Robert Hickey's Blog on How to Address Canadian Officials



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HONOR & RESPECT

Abbess,
    Christian Orthodox       
Abbot,
    Christian Orthodox        
Accountant        
Acting Official       
Adjutant General     
Admiral, Rear
        

Alderman         
Archbishop, Catholic        
Archbishop,
   Christian Orthodox        
Archdeacon, Episcopal        
Archimandrite        
Architect
Archpriest        
Ambassador to the U.S.
   from a foreign country      
Ambassador of the U.S.        
American Indian Chief        
Assemblyman
   U.S., State / or           

   Assemblywoman            
Associate Justice,
   U.S. Supreme Court          
Associate Justice of a
   State Supreme Court
Attorney
         
Attorney General           
Attorney, U.S.         
Australian Officials    

Baron, Baroness           
British Officials,
   Royalty, Nobility     
Brother, Catholic
         
Brother,
   Christian Orthodox          
Bishop, Catholic            
Bishop,
   Christian Orthodox         
Bishop, Episcopal        
Board Member     
Boy        
Brigadier General       

Canadian Officials    
Candidate    
Captain,
   USA, USAF, USMC     
Cardinal
             
Chairman
    Federal Reserve      
Chaplain in the
    Armed Services        
Chaplain of Congress          

Chargé d’Affaires         
Chief Executive Officer 
Chief Judge          
Chief Justice,
      U.S. Supreme Court 
Chief Justice, of a State
      Supreme Court             

Chief of Police          
Chief of Staff     

Chief Operating
   Officer          
Child
           
Clergy & Religious
    Officials     
Colonel, "Honorary"
     Kentucky, or other
     state/organization      
Colonel, USA, USAF,
    or USMC     
Congressman, U.S.              
Congresswoman, U.S.   
Consul and or
   Consul General              
Commissioner       
Corporate Executive         
Councilman
    Councilwoman      
Counselor (Diplomat)      
Countess     
Couples     
Curator        

Dalai Lama          
Deacon         
Dean, academic            
Dean, clergy            
Deceased Persons        
Delegate, U.S., State
            

Dentist             
Deputy Chief of Mission      
Deputy Marshal          
Designate, Elect,
    Pro Tempore      
Diplomats      

District Attorney           
Doctor of Dentistry           
Doctor of Medicine              
Doctor of
   Veterinary Medicine          
Doctor of Osteopathy            
Doctor, Other Disciplines     
Doctorate        
Doctorate, honorary      

Earl            
Elect, Designate
  
Pro Tempore      
Eminence     
Etiquette    
Excellency           

Fiancee      
First, Second,
   Third, etc.        
First Lady, Spouse
   of the President of
   the United States 
First Lady, Member
    of Her   
    White House Staff      
First Lady, Spouse
   of a Governor
   or Lt. Gov.    
First Lieutenant
   
Flag Protocol     
Former Officials    
Freeholder       

Geshe
General
    USA, USAF, USMC
Girl
Governor, Lieutenant 
Governor, Lt., Spouse   

Governor, Tribal Council          
Governor, U.S. State       
Governor, Former    
Governor
    Spouse of     
Governor's Staff,
    Member of      
Governors, Board of 

Honorable, The          
Honorary degrees    
Honourable, The
       

Indian Chief         
Inspector General    
Introductions       
Invitations
  
   Writing &  
   Addressing  
Invitations
   
Military:
    Writing &
    Addressing

Judge, former     
Judge of US City or

        US Count     
Judge, US Federal            
Junior, Senior,
    I, II, III, etc.       
Justice, Associate
     Federal
     Supreme Court
Justice, Associate
     State
     Supreme Court

King     
Knight      

Late, The
   (deceased persons)
       
Lawyer      
Lieutenant      
Lieutenant Colonel,     
   USA, USAF, USMC      
    
Lieutenant General,
   USA, USAF, USMC      
Lieutenant Governor         

Major
   USA, USAF, USMC  
Major General,
   USA, USAF, USMC   
Man, business
          
Man, social
         
Marquess or Marchioness
 
 
Married Women       
Marshal for a
   Judicial District, U.S. 
Mayor of a U.S. City   
Mayor Pro Tempore      
Mayor, Vice    
Medic      
Minister,
   Protestant Clergy       
Miss      
Monk,
   Christian Orthodox     
Monsignor       
Most Reverend, The        
Mother Superior
    
Mr. (Social)      
Mr. (Business)      
Mrs.      
Mr. & Mrs. / Couples   

Ms.      

