Vice-Regal Canine Consort MacDuff Austin-Chester was on hand to help Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin welcome guests to the New Year’s Day levée at Government House on Sunday.
Due to the pandemic, Government House did not house a New Year’s event last January. This year, it was once again bustling for the levée — though numbers were capped at 500, less than half what was seen in some pre-COVID years.
Levées are a tradition that originated in Britain as formal New Year’s Day receptions for government and military. They are carried on in Canada and are especially popular in Greater Victoria, where levees take place at city halls, recreation centres and military establishments.
The event is an opportunity to ring in the new year by meeting the lieutenant-governor, enjoying light refreshments and entertainment, and having a last look at the festive décor.
William Code said the levée is a “cultural tradition worth keeping.”
“There was a time when I would map out all the levees I would attend on New Year’s Day,” he said.
Code was among several people Sunday for whom the levée is an annual tradition.
Joel and Grace Cave attended with their children, Sarah, 6, and Emma, 2. The family has been attending New Year’s Day levées at Government House for the past six years.
When asked about her hopes for 2o23, Grace Cave, said she hopes to read more and spend less time on her phone.
That was a common wish. Audrey Topshee also said she hoped to gain some independence from her cellphone, as well as keep her family life in balance.
Topshee, who comes from a military family — her husband is an admiral with the navy — can remember attending up to nine functions in a day when her husband was stationed on the East Coast. Sunday’s event was the third lévee she has attended in her five years in B.C.
