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Thursday January 30, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The 31st Lieutenant Governor of BC, Wendy Cocchia, was sworn today during a ceremony in the Legislative Assembly chamber.
Dignitaries representing the federal government and many guests joined Premier David Eby and MLAs in honouring the new representative of the King in BC.
The appointment of Cocchia to this post was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on December 20, 2024.
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The lieutenant governor is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister, usually serving a term of at least five years.
Premier David Eby offered his congratulations to Wendy Cocchia, CM, OBC, LLD (Hon) and welcomed her as British Columbia’s 31st Lieutenant Governor.
“Her lifelong leadership and exemplary dedication to community service are examples for us all. I wish her the greatest success in fulfilling her important role as vice-regal representative,” said Eby.
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Her Honour swore the Oath of Allegiance and the Oaths of Office at an installation ceremony at the Parliament Buildings. The oaths were administered by Chief Justice Leonard Marchand before an audience including family, friends, First Nations leaders, dignitaries and members of the legislative assembly.
A singer-guitarist accompanied by cello and keyboard provided a captivating musical performance that added an additional layer of elegance to the event.
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Outdoor portion of the event:
The lieutenant governor’s standard was raised atop the flagpole at the Parliament Buildings as part of a venerable tradition.
One of the Lieutenant Governor’s first acts was to inspect a 50-person Guard of Honour provided by Maritime Forces Pacific and Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. Her Honour was accompanied by Lt.-Cmdr Marjorie Gaulin-Riffou.
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The Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy played The Vice-Regal Salute, which consists of the six opening bars of God Save the King, followed by the four opening and four closing bars of O Canada.
The whole afternoon formality started a bit late from the stated schedule.
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Members of the BC NDP cabinet who attended included Attorney General Niki Sharma, Tamara Davidson, Stephanie Higginson, Nina Krieger, Dana Lajeunesse, Randene Neill, George Chow, Ravi Parmar, Lana Popham, Darlene Rotchford, Jodie Wickens, and Terry Yung.
Several BC Conservative opposition party MLAs attended, but BC Conservative Leader John Rustad did not attend.
Speaker of the House Raj Chouhan attended. Federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson (MLA for North Vancouver) attended on behalf of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
There were about 200 guests in the upper gallery including representatives of the Vancouver Police.
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About 100 members of the public gathered on the front lawn of the Parliament Buildings to witness the pomp and circumstance.
The new LG and her husband returned to Government House as part of a three-vehicle entourage followed by two police on motorcycles.
Outgoing LG:
Her Honour succeeds Janet Austin, OBC, who was sworn in on April 24, 2018, as the monarch’s representative in British Columbia. Austin was honoured in a departure ceremony yesterday.
===== RELATED:
Hospitality entrepreneur Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia appointed as BC’s new Lieutenant Governor (December 20, 2024)
NEWS SECTIONS: 43rd PARLIAMENT of BC | POLITICS