Vincent Massey
Encyclopedia
Charles Vincent Massey (February 20, 1887 December 30, 1967) was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada
, the 18th since Canadian Confederation
.
Massey was born into an influential Toronto
family and was educated in Ontario
and England
, obtaining a degree in law and befriending future prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King
while studying at the University of Oxford
. He was commissioned into the military in 1917 for the remainder of the First World War, and after a brief stint in the Canadian Cabinet
began his diplomatic career, serving in envoys to the United States
and United Kingdom
. Upon his return to Canada in 1946, Massey headed a royal commission
on the arts between 1949 and 1951, which resulted in the Massey Report
, and subsequently the establishment of the National Library of Canada
and the Canada Council of the Arts
, amongst other grant-giving agencies. He was in 1952 appointed as governor general by George VI
, king of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada
Louis St. Laurent
, to replace the Viscount Alexander of Tunis
as viceroy
, and he occupied the post until succeeded by Georges Vanier
in 1959. Massey was the first Canadian-born individual to serve as Canada's governor general and he proved to be a successful transition for the office away from occupants who had consistently been both members of the peerage
and born overseas.
On September 16, 1925, Massey was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
, giving him the accordant style of The Honourable
; however, as a former governor general of Canada, Massey was entitled to be styled for life with the superior form of The Right Honourable
. He subsequently continued his philanthropic work and founded Massey College
at the University of Toronto
and the Massey Lectures
before he died on December 30, 1967.
, Ontario
, as the son of Anna (née Vincent) and Chester Daniel Massey, himself the owner of the Massey-Harris Co. (predecessor company to the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company), and the patriarch of one of the city's wealthiest families. The clan was strongly Methodist
, and played an important role in supporting local religious, cultural, and educational organisations, including Victoria University
, Massey Hall
, and the Metropolitan Methodist Church (now the Metropolitan United Church
). Massey was thus raised amongst Toronto's elite, which would give him a number of social and familial connections throughout his life, as occurred with his younger brother, Raymond Massey
, and his children, Anna Massey
and Daniel Massey
.
Massey was raised in the family
's mansion at 519 Jarvis Street
, and educated at St. Andrew's College, in Aurora, Ontario
, before enrolling in University College
in the University of Toronto
(UofT), though his family had close ties to Victoria College. There, he in 1907 enlisted in The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
and joined the Kappa Alpha Society
, through which he met his long-time friend, and future prime minister of Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie King
. After passing matriculation three years later with his Bachelor of Arts
degree in history and English, Massey then went on to continue his education at Balliol College
at the University of Oxford
, earning his Master of Arts in history.
Feeling since his time as an undergraduate at UofT that the institution lacked a facility where its 4,000 students could engage in extracurricular activities, in 1911 Massey donated $16,290 to augment the money students had already raised for building a student centre, and thereafter led the endowment and construction efforts. In 1913, he returned to Toronto and became the first Dean of Men
at the Victoria University residence his father had recently donated, Burwash Hall
, as well as a lecturer on modern history at the college. Then, on June 4, 1915, Massey married Alice Parkin, the daughter of Sir George Robert Parkin
, who was a former principal of Upper Canada College
(UCC) and secretary of the Rhodes Trust
; through the marriage, Massey later became the uncle of George Grant
, and the great-uncle to Michael Ignatieff
. But, he was not with his new bride long before, at the end of 1914, the United Kingdom
, and thus Canada along with it, had declared war on Germany
. Massey was commissioned as an officer for Military District No. 2, and was called to work for the Cabinet
war committee before being discharged at the cessation of hostilities in 1918.
Once again a civilian, Massey started in 1921 as president of his father's business, while simultaneously pursuing philanthropic interests, mostly in arts and education, such as his collecting paintings and sculpture through his Massey Foundation
, which he established in 1918. By the next year, UofT's social and athletic facility was complete and dedicated in memory of Massey's grandfather, Hart Massey
, as Hart House; there, while he headed Massey-Harris Co., Massey participated as an amateur actor and director in the building's theatre. But, in 1925 he resigned from the corporate life he was unsuited for, and, as a friend of the then prime minister of Canada, Mackenzie King, Massey was appointed on September 16, by Governor General The Viscount Byng of Vimy
, to the King's Privy Council
, and was subsequently made a minister without portfolio
in the Cabinet. It was desired that Massey, as a minister, hold a seat in the House of Commons
, yet he failed to win his riding of Durham
in the 1925 federal election
, held on October 29. Though he thereafter resigned his cabinet post, Massey was still included in the Canadian delegation to the 1926 Imperial Conference
, where was drafted the Balfour Declaration that would ultimately lead to vast constitutional changes in the role of the monarch and his viceroys throughout the former empire.
Later in 1926, on November 25, Governor General the Marquess of Willingdon
, acted on Mackenzie King's advice to appoint Massey as the first Canadian Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States for His Majesty's Government in Canada, making Massey Canada's first ever envoy with full diplomatic credentials to a foreign capital. Despite this first in international relations, Massey's time in Washington, D.C.
, was free of notable events, and he returned to Canada in mid-1930, as Mackenzie King had put his name forward for appointment as high commissioner to the United Kingdom. But, merely five days after Massey relinquished his posting to Washington, Mackenzie King's Liberal Party
was defeated in the federal election
, seeing Richard Bennett
appointed as prime minister. The new premier objected to Massey as the government's representative to the UK, on the grounds that, as a former Liberal minister, Massey did not enjoy the political confidence of the new Conservative government that was needed by the individual occupying the position.
Starting in 1932, Massey took on the job of president of the National Liberal Federation of Canada until, three years later, the Liberals were again returned to a majority in the commons
, and Mackenzie King was once more installed as prime minister. Within a month, on November 8, 1935, Massey was appointed as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom for His Majesty's Government in Canada
, and arrived at Canada House
to find as his secretary the man who would be his future successor as governor general of Canada, Georges Vanier
. The two men set about regular diplomatic business, but, throughout 1936, Massey had to contend with the death of King George V
and the accession and then before the proposed Canadian postage stamps
even arrived for Massey to pass on for the King's approval abdication of
Edward VIII
in favour of his younger brother, Prince Albert, Duke of York
.
