Julie Payette Commission Terminated

Summary#

This Canada Gazette notice records that the commission of The Right Honourable Julie Payette as Governor General of Canada ended on January 22, 2021 at her request. The same page also lists three separate removals from Canadian honours: two from the Order of Merit of the Police Forces and one from the Order of Military Merit.

What it does#

• Declares that the commission appointing Julie Payette as Governor General of Canada "ceases to have effect" as of January 22, 2021. The notice says she requested to be relieved of the duties.
• Notes that, under the Letters Patent dated September 8, 1947, the powers of the Governor General are to be carried out by an Administrator of the Government of Canada when the office is vacant or the holder is removed.
• Announces three terminations of honours:
  • The appointment of Police Chief (Retired) Frank Elsner (Victoria Police Department) to the Order of Merit of the Police Forces was terminated by Ordinance signed February 3, 2021.
  • The appointment of Inspector (Retired) Glenn Louis Howard Trivett (Ontario Provincial Police) to the Order of Merit of the Police Forces was terminated by Ordinance signed September 23, 2020.
  • The appointment of Captain (Retired) Jean-Charles Perreault to the Order of Military Merit was terminated by Ordinance signed February 3, 2021.

Who's affected#

• Julie Payette and people working in the Office of the Governor General (staff and offices that support viceregal duties).
• The Administrator of the Government of Canada, who would perform Governor General duties while the office is vacant.
• The three named former officers (Frank Elsner, Glenn Louis Howard Trivett, Jean-Charles Perreault) and the institutions tied to them (for example, the Victoria Police Department and the Ontario Provincial Police), because their memberships in the listed honours were ended.
• The general public in a practical sense — anyone watching state ceremonies, official appointments, or interactions that involve the Governor General — may see a change in who performs those duties.

Why it matters#

• The Governor General carries out ceremonial and constitutional duties. Ending a Governor General’s commission means those duties move temporarily to the Administrator until a new Governor General is in place. That affects who gives royal assent to certain formal acts and who performs official ceremonies.
• Removal from an honour changes an individual’s formal standing and public recognition within those national orders. The Gazette notice makes those changes official and public.