“Our commitment is to support the arts community in recognition of the vital role artists play in expressing our national identity. We seek to enrich the legacy of Canadian art by directly aiding exceptionally gifted individuals working in all disciplines - duly reflecting Canada’s linguistic and cultural diversity - while heightening public awareness of the role of private benefactors in nurturing talent and strengthening the bonds which unite us as a nation.”
The Right Honourable Ramon J. Hnatyshyn
About Us
The Hnatyshyn Foundation is a private charity established by the late Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn, Canada’s twenty-fourth Governor General, to assist emerging and established artists in all disciplines with their schooling, training and career development. Its programs are funded by donations from government, foundations, corporations and individuals.
The Foundation began awarding grants to developing artists in the performing arts in 2005 and has since expanded its programming to include awards and residencies for emerging and mid-career artists and curators working in the visual arts.
The Hnatyshyn Foundation is federally incorporated as a registered charity. Registered charity number: 89299 4187 RR0001.
Founders
Ramon John Hnatyshyn
Twenty-fourth Governor General and Commander in Chief of Canada (Jan. 1990 - Feb. 1995), Ramon John Hnatyshyn (1934-2002) served in the House of Commons from 1974 to 1988 and was sworn to the Privy Council in 1979. He fulfilled a wide range of roles, including Minister of State for Science and Technology, Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, Government House Leader, President of the Privy Council, Minister responsible for Regulatory Affairs, and Minister of Justice and Attorney General. In 1984 he was Opposition House Leader for six months.
Mr. Hnatyshyn received his law degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1956 and was called to the Bar in Saskatchewan in 1957. He was appointed Q.C. in Saskatchewan in 1973 and Q.C. in Canada in 1988. In 1986 he was called to the Bar in Ontario. He was a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Law Society of Saskatchewan (President 1973-74) and the Canadian Bar Association.
Mr. Hnatyshyn received honorary degrees (LL.D.) from institutions including the University of Saskatchewan, Royal Military College of Canada, Queen’s University, Open University of British Columbia, McGill University, State University of Chernivtsi (Ukraine), University of Manitoba, Carleton University, Royal Roads Military College, University of Northern British Columbia, University of Alberta, Memorial University and the Law Society of Upper Canada. He was appointed Doctor of the University at the University of Ottawa, Doctor of Canon Law at the University of Emmanuel College, Doctor of Civil Law at Bishop’s University and Doctor of Philosophy at Yonsei University, Korea. He received numerous awards, including the St. Volodymyr Medal Award from the World Congress of Ukrainians.
Mr. Hnatyshyn returned to his law practice at Gowlings after his term as Governor General. He also played a leadership role in a number of charities including the United Way Campaign, United Community Funds, the Saskatoon Gallery and Conservatory Corporation and the YMCA. The Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law is presented annually by the Canadian Bar Association to recognise outstanding contribution to the law and legal scholarship in Canada.
Gerda Hnatyshyn
Gerda Hnatyshyn (1935-2023) was instrumental in establishing and running The Hnatyshyn Foundation, serving as its President and principal fundraiser from its inception to her death in July 2023.
A graduate of Dietetics and Nutrition at The University of Saskatchewan and The Royal Victoria Hospital School of Dietetics in Montreal, Mrs. Hnatyshyn married Ramon John Hnatyshyn in 1960. During Ray's tenure as the 24th Governor General of Canada, Mrs. Hnatyshyn served as the Chatelaine of Rideau Hall and represented Canada in welcoming foreign dignitaries and Canadians to Rideau Hall. Later in her life, Gerda authored a book about Rideau Hall, with a focus on bringing the stories of the Governor General's house and in particular the staff who serve at Rideau Hall to the public: Rideau Hall: Canada’s Living Heritage (1994).
Following the conclusion of Ray's term as Governor General, Mrs. Hnatyshyn began to raise funds for the completion of the Canadian Heritage Garden, located on the grounds of Rideau Hall. This installation, open to the public, serves as both a horticultural exhibit, filled with countless varietals of roses, and marks the development of the Canadian nation and democracy, with flowers and monuments dedicated to Canada's First Nations and the successive waves of immigrants that have built this country.
The Hnatyshyn Mandate at Rideau Hall
The years between 1990 and 1995, during which the late Ramon John Hnatyshyn and Gerda Hnatyshyn served in vice-regal capacities for Canada, are associated in particular with initiatives at Government House emphasizing support for the arts and fostering heritage awareness. The inauguration of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, conferred annually since 1992 to recognize extraordinary lifetime achievements, have provided an unprecedented means to enhance awareness of Canadian accomplishments in this field. Both the awards presentation ceremony at Rideau Hall, and the Gala performance staged at the National Arts Centre, have become the highlight of the season.
The Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Arts is presented each year on this truly national occasion.
Canadians and visitors from around the globe drawn to our National Capital Region each summer have made the Governor General’s Summer Concert Series, launched to showcase Canadian talent in performance on the grounds of Rideau Hall, an overwhelming popular success.
To further encourage public appreciation of the historic official residence of the Governor General, Friends of Rideau Hall was formed to augment restoration work undertaken by public agencies, and to publish a pictorial record of these endeavours in the volume Rideau Hall: Canada’s Living Heritage (1994).
On the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Confederation in 1992, the assistance of the Canadian Association of Landscape Architects was enlisted to organize a national competition for the design of a rose garden at Rideau Hall. Through the efforts of the Canadian Heritage Garden Foundation, realization of this unique floral legacy was funded by the generous contributions of individuals, groups and business concerns from across the country.