Throughout his time as high commissioner, Massey used his connections to bring to Canada House a litany of personalities from "the highest quarters." Two such persons were the Viscount
and Viscountess Astor
, who were both the nucleus of the Cliveden set
, which itself was a group of aristocrat
ic individuals rumoured to be Germanophile
s not only in favour of the appeasement of Adolf Hitler
, but also supporters of friendly relations with Nazi Germany
. Though these allegations were historically challenged as exaggerations, Irving Abella
and Harold Troper
claimed in their book None Is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933-1948
that Massey was an enthusiastic supporter of the Munich Agreement
, and worked with Ernest Lapointe
to put obstacles in the way of Jewish refugee
s attempting to immigrate to Canada. However, Canadian immigration policy at the time favoured trained farmers, which excluded most Jews, who were largely city dwellers, and the Cabinet of Mackenzie King was already resistant to changes in the law. Seven decades later, these accusations against Massey resulted in a campaign in Windsor, Ontario
, to rename a high school that had originally been named in his honour.
Nevertheless, Massey was a Canadian and British patriot, and worked not only to maximize Canada's war effort once World War II
broke out, but also concurrently served through 1936 as the Canadian delegate to the League of Nations
, between 1941 and 1945 as a trustee of the National and Tate
Galleries, and additionally as chair of the Tate's board of governors from 1943 to 1945. Though, Massey was honoured for all this work by being inducted in 1946 by King George VI
into the Order of the Companions of Honour
, upon his return to Canada Massey continued in the same fields. He sat as chair of the National Gallery of Canada
from 1948 to 1952, and was selected as Chancellor of the University of Toronto between 1948 and 1953. In 1949, Massey's artistic expertise was of benefit when he was appointed as the head of the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences
, which ultimately, resulted in the Massey Report of 1951, and from there to the establishment of the National Library of Canada
and the Canada Council of the Arts
. All this Massey continued despite the death of his wife in July 1950.
had been born in another overseas region of the British Empire
and later British Commonwealth
. As a widower, he was also the first and only unmarried person ever to reside at Rideau Hall. Typically, the governor general's wife would be the viceregal consort
, and act as the hostess and chatelaine of the household. In Massey's case, however, his daughter-in-law, Lilias Massey
, fulfilled the role, though she was not accorded the style of Her Excellency usually given to the viceregal consort.
that George VI had, by commission under the royal sign-manual
and Great Seal of Canada
, approved Prime Minister
Louis St. Laurent
's choice of Massey to succeed the Viscount Alexander of Tunis
as the King's representative. Within five days, however, the King was dead, and Massey, upon his swearing-in, would thus be the first Canadian representative of George's daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. To respect the King's passing, there was little fanfare around Massey's appointment; Lord Alexander quietly departed Canada shortly after the announcement of Massey as his successor, leaving Chief Justice
Thibaudeau Rinfret
as administrator of the government in his place.
There was, though, some commentary about the soon-to-be representative of the new queen. The notion of a Canadian-born governor general, and one also not elevated to the peerage, was viewed as somewhat controversial by traditionalists. Massey, thus, was to be a compromise: while it was known he was closely associated with the Liberal Party, having been the group's chairman during the 1930s, the Governor General-Designate was a commoner Canadian by birth but he also embodied loyalty, dignity, and formality, as expected from a viceroy. Massey stated that for his role as governor general, he for inspiration looked to one of his predecessors, and a man Massey had known for decades, the Baron Tweedsmuir
, whom Massey said he "greatly admired" and had "learnt much from" his tenure as governor general.
Life
ran a profile piece on Massey, in which the Marquess of Salisbury
described Massey as an elegant individual citing Massey's Oxford schooling and tailored clothing as illustrations and thoroughly Canadian, though noting that "Vincent's a fine chap, but he does make one feel like a bit of a savage." But the elite demeanour he was sometimes criticised for was not evident in Massey's belief that the Crown belonged to Canadians, and that it was his task as viceroy to act as a link between the people and the monarch. He similarly believed that the arts were a way to assert Canadian sovereignty, and that the various artistic fields should be accessible to all Canadians.
(subsequently given to all governors general upon taking office). However, Massey's first months as the viceroy were muted, due to the ongoing 16 week period of official mourning. It was not until the coronation of Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953 that Massey was called upon to take charge of any national celebration. For the occasion, he revived the use of the state carriage when he rode in it, with an accompanying guard of Royal Canadian Mounted Police
, from the royal and viceroyal residence of Rideau Hall
to Parliament Hill
, where he introduced to the gathered crowd the Queen's coronation speech, broadcast around the world via radio. He also gave a silver spoon to each child born on that day.
Massey welcomed the Queen and her consort, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
, to Ottawa on three occasions from 1957 on, and when the royal couple were engaged in a cross-country tour, Massey invited them to stay at his private estate, Batterwood, near Port Hope, Ontario
. He also hosted a number of foreign heads of state
, including United States president
Dwight D. Eisenhower
on November 13, 1953. As a return gesture, Massey was invited by Eisenhower to Washington, D.C.
, where, on May 4, 1954, he addressed a joint session of the United States Congress
.
It was Massey's intent as governor general to work to unite Canada's diverse cultures. He travelled across the country, using any and all available transportation, including canoe
and dog sled
, and delivered speeches promoting bilingualism, some 20 years before it became an official national policy. Along with the usual ceremonial duties undertaken by a viceroy, such as opening in 1955 the new home of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum
, the Governor General toured the Canadian arctic
extensively, journeying to such places as Frobisher Bay
and Hall Beach
in the Northwest Territories
, meeting with local Inuit
residents, participating in their activities, and watching their performances. During his governor generalship, Massey also became actively involved with Upper Canada College, donating funds and his time to the school and seeing a number of spaces there named in his honour in return. As part of his effort to unify Canadians, it was Massey's desire to see established an entirely Canadian honours system. Though such a thing was never realised during his viceregal tenure, he helped lay the groundwork for the system that would be implemented by his successor, and in 1967, just months before his death, Massey was inducted as one of the first companions of the Order of Canada
.
. Further, Massey initiated in 1954 the Governor General's Gold Medal for the Institute of Chartered Accountants, as well as in 1959 the Massey Medal
, for excellence in geographic endeavours for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
.
, making him the first Canadian recipient of that honour, and today only one of two to ever receive it. Yet, Massey continued his philanthropic work, dedicating his time to the stewardship of the Massey Foundation, and its endowment to the University of Toronto, in particular. While Hart House continued as one of the recipients of Massey's attention and funds, Massey also expanded the scope of his donations to U of T with the establishment in 1963 of Massey College
, to which Massey's protegé Robertson Davies
was appointed as the college's first master. In 1961, the Massey Lectures
were also initiated, conceived as a focus on important contemporary issues by leading thinkers, and they remain considered as the most important public lecture series in Canada.
