In an email sent on Sept. 24, Canada’s History Society informed recipients of this year's award that it is trying to find alternate accommodations

OTTAWA — In the latest in a series of departures from tradition, Governor General Julie Payette has given notice she isn’t planning to preside over the 2018 Governor General’s History Awards ceremony. It would be the first ceremony since the award’s creation in 1996 at which the Governor General will not be present.

The news comes as criticism mounts over Rideau Hall’s reduced workload under Gov.-Gen. Julie Payette, who took office nearly one year ago.

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In an email sent on Sept. 24 and obtained by the National Post, Canada’s National History Society informed recipients of this year’s award that it is trying to find alternate accommodations.

“We are working as quickly as possible to make appropriate arrangements for this year’s events,” the email said.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate a change of circumstance for this year’s Governor General’s History Awards presentation. The Office of the Governor General has informed Canada’s National History Society that Her Excellency is unable to preside over this year’s award ceremony and that Rideau Hall is unavailable.”

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The message stressed that the history society, a national charitable organization based in Winnipeg, is working hard to ensure the ceremony is no less meaningful for the recipients.

“All other elements of the awards program in Ottawa will remain unchanged,” it said. “Canada’s History remains committed to celebrating your exceptional achievements and to making this a memorable experience for you and your families.”

It is at least the second award this year carrying the Governor General’s imprimatur that Payette will not be presenting. The award ceremony for the 2018 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture was instead hosted by Manitoba’s lieutenant governor after the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada was informed Payette and Rideau Hall were unavailable. (This happened once before in 2006, when the ceremony was hosted by the lieutenant governor of Quebec.)

Since she was installed on Oct. 2, 2017, Payette — who as Governor General earns a salary of just under $300,000 — has placed the entire suite of Rideau Hall’s programming and patronages under review. Roughly a year later, the results of that review are still pending.

Although it is usual for a new Governor General to review programming and determine their own priorities when first entering office, the length of this review and the lack of communication from Rideau Hall has left many organizations in the dark, sources have told the National Post. Sources have also said Payette is much less inclined to do awards ceremonies than her predecessors have been, leaving many people wondering why she took a job with such heavy ceremonial responsibilities.

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Photo by Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

In a response sent Wednesday evening, a Rideau Hall spokesperson said the office considered a number of possible dates for the event, but were unable to commit to one due to Payette’s “heavily committed fall schedule, as well as additional priority engagements whose timelines are still shifting.”

“As we don’t wish to delay or hinder the planning efforts of Canada’s National History Society, we have at this time declined hosting this event at Rideau Hall,” said the email from Marie-Ève Létourneau. “Should the Governor General be available on a date that remains to be set, she will consider presiding over the event.”

The Governor General’s History Awards were created in 1996 by Gov.-Gen. Romeo Leblanc, and honour Canadians for achievements in teaching, scholarly research, museums, community programming and popular media.

The ceremony has occasionally been held outside Rideau Hall, including once at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club during a civil service strike, but the sitting governor general still presided at those events. Payette presented the awards last year, on Nov. 22, 2017.

Janet Walker, president and CEO of the history society, said they are working with Rideau Hall to find a new venue and host, and said she is confident the ceremony will still be special for those receiving awards.

“We’re the administrators of the award, so we feel pretty dedicated to making sure that the recipients of these Governor General’s History Awards continue to be honoured well,” she said.

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Walker said they were not given a specific reason why Payette was unable to do the ceremony this year, but said she has no reason to believe the relationship will substantially change going forward.

“It’s really early days, we think, for knowing the future of the award’s presentation,” she said. “We do know that there’s an awards review process, and we would love this relationship to continue, and we expect it will continue. And we’ll await the results of the long-term part of the process.”

The history society does not have much time to make alternate arrangements. The awards ceremony has typically taken place in November, though it has moved a little earlier and later in previous years depending on the Governor General’s availability.

The honours program is one of the busiest and most important functions of Rideau Hall. There are a series of other awards that carry the vice-regal’s title, including the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, the Governor General’s Innovation Awards and the Governor General’s Academic Medals.

Payette said in an interview with CBC that aired Sept. 4 that she highly values her role in distributing honours.

“What’s really important is to recognize when people do great things, or when people pursue an initiative or show enormous generosity or heart or bravery,” she said. “I feel very privileged, every single time a person comes at Rideau Hall or at Citadelle, our second official residence in Quebec City, to receive an honour, it’s not about the Governor General, it’s about them. And that is a really cool part of the job I must say.”