Who represents the Sovereign in each province?
- The Commissioner
- The Lieutenant Governor
- The Mayor of the capital city
- The Premier
Answer: The Lieutenant Governor
Each of the ten provinces has a Lieutenant Governor who represents the Sovereign, much as the Governor General does federally. Do not confuse this with the Premier, who leads the provincial government, or the Commissioner, who serves in a territory.
Learn more: Provincial and territorial government
- Every province has its own elected Legislative Assembly; a provincial legislature is the Lieutenant Governor plus the elected Assembly.
- The Premier’s role in a province is similar to the Prime Minister’s federally.
- The Lieutenant Governor represents the Sovereign in each of the ten provinces, a role similar to the Governor General’s.
- Lieutenant Governors are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister, normally for five years.
- In each of the three territories, a Commissioner represents the federal government and plays a ceremonial role.
- Provincial and territorial members are called MLAs (Legislative Assembly), MNAs (National Assembly, in Quebec), MPPs (Provincial Parliament) or MHAs (House of Assembly), depending on the province or territory.