At the end of 1967, on December 30, Massey died while on holiday in the United Kingdom. His remains were returned to Canada, and he was, as is customary for former governors general, given a state funeral
, in early January 1968. He was buried alongside his wife at St. Mark's Anglican church in Port Hope; his was the last burial to take place there.
Massey's style and title as governor general was, in full, and in English
: His Excellency the Right Honourable Charles Vincent Massey, Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada, and in French
: Son Excellence le très honorable Charles Vincent Massey, compagnon de l'ordre du Compagnon d'honneur, gouverneur général et commandant en chef du Canada.
In his post-viceregal life, Massey's style and title was, in English: The Right Honourable Charles Vincent Massey, Companion of the Order of Canada, Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour, and in French: le très honorable Charles Vincent Massey, compagnon de l'ordre du Canada, compagnon de l'ordre du Compagnon d'honneur.
Massey's post-nominal letters
are, in order according to the Oxford University Calendar Notes on Style: PC, CH, CC, CD, BA Tor, MA Oxon, LLD(hc) BC, LLD(hc) Queen's, LLD(hc) Sask, DCL(hc), FRSC(hon)
Appointments 1946 December 30, 1967: Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour
(CH) September 16, 1925 December 30, 1967: Member of the King's Privy Council for Canada
(PC) February 28, 1952 1955: Knight of Justice, Prior, and Chief Officer in Canada of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
(KStJ)
Medals 1935: King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
1937: King George VI Coronation Medal
February 28, 1952: Canadian Forces Decoration
(CD) 1953: Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
1967: Canadian Centennial Medal
Awards July 22, 1960: Royal Victorian Chain
December 11, 1963: Augmentation of honour
February 28, 1952 September 15, 1959: Colonel of the Regiment of the Governor General's Foot Guards
February 28, 1952 September 15, 1959: Colonel of the Regiment of the Canadian Grenadier Guards
, Doctor of Laws (LLD) May 13, 1955: University of Saskatchewan
, Doctor of Laws (LLD) May 18, 1954: University of British Columbia
, Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Events: Massey Lectures
Geographic locations: Mount Massey: Vincent Massey Park
, Ottawa
: Massey Place
, Saskatoon
: Massey Park, Saskatoon
Buildings: Vincent Massey Theatre (later Massey Theatre), New Westminster: Massey Building, Royal Military College of Canada
, Kingston
Schools: Vincent Massey Junior High School, Calgary
: Vincent Massey School, Medicine Hat: Vincent Massey High School, Brandon
: Vincent Massey Collegiate
, Winnipeg
: Vincent Massey Elementary School, St. Andrews
: Vincent Massey Public School, Bowmanville
: Vincent Massey Public School, Cornwall
(closed): Vincent Massey Collegiate Institute
, Etobicoke (closed): Vincent Massey Public School
, Etobicoke: Vincent Massey Public School, Etobicoke (closed): Vincent Massey School, Hamilton
: Vincent Massey Public School, North Bay
: Vincent Massey Public School, Oshawa
: Vincent Massey Public School
, Ottawa
: Vincent Massey School, Ottawa
: Massey College
, University of Toronto
, Toronto
: Vincent Massey Secondary School
, Windsor
: Vincent Massey Collegiate
, Montreal
: Vincent Massey Elementary School, Saint-Hubert
: Vincent Massey Community School, Prince Albert
: Ecole Massey School, Regina
: Vincent Massey School, Saskatoon
: Vincent Massey Public School, Saskatoon
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, the 18th since Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
.
Massey was born into an influential Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
family and was educated in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, obtaining a degree in law and befriending future prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
while studying at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He was commissioned into the military in 1917 for the remainder of the First World War, and after a brief stint in the Canadian Cabinet
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
began his diplomatic career, serving in envoys to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Upon his return to Canada in 1946, Massey headed a royal commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
on the arts between 1949 and 1951, which resulted in the Massey Report
Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences
The Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences, otherwise known as the Massey–Lévesque Commission, chaired by Vincent Massey, examined Canada's cultural sovereignty from the United States and various other nations. The report released its findings in 1951 when it...
, and subsequently the establishment of the National Library of Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada is a national memory institution dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible for use in the 21st century and beyond...
and the Canada Council of the Arts
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
, amongst other grant-giving agencies. He was in 1952 appointed as governor general by George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, king of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Louis St. Laurent
Louis St. Laurent
Louis Stephen St. Laurent, PC, CC, QC , was the 12th Prime Minister of Canada from 15 November 1948, to 21 June 1957....
, to replace the Viscount Alexander of Tunis
Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis was a British military commander and field marshal of Anglo-Irish descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada, the 17th since Canadian...
as viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
, and he occupied the post until succeeded by Georges Vanier
Georges Vanier
Major-General Georges-Philéas Vanier was a Canadian soldier and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 19th since Canadian Confederation....
in 1959. Massey was the first Canadian-born individual to serve as Canada's governor general and he proved to be a successful transition for the office away from occupants who had consistently been both members of the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and born overseas.
On September 16, 1925, Massey was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, giving him the accordant style of The Honourable
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
; however, as a former governor general of Canada, Massey was entitled to be styled for life with the superior form of The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
. He subsequently continued his philanthropic work and founded Massey College
Massey College
Massey College is a postgraduate residential college at the University of Toronto, established in 1963 with an endowment by the Massey Foundation. Similar to All Souls College, Oxford, members of Massey College are nominated from the university community, and are elected by and as fellows of the...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and the Massey Lectures
Massey Lectures
The Massey Lectures are an annual week-long series of lectures on a political, cultural or philosophical topic given in Canada by a noted scholar. They were created in 1961 to honour Vincent Massey, Governor General of Canada...
before he died on December 30, 1967.
Early life, education, and career
Massey was born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, as the son of Anna (née Vincent) and Chester Daniel Massey, himself the owner of the Massey-Harris Co. (predecessor company to the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company), and the patriarch of one of the city's wealthiest families. The clan was strongly Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, and played an important role in supporting local religious, cultural, and educational organisations, including Victoria University
Victoria University in the University of Toronto
Victoria University is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1836 and named for Queen Victoria. It is commonly called Victoria College, informally Vic, after the original academic component that now forms its undergraduate division...
