The Office of the Secretary to the
Governor General

The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General (OSGG) is the government agency that supports the Governor General in delivering his/her mandate and in fulfilling his/her constitutional, state, ceremonial and other traditional responsibilities.

The Office is also responsible for planning and implementing the Governor General’s program and the many activities he/she undertakes with, and on behalf of, Canadians in communities across the country and abroad, as well as with the Canadian Forces as Commander-in-Chief. These activities serve to recognize outstanding achievement and the pursuit of excellence by Canadians, and to foster national identity, unity and pride. They also promote Canadian values such as respect for diversity, community participation and public education.

To help Canadians understand the roles and responsibilities of the Governor General and how he/she fulfills them, the Office offers both a public information program and extensive visitor and interpretation programs at the Governor General’s historic official residences at Rideau Hall in Ottawa and at La Citadelle in Quebec City. Together, as many as 200,000 people visit these sites each year.

The Chancellery of Honours forms an important part of the Office and administers all aspects of Canada’s Honours System including, for example, the Order of Canada, the Bravery Awards, the Meritorious Service Decorations and the Caring Canadian Awards. The Chancellery also includes Canada’s Heraldic Authority.

The Secretary to the Governor General is the senior official in the department and in addition to having overall responsibility for all aspects of the management and operations of the OSGG, acts as the senior advisor to the Governor General. The Secretary is also responsible for all aspects of the vice-regal program, from planning to implementation.

The OSGG is structured as follows:

Secretary to the Governor General – Barbara Uteck

Deputy Secretary, Policy, Program and Protocol Branch – Curtis Barlow
Responsibilities include the following:

• Program Planning and Policy
• Communications and Visitor Services
• Program Operations and Security
• Events Planning and Implementation

Acting Deputy Secretary, Chancellery of Honours – Mary DeBellefeuille-Percy
Responsibilities include the following:

• Honours
• Heraldry

Director General, Corporate Services – JoAnn MacKenzie
Responsibilities include the following:

• Financial Services
• Informatics Services
• Information Management and Transportation
• Material Management
• Human Resources

The Operating Budget of the OSGG is approved by Parliament and the OSGG is therefore accountable to Parliament for its expenditures. These expenditures are made public through the Public Accounts process at the end of every year.