The Governor General sends messages of congratulations to Canadians marking a special occasion or significant milestone in their communities.
Guidelines for requesting, receiving and publishing messages from the Governor General
- The completed request form must be received no later than eight (8) weeks prior to the requested delivery date.
- It is the responsibility of the requester to complete the form in full. Failure to do so may result in a later delivery date or the request being refused.
- The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General (OSGG) will assess each message request on a case-by-case basis and will notify the requester if a message cannot be provided. Due to time constraints and a high volume of submissions, we cannot accept every request. Obtaining a message one year does not guarantee obtaining one the next.
- Messages are written in support of a designated event and will only be used for the purposes indicated on the request form and authorized by the OSGG; they cannot be used for marketing, publicity or endorsement.
- The following requests will not be accepted: new position, promotion, retirement, personal event or achievement, annual report, annual meeting or general assembly.
- A maximum of one (1) message per year will be provided to any given organization.
- Messages will not be provided to organizations that are partisan or political in nature, nor will they be given to sitting politicians.
- Messages will be sent to the recipient organization directly and cannot be delivered via a third party (e.g. members of federal/provincial parliament, municipal offices).
Additional Criteria
| Category | Criteria | Details |
| Anniversary – Associations, clubs, societies and national service organizations | Minimum: 25 years* | National entities and their local sections — e.g. Lions Club, Knights of Columbus, Shriners, Daughters of Isabella, Scouts, Optimist Club, Royal Canadian Legion, special interest clubs, fraternal or academic organizations |
| Anniversary – Community and not-for-profit groups | Minimum: 25 years* | Food banks, shelters, youth/seniors or disabled persons’ groups, cultural associations, etc. |
| Anniversary – Cadet corps, military units and veterans associations | Minimum: 25 years* | Army, Air and Sea Cadet corps; Regular and Reserve Force units of the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force; Canadian veterans organizations |
| Anniversary – Commercial entities | Minimum: 50 years* | For-profit organizations, including industries, companies, small businesses and private sector unions |
| Anniversary – Educational institutions | Minimum: 75 years* | Elementary, secondary, college, university and specialized institutions |
| Anniversary – Municipal institutions | Minimum: 75 years* | Hospitals, fire stations and police services |
| Anniversary – Religious institutions | Minimum: 100 years* | Churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship |
| Anniversary – Cities, towns and parishes | Minimum: 100 years* | |
| National or international conferences | * | National or international conferences organized in Canada by recognized Canadian organizations |
| Student conferences and parliaments | Events organized in Canada by recognized Canadian educational institutions |
*A message can be provided every five (5) years