, Massey Hall
Massey Hall
Massey Hall is a venerable performing arts theatre in the Garden District of downtown Toronto. The theatre originally was designed to seat 3,500 patrons but, after extensive renovations in the 1940s, now seats up to 2,765....
, and the Metropolitan Methodist Church (now the Metropolitan United Church
Metropolitan United Church
Metropolitan United Church is a large neo-Gothic church in downtown Toronto, Canada. It is one of the largest and most prominent churches of the United Church of Canada. It is located on Queen Street East at the corner of Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.-History:The congregation,...
). Massey was thus raised amongst Toronto's elite, which would give him a number of social and familial connections throughout his life, as occurred with his younger brother, Raymond Massey
Raymond Massey
Raymond Hart Massey was a Canadian/American actor.-Early life:Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Anna , who was born in Illinois, and Chester Daniel Massey, the wealthy owner of the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company. Massey's family could trace their ancestry back to the American...
, and his children, Anna Massey
Anna Massey
Anna Raymond Massey, CBE was an English actress. She won a BAFTA Award for the role of Edith Hope in the 1986 TV adaptation of Anita Brookner’s novel Hotel du Lac.-Early life:...
and Daniel Massey
Daniel Massey (actor)
Daniel Raymond Massey was an English actor and performer. He is possibly best known for his starring role in the British TV drama The Roads to Freedom, as Daniel, alongside Michael Bryant...
.
Massey family
The Massey families are prominent Canadian and American families. The Canadian Masseys are known for manufacturers of farm equipment and are active patrons of the Canadian arts. The North Carolina Masseys are descended from Thomas Massey who immigrated from Cheshire, England to Philadelphia,...
's mansion at 519 Jarvis Street
Jarvis Street
Jarvis Street is a north-south thoroughfare in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, passing through some of the oldest developed areas in the city. Its alignment extends from Bloor Street in the north to Queens Quay East in the south. South of Front Street, it continues as Lower Jarvis Street...
, and educated at St. Andrew's College, in Aurora, Ontario
Aurora, Ontario
Aurora is an affluent town in York Region, approximately 20 km north of Toronto. It is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.Many Aurora residents commute to Toronto and surrounding communities.In the...
, before enrolling in University College
University College, University of Toronto
University College is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, created in 1853 specifically as an institution of higher learning free of religious affiliation. It was the founding member of the university's modern collegiate system, and its secularism contrasted with contemporary...
in the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(UofT), though his family had close ties to Victoria College. There, he in 1907 enlisted in The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a militia regiment within the Canadian Forces, based in Toronto, Ontario. The regiment is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only Primary Reserve regiment in Canada to have a parachute role. The regiment consists of the reserve...
and joined the Kappa Alpha Society
Kappa Alpha Society
The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad...
, through which he met his long-time friend, and future prime minister of Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
. After passing matriculation three years later with his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in history and English, Massey then went on to continue his education at Balliol College
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, earning his Master of Arts in history.
Feeling since his time as an undergraduate at UofT that the institution lacked a facility where its 4,000 students could engage in extracurricular activities, in 1911 Massey donated $16,290 to augment the money students had already raised for building a student centre, and thereafter led the endowment and construction efforts. In 1913, he returned to Toronto and became the first Dean of Men
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
at the Victoria University residence his father had recently donated, Burwash Hall
Burwash Hall
Burwash Hall is the second oldest of the residence buildings at Toronto's Victoria College. Construction began in 1911 and was completed in 1913. It was named after Nathanael Burwash, a former president of Victoria. The building is an extravagant Neo-Gothic work with turrets, gargoyles, and...
, as well as a lecturer on modern history at the college. Then, on June 4, 1915, Massey married Alice Parkin, the daughter of Sir George Robert Parkin
George Robert Parkin
Sir George Robert Parkin KCMG was a Canadian educator, imperialist, and author.Born at Parkindale near Salisbury, New Brunswick, he was a graduate from the University of New Brunswick. From 1867 to 1871, he taught at the Bathurst Grammar School...
, who was a former principal of Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
(UCC) and secretary of the Rhodes Trust
Rhodes House
Rhodes House is part of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on the south of South Parks Road in central Oxford, and was built in memory of Cecil Rhodes, an alumnus of the university and a major benefactor.- History :...
; through the marriage, Massey later became the uncle of George Grant
George Grant (philosopher)
George Parkin Grant, OC, FRSC was a Canadian philosopher, teacher and political commentator, whose popular appeal peaked in the late 1960s and 1970s. He is best known for his nationalism, political conservatism, and his views on technology, pacifism, Christian faith, and abortion...
, and the great-uncle to Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
. But, he was not with his new bride long before, at the end of 1914, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and thus Canada along with it, had declared war on Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Massey was commissioned as an officer for Military District No. 2, and was called to work for the Cabinet
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
war committee before being discharged at the cessation of hostilities in 1918.
Once again a civilian, Massey started in 1921 as president of his father's business, while simultaneously pursuing philanthropic interests, mostly in arts and education, such as his collecting paintings and sculpture through his Massey Foundation
Massey Foundation
The Massey Foundation was incorporated in 1918. It is responsible for the construction of many Toronto landmarks. It was the first trust of its kind in Canada.-History:...
, which he established in 1918. By the next year, UofT's social and athletic facility was complete and dedicated in memory of Massey's grandfather, Hart Massey
Hart Massey
Hart Almerrin Massey was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist born in Haldimand Township in what was then known as Upper Canada. His parents were Daniel Massey and Lucina Bradley...
, as Hart House; there, while he headed Massey-Harris Co., Massey participated as an amateur actor and director in the building's theatre. But, in 1925 he resigned from the corporate life he was unsuited for, and, as a friend of the then prime minister of Canada, Mackenzie King, Massey was appointed on September 16, by Governor General The Viscount Byng of Vimy
Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy
Field Marshal Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy was a British Army officer who served as Governor General of Canada, the 12th since Canadian Confederation....
, to the King's Privy Council
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, and was subsequently made a minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
in the Cabinet. It was desired that Massey, as a minister, hold a seat in the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
, yet he failed to win his riding of Durham
Durham (electoral district)
Durham is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1968, and since 1988....
in the 1925 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1925
The Canadian federal election of 1925 was held on October 29 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's Liberal Party formed a minority government. This precipitated the "King-Byng Affair".The Liberals under...
