saturday 1 January 2005. The event will take place at The Armoury on 317 Park Avenue, beginning at 2:00 PM, and will include a civic awards ceremony. The Levee is a public event, open to all – an opportunity for members of the public to meet The Queen’s representative and enjoy family entertainment and light refreshments.

The New Year’s Levee: An Evolving Tradition
    The first recorded levee in what is now Canada was hosted by the Governor of New France, Charles Huault de Montmagny, in 1646. This custom originated in Europe, where formal morning assemblies were held by princes or persons of distinction. The word levée derives from French and means rising (as from bed). In Canada, levees are traditionally hosted by representatives of the Crown. During the French regime, governors greeted citizens at their residence, the Château Saint-Louis in Quebec City, to wish them a happy new year. This custom of hosting levees at vice-regal residences was continued by British governors, and later by Canada’s Governor General and provincial lieutenant governors. In recent years, many mayors and military commanders have hosted levees, on or after January 1st. The first vice-regal levee to be held outside a capital was hosted by then Governor General Roland Michener in Charlottetown in 1973. Subsequent governors general have hosted levees at Quebec City and in cities such as St John’s and Winnipeg. The present Governor General (Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson) has hosted levees across the country on various occasions. Several lieutenant governors are now moving their levees outside their provincial capitals as well. In keeping with this trend, the Hon. James K. Bartleman holds his New Year’s Levee outside Toronto in alternating years. In 2003 he held the levee at Barrie, to mark the sesquicentennial of the city. His predecessor, the Hon. Hilary Weston (Lieutenant Governor 1997-2002) held the 2001 levee in London, and the 1999 levee in Kingston. For many years levees were only for invited gentlemen and members of the military and uniformed services. In Ontario, the Hon. John Keiller MacKay (Lieutenant Governor 1957-63) invited the public for the first time. The Hon. Pauline McGibbon (Lieutenant Governor 1974-80), the first female representative of The Queen in the Commonwealth, began the practice of inviting women in 1976, at the same time as then Governor General Jules Léger. Over the years the traditional levee has evolved into a popular public event, attended by men, women and children from many backgrounds and locales. Yet its essence has remained unchanged. For over 350 years, the New Year’s Levee has offered people a unique opportunity to meet Canada’s vice-regal representatives in a festive setting to welcome in the new year.