Visiting Lieutenant governor residence is a rare opportunity to see Halifax’s famous landmark

Lieutenant governor residence in Halifax, Nova Scotia is also known as Government house. It is an official residence of the Queen’s representative in this province of Canada. The role of the lieutenant governor these days is mostly ceremonial and symbolic. The government house hosts receptions for Royal visitors and other high-ranking government officials.

Lieutenant governor residence is usually closed to the visitors, however, there are several times per year when the government house opens its doors for the general public. You can learn more about these events online at the official Nova Scotia Lieutenant governor site.

Lieutenant governor residence hosts a reception on New Year’s Day. The general public is welcomed to visit the government house and shake hands with the lieutenant governor. There is live music and some refreshments are served. During this visit, people can see grand Victorian interiors of this famous landmark with beautiful furniture pieces, spiral staircases, and Christmas decorations.

To plan a trip to New Year’s Day Levee at Halifax government house try to arrive early as there will be a line-up. You will enjoy taking photographs with the guards in highlander uniforms and listening to the bagpipe. Also, bear in mind that the weather can change quite rapidly in Nova Scotia. The time difference between the first photograph in this series and the last one is only 30 minutes, but in that period of time, a sudden snow squall arrived and blanketed everything in a couple of inches of snow.