, held on October 29. Though he thereafter resigned his cabinet post, Massey was still included in the Canadian delegation to the 1926 Imperial Conference
1926 Imperial Conference
The 1926 Imperial Conference was the sixth Imperial Conference held amongst the Prime Ministers of the dominions of the British Empire. It was held in London from 19 October to 22 November 1926...
, where was drafted the Balfour Declaration that would ultimately lead to vast constitutional changes in the role of the monarch and his viceroys throughout the former empire.
Diplomatic career
Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon
Major Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada, the 13th since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy and Governor-General of India, the country's 22nd.Freeman-Thomas was born in England and...
, acted on Mackenzie King's advice to appoint Massey as the first Canadian Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States for His Majesty's Government in Canada, making Massey Canada's first ever envoy with full diplomatic credentials to a foreign capital. Despite this first in international relations, Massey's time in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, was free of notable events, and he returned to Canada in mid-1930, as Mackenzie King had put his name forward for appointment as high commissioner to the United Kingdom. But, merely five days after Massey relinquished his posting to Washington, Mackenzie King's Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
was defeated in the federal election
Canadian federal election, 1930
The Canadian federal election of 1930 was held on July 28, 1930 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 17th Parliament of Canada...
, seeing Richard Bennett
R. B. Bennett
Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, PC, KC was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of Canada from August 7, 1930, to October 23, 1935, during the worst of the Great Depression years...
appointed as prime minister. The new premier objected to Massey as the government's representative to the UK, on the grounds that, as a former Liberal minister, Massey did not enjoy the political confidence of the new Conservative government that was needed by the individual occupying the position.
Starting in 1932, Massey took on the job of president of the National Liberal Federation of Canada until, three years later, the Liberals were again returned to a majority in the commons
Canadian federal election, 1935
The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of William Lyon Mackenzie King won a majority government, defeating Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's Conservative Party.The central...
, and Mackenzie King was once more installed as prime minister. Within a month, on November 8, 1935, Massey was appointed as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom for His Majesty's Government in Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
, and arrived at Canada House
Canada House
The High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom in London is the diplomatic mission from Canada to the United Kingdom. It is housed in two buildings in London.-History:...
to find as his secretary the man who would be his future successor as governor general of Canada, Georges Vanier
Georges Vanier
Major-General Georges-Philéas Vanier was a Canadian soldier and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 19th since Canadian Confederation....
. The two men set about regular diplomatic business, but, throughout 1936, Massey had to contend with the death of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and the accession and then before the proposed Canadian postage stamps
Postage stamps and postal history of Canada
The postal history of Canada falls into four major periods: French control , British control , colonial government control , and the Dominion of Canada, since 1867.- Origins :...
even arrived for Massey to pass on for the King's approval abdication of
Edward VIII abdication crisis
In 1936, a constitutional crisis in the British Empire was caused by King-Emperor Edward VIII's proposal to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite....
Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
in favour of his younger brother, Prince Albert, Duke of York
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
.
Throughout his time as high commissioner, Massey used his connections to bring to Canada House a litany of personalities from "the highest quarters." Two such persons were the Viscount
Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor
Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor was an American-born British politician and newspaper proprietor.-Early life:...
and Viscountess Astor
Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor
Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor, CH, was the first woman to sit as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons.Constance Markievicz was the first woman elected to the House of Commons in December 1918 after running for the Sinn Féin party in 1918 General Election, but in line...
, who were both the nucleus of the Cliveden set
Cliveden set
The Cliveden Set were a 1930s right-wing, upper class group of prominent individuals politically influential in pre-World War II Britain, who were in the circle of Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor...
, which itself was a group of aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
ic individuals rumoured to be Germanophile
Germanophile
A Germanophile is a person who is fond of German culture, German people, and Germany in general, exhibiting as it were German nationalism in spite of not being an ethnic German or a German citizen. Its opposite is Germanophobia...
s not only in favour of the appeasement of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, but also supporters of friendly relations with Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Though these allegations were historically challenged as exaggerations, Irving Abella
Irving Abella
Irving Martin Abella, is a Canadian writer, historian and academic. He specializes in the History of the Jews in Canada and the Canadian labour movement...
and Harold Troper
Harold Troper
Harold Troper is a Canadian writer, historian and academic. He specializes in Jewish Canadian history. Together with Irving Abella he authored None is Too Many, the story of the Canadian government's refusal to allow Jewish immigration from Europe during the Holocaust...
claimed in their book None Is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933-1948
None is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933-1948
None is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933-1948 is a book co-authored by Canadian historians Irving Abella and Harold Troper.First published in 1983 by Lester & Orpen Dennys, the book argues that, while many nations were complicit in the Holocaust for their refusal to admit Jewish people...
that Massey was an enthusiastic supporter of the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
, and worked with Ernest Lapointe
Ernest Lapointe
Ernest Lapointe, PC was a Canadian lawyer and politician.-Education, early career:Lapointe earned his law degree from Laval University...
to put obstacles in the way of Jewish refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s attempting to immigrate to Canada. However, Canadian immigration policy at the time favoured trained farmers, which excluded most Jews, who were largely city dwellers, and the Cabinet of Mackenzie King was already resistant to changes in the law. Seven decades later, these accusations against Massey resulted in a campaign in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, to rename a high school that had originally been named in his honour.
Nevertheless, Massey was a Canadian and British patriot, and worked not only to maximize Canada's war effort once World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out, but also concurrently served through 1936 as the Canadian delegate to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, between 1941 and 1945 as a trustee of the National and Tate
Tate
-Places:*Tate, Georgia, a town in the United States*Tate County, Mississippi, a county in the United States*Táté, the Hungarian name for Totoi village, Sântimbru Commune, Alba County, Romania*Tate, Filipino word for States...
Galleries, and additionally as chair of the Tate's board of governors from 1943 to 1945. Though, Massey was honoured for all this work by being inducted in 1946 by King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
into the Order of the Companions of Honour
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
, upon his return to Canada Massey continued in the same fields. He sat as chair of the National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
from 1948 to 1952, and was selected as Chancellor of the University of Toronto between 1948 and 1953. In 1949, Massey's artistic expertise was of benefit when he was appointed as the head of the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences
Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences
The Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences, otherwise known as the Massey–Lévesque Commission, chaired by Vincent Massey, examined Canada's cultural sovereignty from the United States and various other nations. The report released its findings in 1951 when it...