Name Tags     
Nobility, British
       
Nobility, Other     
Nun, Catholic
  
Nun, Orthodox
Nurse        

Officer, Police

Pastor, Christian Clergy  
Patriarch,
   Christian Orthodox  
Patriarch,
   Ecumenical Patriarch
   of Constantinople  
People with Two Titles      
Permanent
     Representative        
Petty Officer
      
Physician
        
PhD     
Place Cards            
Police Chief
Police Officer                     
Pope, Catholic
  
Pope, Coptic
      
Postmaster General         
Post-Nominal
    Abbreviations    
Presbyter, Orthodox
   
President, corporate
President of
    College or University         
President of a
    US State Assembly 
President (current)
   of the U.S.A.          
President (former)
   of the U.S.A.     
     
President of the
    U.S.A., spouse of  
President-elect
    of the U.S.   
Priest,
    Catholic          
Priest,
    Christian Orthodox 
Prime Minister        
Professionals
   & Academics         
Professor
     
Pro Tempore,
   Elect, Designate    

Queen

Rabbi               
Ranger, Texas        
Representative,
   U.S., Federal           
Representative,
   U.S., State            
Resident
    Commissioner 
Retired Military
   1. Formula For
       How to Address     
   2. Q&A / Blog On
       Use of Rank by
       Retired Military    
 

   3. Q&A / Blog on
       How to Address
       Retired Military   
Reverend, The
      
Right Reverend, The         

School Board Member      
Second
Lieutenant        
Secretary,
   U.S. Department,
   Member of the Cabinet
Secretary
   of Defense, U.S.       
Secretary, Assistant       
Secretary General
   of the U.N.            
Senator, U.S., Federal       
Senator, U.S., State         
Senator, Canadian       
Senior, Junior,
     I, II, III, etc.         
Senior Judge 
      
Sergeant       
Sergeant at Arms
          
Sheriff       
Sister, Catholic       
Solicitor General      
Speaker of the U.S.
   House of
   Representatives.           
Specialist       
Spouse of the
    President of the U.S.       
Spouse of the
    Vice President
    of the U.S.           
Spouse of an
    Elected Official            
Surgeon General          

Texas Ranger        
Town Manager       
The Honorable     
Tribal Officials     
Two Titles,
    Person With

US Attorney        
US Federal Officials
     
US State Officials     
US Municipal Officials

Venerable, The        
Veteran (not Retired)         
Veterinarian
           
Very Reverend, The           
Vice Mayor       
Vice President
    of the U.S.
Spouse of the
    Vice President
   
of the U.S.
Vice President-elect
    of the U.S.      
 
Viscount and/or
   Viscountess        

Warrant Officer       
Widow
     
White House Staff    
Woman, business        
Woman, social        


 

How to Address / Forms of Address
Canadian Officials

Questions & Answers, Frequently Asked Questions, and Blog


Site updated by Robert Hickey on January 30, 2012

How To Address the Premier of a Canadian Province?
       On Saturday, I will be formally introduced to the Premier of Manitoba. I've been unable to find the correct "greeting". Would you be kind enough to tell me how I should refer to this individual when meeting him?
              - Katie S.

Dear Ms. S.:
       I include that form on page 308 of my book. Premiers of Canadian provinces are most formally addressed in conversation simply by their office.
              So in conversation the most formal response is:
                    Premier, it is a pleasure to meet you.
       Not sure why Canadian's don't use Premier (name) ... but none of the references suggest it.
       Canadians also address their premiers as Mr./Ms. (name).
              So less formally it would also be acceptable to say:
                     Mr. Selinger, it is a pleasure to meet you.
        -- Robert Hickey

Is a Member of a Canadian Provincial Parliament
Addressed as The Honourable MPP?

     I am a parent at a school and we are hosting an event tonight. Our local, elected provincial MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament) will be in attendance. Would he merit the introduction of The Honourable?  Thanks in advance for your time

           -- Chantal in Ontario

Dear Chantal:
    I have a entire chapter on Canadian forms in my book covering national, provincial, and municipal officials.
    MPP's are not
the Honourable.
    Address or introduce as:
        Mr. Peter Fonseca, member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
        Ms. Christine Elliott, member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

    The only provincial offices addressed as the Honourable are the premier, commissioner, government leader, provincial or territorial minister and speaker of a provincial assembly -- but, not the members of the assembly.

