Rideau Hall: Home of the Governor General

The majestic Rideau Hall (perched on a site that overlooks the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers) was originally an 11-room house that Scottish stonemason Thomas McKay built for himself and his family in the 1830s. Thirty years later, the federal government leased the house, along with 80 acres of adjacent “McKay’s bush,” for Governor General Viscount Monck and his household prior to their arrival in Ottawa. Upon Confederation, the house was purchased as the official residence of the Governor General, and underwent extensive renovations, including a new wing, conservatory, and, later on, an entrance lodge in 1868, a new ballroom in the early 1870s, and the rebuilding of the entire façade in 1910. Originally known only informally as “Rideau Hall” (Lady Stanley, wife of Governor General Lord Stanley, was chastised by Queen Victoria in 1889 for using the informal name instead of the official “Government House”), the name has stuck, and the building is commonly known by both titles. The present building boasts 60 rooms, some on display during summer tourist season. Unfortunately, since the capital was seen as a desolate and cultural backwater for many years, it was also where several early Governor General residents were heard complaining about their stay; fortunately for the mood of the surrounding city, there hasn’t been any equivalent complaining for decades.