, which ultimately, resulted in the Massey Report of 1951, and from there to the establishment of the National Library of Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada is a national memory institution dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible for use in the 21st century and beyond...
and the Canada Council of the Arts
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
. All this Massey continued despite the death of his wife in July 1950.
Governorship general
Massey's tenure as the Governor General of Canada was notable in that he was the first Canadian-born individual to be appointed to the post; previously, all the viceroys since confederationCanadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
had been born in another overseas region of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and later British Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
. As a widower, he was also the first and only unmarried person ever to reside at Rideau Hall. Typically, the governor general's wife would be the viceregal consort
Viceregal consort of Canada
The viceregal consort of Canada is the spouse of the serving governor general of Canada, assisting the viceroy with ceremonial and charitable work, accompanying him or her to official state occasions, and occasionally undertaking philanthropic work of their own...
, and act as the hostess and chatelaine of the household. In Massey's case, however, his daughter-in-law, Lilias Massey
Lilias Massey
Lilias Massey served as Chatelaine of Rideau Hall during her father-in-law Vincent Massey's term as Governor General of Canada.Vincent Massey was a widower whose wife Alice died 18 months before his appointment as Governor General...
, fulfilled the role, though she was not accorded the style of Her Excellency usually given to the viceregal consort.
As governor general-designate
It was on February 1, 1952 announced from the Office of the Prime Minister of CanadaOffice of the Prime Minister (Canada)
In Canada, the Office of the Prime Minister , located in the Langevin Block, on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, is one of the most powerful parts of the government. It is made up of the prime minister and his or her top political staff, who are charged with advising the prime minister on decisions,...
that George VI had, by commission under the royal sign-manual
Royal sign-manual
The royal sign manual is the formal name given in the Commonwealth realms to the autograph signature of the sovereign, by the affixing of which the monarch expresses his or her pleasure either by order, commission, or warrant. A sign-manual warrant may be either an executive actfor example, an...
and Great Seal of Canada
Great Seal of Canada
The Great Seal of Canada is a seal used for official purposes of state in Canada such as the certification of Acts of Parliament that have been granted Royal Assent....
, approved Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Louis St. Laurent
Louis St. Laurent
Louis Stephen St. Laurent, PC, CC, QC , was the 12th Prime Minister of Canada from 15 November 1948, to 21 June 1957....
's choice of Massey to succeed the Viscount Alexander of Tunis
Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis was a British military commander and field marshal of Anglo-Irish descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada, the 17th since Canadian...
as the King's representative. Within five days, however, the King was dead, and Massey, upon his swearing-in, would thus be the first Canadian representative of George's daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. To respect the King's passing, there was little fanfare around Massey's appointment; Lord Alexander quietly departed Canada shortly after the announcement of Massey as his successor, leaving Chief Justice
Chief Justice of Canada
The Chief Justice of Canada, like the eight puisne Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, is appointed by the Governor-in-Council . All nine are chosen from either sitting judges or barristers who have at least ten years' standing at the bar of a province or territory...
Thibaudeau Rinfret
Thibaudeau Rinfret
Thibaudeau Rinfret, PC was a Canadian jurist and Chief Justice of Canada and acting Governor General of Canada in 1952.-Personal life:...
as administrator of the government in his place.
There was, though, some commentary about the soon-to-be representative of the new queen. The notion of a Canadian-born governor general, and one also not elevated to the peerage, was viewed as somewhat controversial by traditionalists. Massey, thus, was to be a compromise: while it was known he was closely associated with the Liberal Party, having been the group's chairman during the 1930s, the Governor General-Designate was a commoner Canadian by birth but he also embodied loyalty, dignity, and formality, as expected from a viceroy. Massey stated that for his role as governor general, he for inspiration looked to one of his predecessors, and a man Massey had known for decades, the Baron Tweedsmuir
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir was a Scottish novelist, historian and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation....
, whom Massey said he "greatly admired" and had "learnt much from" his tenure as governor general.
Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
ran a profile piece on Massey, in which the Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 5th Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur James Gascoyne-Cecil, 5th Marquess of Salisbury, KG, PC , known as Viscount Cranborne from 1903 to 1947, was a British Conservative politician.-Background:...
described Massey as an elegant individual citing Massey's Oxford schooling and tailored clothing as illustrations and thoroughly Canadian, though noting that "Vincent's a fine chap, but he does make one feel like a bit of a savage." But the elite demeanour he was sometimes criticised for was not evident in Massey's belief that the Crown belonged to Canadians, and that it was his task as viceroy to act as a link between the people and the monarch. He similarly believed that the arts were a way to assert Canadian sovereignty, and that the various artistic fields should be accessible to all Canadians.
As governor general
On February 26, 1952, Massey was sworn in as governor general of Canada in a ceremony in the Senate chamber, where he was presented with the Canadian Forces DecorationCanadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
(subsequently given to all governors general upon taking office). However, Massey's first months as the viceroy were muted, due to the ongoing 16 week period of official mourning. It was not until the coronation of Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953 that Massey was called upon to take charge of any national celebration. For the occasion, he revived the use of the state carriage when he rode in it, with an accompanying guard of Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, from the royal and viceroyal residence of Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
to Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
, where he introduced to the gathered crowd the Queen's coronation speech, broadcast around the world via radio. He also gave a silver spoon to each child born on that day.
Massey welcomed the Queen and her consort, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, to Ottawa on three occasions from 1957 on, and when the royal couple were engaged in a cross-country tour, Massey invited them to stay at his private estate, Batterwood, near Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
. He also hosted a number of foreign heads of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, including United States president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
on November 13, 1953. As a return gesture, Massey was invited by Eisenhower to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where, on May 4, 1954, he addressed a joint session of the United States Congress
Joint session of the United States Congress
Joint sessions of the United States Congress are the gatherings together of both houses of the United States Congress...
.
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
and dog sled
Dog sled
A dog sled is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing.-History:...
, and delivered speeches promoting bilingualism, some 20 years before it became an official national policy. Along with the usual ceremonial duties undertaken by a viceroy, such as opening in 1955 the new home of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum
Royal Saskatchewan Museum
The Royal Saskatchewan Museum was established in Regina as the Provincial Museum in 1906 to "secure and preserve natural history specimens and objects of historical and ethnological interest." It was the first museum in Saskatchewan, Canada, and the first provincial museum in the three Prairie...
