Released on October 23, 2013
Lieutenant Governor Vaughn Solomon Schofield will formally open the Third Session of the Twenty-Seventh Legislature with the Speech from the Throne on October 23, at 2 p.m. in the Assembly Chamber of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.
Members of the public are invited to observe the outdoor ceremony which begins at 1:25 p.m. in front of the Legislative Building. The ceremony includes the arrival of the Lieutenant Governor, Vice-Regal Salutes, inspection of a Guard of Honour, a 15 Gun Salute and a flypast from 15 Wing Moose Jaw.
The occasion also marks the start of a new tradition for the Government of Saskatchewan. The Black Rod, the design of which was unveiled to the province by The Prince of Wales during a visit to Regina in 2012 to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, will also see its first official use.
The Usher of the Black Rod will lead the official party into the Assembly Chamber, where the Lieutenant Governor will deliver the Throne Speech.
The tradition of the Black Rod dates back to 1348 and the founding of the Most Noble Order of the Garter by King Edward III. It was the role of the Usher of the Black Rod to close and guard the doors once all the knights were assembled in the chapel. Under King Henry VII, the functions of the Black Rod were refined and expanded to include parliamentary duties.
The formal opening of the Legislative Assembly has taken place at the onset of each legislative session since March 29, 1906, when representatives of the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary first gathered to hear Lieutenant Governor Amédee Forget acknowledge expressions of welcome into the Canadian federation from Ottawa and the other provincial legislatures.
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For more information, contact:
Jay Teneycke
Intergovernmental Affairs
Regina
Phone: 306-798-6095
Email: jay.teneycke@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-529-8630