How Rideau Hall (accidentally) became the home of the governor general
160 years ago, Lord Monck, scrambling for a place to live, leased the 11-bedroom private estate of the late stonemason and Bytown pioneer Thomas MacKay.
David C. Martin
Published Aug 26, 2024 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 3 minute read
It was the summer of 1864, and the government of the old Province of Canada was readying itself to relocate from Quebec to the colony’s newly selected capital. Queen Victoria had made her choice several years earlier and, as construction of the Parliament buildings was nearly complete, it was finally time to make the move to Ottawa.
But one aspect of capital statecraft had been neglected. While a contract for the construction of a Government House at Nepean Point — a would-be crucible for executive power — had been awarded back in 1859, virtually no progress had been made on the project. With the governor general expected to take up residence in Ottawa, alongside the rest of the government, something had to be done — and fast.
A stopgap measure was found to accommodate Lord Monck when, on Aug. 2, 1864, he leased the 11-bedroom private estate of the late stonemason and Bytown pioneer Thomas MacKay. “MacKay Castle,” also known as Rideau Hall, and 80 acres of surrounding land, were let out by MacKay’s son-in-law, Thomas Coltrin Keefer, for the annual sum of $4,000.
While the building was impressive by the standards of mid-19-century Ottawa, the small Regency villa still required significant enlargement. By January 1865 the joint legislature of the two Canadas (East and West) had approved a budget of $110,000 to expand the main building three or fourfold. That expenditure, only begrudgingly granted, was about half of what was ultimately needed complete the project.
In its earliest days, the house and its location imposed a great deal of strain on Monck’s ability to perform his vice-regal duties. Canada’s first post-Confederation governor general complained bitterly about the pitiable road linking Government House to Parliament Hill. Only in winter, when snowfall provided adequate packing, was the road considered even bearable. In summer, Monck resorted to organizing a six-man rowing crew to ferry him to and from official engagements via the Ottawa River.
In 1868, the Canadian government finally purchased MacKay Castle for $82,000. In the decades since, Rideau Hall has grown from an unwanted, temporary and ill-thought-of outpost, far from the heart of Ottawa officialdom, into what Romeo LeBlanc termed “Canada’s Home.” Every governor general since Confederation, with the likely exception of Julie Payette, has made Rideau Hall his or her primary home.
Despite being enlarged and expanded multiple times over the years, elements of MacKay’s original design still endure. One of the three doors to his dining room, for example, today opens into the antechamber of the famous Tent Room, the second to the Long Gallery, and the third, to the outside grounds. Likewise, the second floor’s main oval drawing room, with its marble fireplace and thistle-encrusted plasterwork, are today part of the King’s bedroom and royal suite, where the monarch stays whenever in residence.
Today, it is in the Government House ballroom that each new Prime Minister, and his or her cabinet, takes the oath of office. It is here, often in the same ornate chamber, that foreign diplomats must formally present their credentials before assuming their posts. And it is within these hallowed halls that the service and sacrifice of both soldier and civilian are recognized with state honours like the Order of Canada.
From its humble and uncertain beginnings, 160 years ago, Rideau Hall is today a prominent fixture of the Canadian state, both past and present. With its remarkable history and enduring purpose, Ottawa is blessed to still have this particular gem in its crown.
David C. Martin is a historian and writer focused on bringing historical background and context to contemporary events.
https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/martin...-became-the-home-of-the-governor-general
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Too bad. Could have revived it for the $800k washroom project that's just re-re-re-re-re started.
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