, the Governor General toured the Canadian arctic
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
extensively, journeying to such places as Frobisher Bay
Frobisher Bay
Frobisher Bay is a relatively large inlet of the Labrador Sea in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island...
and Hall Beach
Hall Beach, Nunavut
Hall Beach is an Inuit settlement, Qikiqtaaluk Region in Nunavut, Canada, established in 1957 during the construction of a Distant Early Warning site...
in the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, meeting with local Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
residents, participating in their activities, and watching their performances. During his governor generalship, Massey also became actively involved with Upper Canada College, donating funds and his time to the school and seeing a number of spaces there named in his honour in return. As part of his effort to unify Canadians, it was Massey's desire to see established an entirely Canadian honours system. Though such a thing was never realised during his viceregal tenure, he helped lay the groundwork for the system that would be implemented by his successor, and in 1967, just months before his death, Massey was inducted as one of the first companions of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Legacy
It was said by Claude Bissell in his biography of Massey, The Imperial Canadian, that Massey's most influential years were between 1949 and 1959, when Massey "made his major contribution. More than any other Canadian, he was responsible for the first major movement of the arts and letters from the periphery of national concern towards the centre. It was a notable achievement." In this vein, he created awards for artistic endeavours, such as the Governor General's Medals in Architecture, and promoted the concept of an annual, national arts festival, which eventually led to the founding of the National Arts CentreNational Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
. Further, Massey initiated in 1954 the Governor General's Gold Medal for the Institute of Chartered Accountants, as well as in 1959 the Massey Medal
Massey Medal
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society awards the Massey Medal annually to recognize outstanding personal achievement in the exploration, development or description of the geography of Canada. The award was established in 1959, by the Massey Foundation, named for industrialist Hart...
, for excellence in geographic endeavours for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Royal Canadian Geographical Society
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to imparting a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada — its people and places, its natural and cultural heritage and its environmental, social and economic challenges.-History:The...
.
Post-viceregal life
Upon his final departure from Rideau Hall as governor general, Massey retired to Batterwood. For his service to the Crown, he was awarded from the Queen the Royal Victorian ChainRoyal Victorian Chain
The Royal Victorian Chain is an award, instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII as a personal award of the Monarch...
, making him the first Canadian recipient of that honour, and today only one of two to ever receive it. Yet, Massey continued his philanthropic work, dedicating his time to the stewardship of the Massey Foundation, and its endowment to the University of Toronto, in particular. While Hart House continued as one of the recipients of Massey's attention and funds, Massey also expanded the scope of his donations to U of T with the establishment in 1963 of Massey College
Massey College
Massey College is a postgraduate residential college at the University of Toronto, established in 1963 with an endowment by the Massey Foundation. Similar to All Souls College, Oxford, members of Massey College are nominated from the university community, and are elected by and as fellows of the...
, to which Massey's protegé Robertson Davies
Robertson Davies
William Robertson Davies, CC, OOnt, FRSC, FRSL was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. He was one of Canada's best-known and most popular authors, and one of its most distinguished "men of letters", a term Davies is variously said to have gladly accepted for himself...
was appointed as the college's first master. In 1961, the Massey Lectures
Massey Lectures
The Massey Lectures are an annual week-long series of lectures on a political, cultural or philosophical topic given in Canada by a noted scholar. They were created in 1961 to honour Vincent Massey, Governor General of Canada...
were also initiated, conceived as a focus on important contemporary issues by leading thinkers, and they remain considered as the most important public lecture series in Canada.
At the end of 1967, on December 30, Massey died while on holiday in the United Kingdom. His remains were returned to Canada, and he was, as is customary for former governors general, given a state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
, in early January 1968. He was buried alongside his wife at St. Mark's Anglican church in Port Hope; his was the last burial to take place there.
Titles
- February 20, 1887 September 16, 1925: Mister Vincent Massey
- September 16, 1925 November 25, 1926: The Honourable Vincent Massey
- November 25, 1926 July 23, 1930: The Honourable Vincent Massey, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States of America
- July 23, 1930 November 8, 1935: The Honourable Vincent Massey
- November 8, 1935 September 1, 1946: His Excellency the Honourable Vincent Massey, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom for His Majesty's Government in Canada
- September 1, 1946 February 28, 1952: The Honourable Vincent Massey
- February 28, 1952 September 15, 1959: His Excellency the Right Honourable Vincent Massey, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada
- September 15, 1959 December 30, 1967: The Right Honourable Vincent Massey
Massey's style and title as governor general was, in full, and in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: His Excellency the Right Honourable Charles Vincent Massey, Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada, and in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Son Excellence le très honorable Charles Vincent Massey, compagnon de l'ordre du Compagnon d'honneur, gouverneur général et commandant en chef du Canada.
In his post-viceregal life, Massey's style and title was, in English: The Right Honourable Charles Vincent Massey, Companion of the Order of Canada, Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour, and in French: le très honorable Charles Vincent Massey, compagnon de l'ordre du Canada, compagnon de l'ordre du Compagnon d'honneur.
Massey's post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
are, in order according to the Oxford University Calendar Notes on Style: PC, CH, CC, CD, BA Tor, MA Oxon, LLD(hc) BC, LLD(hc) Queen's, LLD(hc) Sask, DCL(hc), FRSC(hon)
Honours
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Appointments 1946 December 30, 1967: Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
(CH) September 16, 1925 December 30, 1967: Member of the King's Privy Council for Canada
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(PC) February 28, 1952 1955: Knight of Justice, Prior, and Chief Officer in Canada of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
(KStJ)
-
- 1952 September 15, 1959: Bailiff Grand Cross, Prior, and Chief Officer in Canada of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (GCStJ)
- September 15, 1959 December 30, 1967: Bailiff Grand Cross of the Venerable Order of Saint John (GCStJ) February 28, 1952 September 15, 1959: Chief Scout of Canada 1952 December 30, 1967: Honorary Member of the Royal Military College of Canada ClubRoyal Military College of CanadaThe Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
July 9, 1967 December 30, 1967: Companion of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(CC) Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of CanadaRoyal Society of CanadaThe Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(FRSC(hon))
Medals 1935: King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V.-Issue:...
1937: King George VI Coronation Medal
King George VI Coronation Medal
The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of...
February 28, 1952: Canadian Forces Decoration
Canadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
(CD) 1953: Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to...
1967: Canadian Centennial Medal
Canadian Centennial Medal
The Canadian Centennial Medal is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation and was awarded to Canadians who were recommended by governments and professional, educational and cultural associations, as well as...
