Government House was rebuilt in 1891 to serve as both the office and the official residence of the lieutenant governor of the North-West Territories and was built as a symbol of the British Empire. When the province of Saskatchewan was created in 1905, Government House became the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan. By 1945, Government House had become too expensive to maintain and with an influx of veterans returning from World War II, Government House was turned into a convalescent hospital. On August 2, 1945, an auction was held and most of the original furniture was sold.
From 1958 to 1977, Government House provided space for the Department of Continuing Education to hold adult education classes under its new name, Saskatchewan House and In 1977 restoration began and the House was officially opened as a museum on September 4, 1980 – Saskatchewan’s 75th birthday. Government House was officially named a National Heritage Site on August 21, 1981 and a Provincial Historic Site on August 26, 1981. An addition to GH was completed in May 2005 to provide space for new exhibits, events and administrative offices.
History of The Government House Foundation:
The Government House Foundation was established by regulation under the authority of The Historic Properties Foundation Act, on January 21, 2002. The goal of the Government House Foundation is to preserve and enhance the Government House Heritage Property by promoting public awareness of its character, setting and décor, the historic and cultural values, significant events in the governance of Saskatchewan and the history of the province itself. To enable the Foundation to carry out this goal it must seek and obtain gifts, grants, bequests, donations, other funds and property. Between 2001-2005 the Foundation raised $2.5 M for Government House’s addition. The Government House Foundation is currently run by an oversight Board of Trustees and has begun the process of fundraising for Government House’s upcoming projects.
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