Secretary to the Governor General is the title used by the administrative head of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General (OSGG), the Canadian government office that supports the work of the Governor General of Canada. The position is based at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ontario. On November 20, 2023, Kenneth MacKillop was named to the position, effective November 27, 2023. The previous office-holder was Ian McCowan, who was appointed in February 2021 and retired in November 2023.

Overview

The position is one of the oldest public service appointments, the position initially supporting the governor-general of the Province of Canada. It holds the courtesy rank of deputy minister within the Public Service of Canada. Since Confederation, every office-holder has been appointed by order-in-council. The first post-Confederation incumbent, Dennis Godley, initially assumed his post in 1861 and continued into the post-Confederation period, departing in November 1868. The Secretary to the Governor General holds a number of ex officio positions, as follows. Since the establishment of the Order of Canada in 1967, the office-holder has served as Secretary General of the Order of Canada. The office-holder also serves as Secretary General of the Order of Military Merit and the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. Following the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 1988, the office-holder became Herald Chancellor of Canada.

Secretaries to the Governor General

Pre-Confederation

Post-Confederation