Awards July 22, 1960: Royal Victorian Chain
Royal Victorian Chain
The Royal Victorian Chain is an award, instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII as a personal award of the Monarch...
December 11, 1963: Augmentation of honour
Augmentation of Honour
In heraldry, an augmentation is a modification or addition to a coat of arms, typically given by a monarch as either a mere mark of favour, or a reward or recognition for some meritorious act...
Honorary military appointments
February 28, 1952 September 15, 1959: Colonel of the Regiment of the Governor General's Horse GuardsThe Governor General's Horse Guards
The Governor General's Horse Guards is an armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Based in Toronto, it is the most senior reserve regiment in Canada, and the only Household Cavalry regiment of...
February 28, 1952 September 15, 1959: Colonel of the Regiment of the Governor General's Foot Guards
Governor General's Foot Guards
The Governor General's Foot Guards is one of three Household regiments in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, along with The Governor General's Horse Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards. The GGFG is the most senior militia infantry regiment in Canada."Civitas et Princeps Cura Nostra" is...
February 28, 1952 September 15, 1959: Colonel of the Regiment of the Canadian Grenadier Guards
The Canadian Grenadier Guards
The Canadian Grenadier Guards is the second most senior and oldest infantry regiment in the Reserve Force of the Canadian Forces. Located in Montreal, its primary role is the provision of combat-ready troops in support of Canadian regular infantry...
Honorary degrees
1951: Queen's UniversityQueen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
, Doctor of Laws (LLD) May 13, 1955: University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
, Doctor of Laws (LLD) May 18, 1954: University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Honorific eponyms
Massey Lectures
The Massey Lectures are an annual week-long series of lectures on a political, cultural or philosophical topic given in Canada by a noted scholar. They were created in 1961 to honour Vincent Massey, Governor General of Canada...
Geographic locations: Mount Massey: Vincent Massey Park
Vincent Massey Park
Vincent Massey Park is an urban park along the Rideau River in the Confederation Heights neigbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, accessible via Heron Road. It is extensively used in the summer for family and group picnics....
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
: Massey Place
Massey Place, Saskatoon
Massey Place, is a geographically localised subdivision of the Confederation Suburban Development Area in the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan which is nestled around Archibald McDonald Park. Mcdonald Park is centrally located along the northern perimeter of 33rd Street East...
, Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
: Massey Park, Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
Buildings: Vincent Massey Theatre (later Massey Theatre), New Westminster: Massey Building, Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
, Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
-
- Massey Library, within the Massey Building: Massey Quadrangle, Upper Canada CollegeUpper Canada CollegeUpper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
: Vincent Massey Memorial Centre, BewdleyBewdley, OntarioBewdley is a community in the Township of Hamilton, Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada. The community was founded by William Bancks, whose ancestral home was Bewdley in England. It is located on the western end of Rice Lake about north of Port Hope....
: Place Vincent Massey, GatineauGatineauGatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
: Massey Building, Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
- Massey Library, within the Massey Building: Massey Quadrangle, Upper Canada College
Schools: Vincent Massey Junior High School, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
: Vincent Massey School, Medicine Hat: Vincent Massey High School, Brandon
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
: Vincent Massey Collegiate
Vincent Massey Collegiate
Institut Collégial Vincent Massey Collegiate is a suburban, dual track high school. Named after Charles Vincent Massey it is located in Fort Garry in the South end of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It has approximately 1300 students enrolled in over 100 courses...
, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
: Vincent Massey Elementary School, St. Andrews
St. Andrews, New Brunswick
St. Andrews is a Canadian town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.It is sometimes referred to in tourism marketing by its unofficial nickname "St. Andrews-by-the-sea".-Geography:St...
: Vincent Massey Public School, Bowmanville
Bowmanville, Ontario
Bowmanville is the largest community in the Municipality of Clarington in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario about 75 km east of Toronto and 15 km east of Oshawa along Highway 2...
: Vincent Massey Public School, Cornwall
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
(closed): Vincent Massey Collegiate Institute
Vincent Massey Collegiate Institute
Vincent Massey Collegiate Institute was a high school located at 105 Eringate Drive in Etobicoke from 1961-1985.During its existence, it produced two Reach for the Top National Championship teams in 1966 and 1978, and was the only high school in Canada to accomplish this during the original 20 year...
, Etobicoke (closed): Vincent Massey Public School
Long Branch, Toronto
The former Village of Long Branch is a neighbourhood in the south-west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-west corner of the former Township of Etobicoke and was a partially-independent municipality from 1930-1967...
, Etobicoke: Vincent Massey Public School, Etobicoke (closed): Vincent Massey School, Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
: Vincent Massey Public School, North Bay
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
: Vincent Massey Public School, Oshawa
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
: Vincent Massey Public School
Vincent Massey Public School (Ottawa)
The Vincent Massey Public SchoolPrincipalDenis DelormeVice principalFay WooleySchool typePublicReligious affiliationNoneFounded1958LocationOttawa, OntarioEnrollment600-650Faculty39 Campus surroundings...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
: Vincent Massey School, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
: Massey College
Massey College
Massey College is a postgraduate residential college at the University of Toronto, established in 1963 with an endowment by the Massey Foundation. Similar to All Souls College, Oxford, members of Massey College are nominated from the university community, and are elected by and as fellows of the...
, University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
: Vincent Massey Secondary School
Vincent Massey Secondary School
Hon. Vincent Massey Secondary School, commonly known simply as Massey, is a public high school located in the South Windsor neighbourhood of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The school is under the jurisdiction of the Greater Essex County District School Board, one of the four school boards in...
, Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
: Vincent Massey Collegiate
Vincent Massey Collegiate
Institut Collégial Vincent Massey Collegiate is a suburban, dual track high school. Named after Charles Vincent Massey it is located in Fort Garry in the South end of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It has approximately 1300 students enrolled in over 100 courses...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
: Vincent Massey Elementary School, Saint-Hubert
Saint-Hubert, Quebec
Saint-Hubert is a borough in the city of Longueuil, located in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. It had been a separate city prior to January 1, 2002, when it along with several other neighbouring south shore municipalities were merged into Longueuil. According to the Quebec Statistics...
: Vincent Massey Community School, Prince Albert
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan...
: Ecole Massey School, Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
: Vincent Massey School, Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
: Vincent Massey Public School, Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....