      -- Robert Hickey

Privy Counselor? Privy Counsellor? or Privy Councillor?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
     Which is the correct spelling of a member of the Privy Council?  "counselor", "counsellor" or "councillor"?
             --- JM in Ottawa

Dear JM:
      In the United States "counselor" standard spelling for the word, but then again in the United States there is no Privy Council. 
      In the United Kingdom -- where there is one -- a member of the Privy Council is a "Privy Counsellor"
            Link to the U.K. Privy Council Office's site where they use "counsellor"
      In Canada, a member of the Privy Council is s "Privy Councillor"
            Link to the Canadian Privy Council Office's site where they use "councillor"
      I don't understand where the variant come from ... I just try and get them correct!
      The correct Canadian form appears in my book as are the forms for the Speaker of the Senate, Senator, and members of the House of Commons who are Privy Councillors.
     The correct British forms for Privy Counsellors appear on pages 362-363.
              -- Robert Hickey

How to Address the Queen of England
When She is in Canada?

How is Queen Elizabeth, the Queen of England addressed when she is in Canada? Is she the Queen of Canada too?
                                           ~ Not knowing in Montana

Dear Not Knowing:
   The "Queen
of England" as you identify the Queen, is the Queen of a great many places including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and is the hereditary monarch of Canada. So, she is the Queen of Canada, too.
    All the correct forms you need appear on page 296 in the chapter on Canadian Officials: Most completely, Her Majesty is: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
    Forms of address are to Her Majesty without reference to her domain.
    On the envelope you would write:
             Her Majesty
                 The Queen
                      (Address)

    In the letter salutation, as well as conversation, use:
             Your Majesty
                                               -- Robert Hickey

[Note: For every form of address for (British) royalty and nobility -- written in a way that's easy to understand by people not familiar with royalty, the peerage, knights, baronets, and life peers -- I include complete formulas on pages 393-405.]
 

What is The Correct Style for the Mayor of Winnipeg?
       What is the correct style for the Mayor of Winnipeg?

         -- Benjamin McGill


Dear Mr. McGill:
    The correct form of address ... the correct style for Canadian mayors is:
          An envelope is addressed to:
    
          His/Her Worship (full name)
         
          Mayor of (name of city)
                         (Address)

 
         For the salutation:
  
             Dear Sir:
  
        Verbally he or she would be addressed as:
       
        Your Worship
    Note on the use of the word style: In the US we would refer to this use of 'style' as 'British English" -- like "lift" for elevator or "holiday" for vacation. Style as a noun means a form of address.  To style is used as a verb …. as in to style someone with a title, or to be styled with a title.  To style implies granting the use of a title. The term self-styled is used when one grants oneself a title. I hear that use in the USA as in "He is a self-styled expert" which has the implication that perhaps although he calls himself an expert, he may not be one at all.
    The use of his/her worship as a courtesy title for mayors also comes from the Brits. You will encounter its use (with minor variations) all over the world in current and former British Commonwealth countries.
    Special thanks to three Canadian graduates of The Protocol School of Washington who made sure I gave the best and current most formal form for your letter:
     Craig Kennedy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ottawa, Ontario
     Nancy Kosik, Academy of International Protocol and Etiquette, Montreal - Ottawa, Ontario
     Jay Remer, Etiquette Consultant, Corporate Etiquette and International Protocol, St. Andrews, New Brunswick
         -- Robert Hickey


Not Finding Your Question Answered?
Below are other topics covered in my blog.  If you don't see your question answered send me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply and if I think It would be of interest to others, I will post the question and the answer with all the names and personal specifics removed.
                    -- Robert Hickey

USE OF NAMES & HONORIFICS   
Mr., Miss, Jr., III, & Names        
Married Women       
Deceased Persons         
People with Two Titles
Post-Nominal Abbreviations and Initials           
Joint Forms of Address    (How to address a couple?)   

USE OF SPECIFIC OFFICIAL TITLES        
Former Officials            
Professionals and Academics        

United States Federal Officials, Currently In Office             
United States State Officials, Currently In Office              
United States Municipal Officials, Currently In Office             
       All About The Honorable with U.S. Officials         
       Former United States Officials of all types             
United States Armed Services, Active Duty             
       Addressing Retired Personnel      
       Use of Rank by Retired Personnel      
       Use of Rank by Veterans      

Tribal Officials 
           
Clergy and Religious Officials           
Canadian Officials         
Australian Officials          
British Officials, Royalty, and Nobility        
Diplomats and International Representatives
           
Foreign National Officials and Nobility        

SPECIFIC SITUATIONS
Etiquette             
Flags: Traditions and Protocol             
Introductions
            
Invitations: Writing & Addressing
        
Invitations: Just Armed Service Personnel        
Name Tags            
Names on Programs, Signs, & Lists            
Place Cards            

Precedence: Ordering Officials           
Thank You Notes             


Site updated by Robert Hickey on January 30, 2012


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Robert Hickey is the author of Honor & Respect:
The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address
Published by The Protocol School of Washington®
Foreword by Pamela Eyring

Copyright © 2011 Robert Hickey.     All Rights Reserved.
Book Photo: Marc Goodman.