Christopher McCreery, PhD, FRCGS

Private Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor & Executive Director of Government House

One of the Commonwealth's foremost experts on orders, decorations, medals and the honours system, Dr. McCreery has served as an advisor to the Federal Government, and a number of Provincial and Commonwealth governments on matters related to honours. He has also regularly been consulted on the role of the Crown; the reserve powers, such issues as dissolution, prorogation, protocol and the historical position of the Crown in Canada.

Prior to his appointment as Private Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and Executive Director of Government House, Dr. McCreery worked for the Privy Council Office and Leader of the Government in the Senate as a Senior Special Advisor from 2007-2009. From 2006-2007 he served as Senior Policy Advisor to the Speaker of the Senate and from 2004-2006 he served as Executive Assistant to Senator Michael Kirby; helping to coordinate the groundbreaking Senate report on Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Out of the Shadows at Last.

He holds a doctorate in Canadian political history from Queen's University, Kingston. A Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and National Historian for St. John Ambulance and the Order of St. John, McCreery is active with a number of volunteer organizations.

McCreery's publications include more than 50 articles and 8 books; The Order of Canada: Its Origins, History and Development (2005); The Canadian Honours System (2005); On Her Majesty's Service: Royal Honours and Recognition in Canada (2008); The Beginner's Guide to Canadian Honours (2008); The Maple Leaf and the White Cross; A History of St. John Ambulance in Canada (2008); The Authentic Voice of Canada; R.B. Bennett in the House of Lords, 1941-47 (2009 co-edited); Wearing Your Medals: A Guide (2009); Canadian Symbols of Authority: Maces, Rods and Chains of Office (2009 co-authored).