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Minister of Public Works (Canada) facts for kids

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The Minister of Public Works was an important job in the Canadian government. This person was in charge of all the "public works" for the country. Public works are things like building and maintaining government buildings, bridges, roads, and other big projects that benefit everyone.

This job was created when Canada became a country on July 1, 1867. It was officially set up by a special government decision called an Order in Council. Later that year, on December 21, it became a formal law. Many years later, on July 12, 1996, the government changed some things. The job of Minister of Public Works was combined with another job, the Minister of Supply and Services. Together, they became the Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

What Was the Minister of Public Works?

The Minister of Public Works was a key member of the Canadian government's team, known as the Cabinet. Think of the Cabinet as the Prime Minister's main group of advisors and leaders for different parts of the country. This minister's main role was to manage and oversee all the construction and maintenance projects for the federal government. This included everything from post offices and harbours to government offices and other important buildings across Canada.

A Look Back: How the Role Started

The job of Minister of Public Works began right when Canada was formed in 1867. This was a time when Canada was growing, and there was a big need to build new things to help the country develop. The first person to hold this position was William McDougall. He started on July 1, 1867, the very day Canada became a country. The role was created to make sure that Canada had the buildings and infrastructure it needed to run smoothly.

The End of an Era: A New Ministry

For many decades, the Minister of Public Works played a vital role in Canada's growth. However, in 1996, the government decided to make some changes to how it was organized. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, the job of Minister of Public Works was merged with the Minister of Supply and Services. This created a new, larger department called Public Works and Government Services. This new department took on the responsibilities of both older roles, aiming to be more efficient in managing government buildings and services.

Ministers Who Held the Role

Over the years, many different people served as the Minister of Public Works. Each minister played a part in shaping Canada's physical landscape by overseeing important construction and maintenance projects. The table below shows a list of the people who held this position from 1867 until it was merged in 1996. You can see their names, when they were in office, and which Prime Minister they worked under.

No. Name Period in office Ministry
1. William McDougall July 1, 1867 – September 27, 1869 1st

(Macdonald)
* Hector-Louis Langevin (acting) September 28, 1869 – December 7, 1869
2. Hector-Louis Langevin December 8, 1869 – November 5, 1873
3. Alexander Mackenzie November 7, 1873 – October 8, 1878 2nd

(himself)
4 Sir Charles Tupper October 19, 1878 – May 19, 1879 3rd

(Macdonald)
– Hector-Louis Langevin (second time) May 20, 1879 – June 6, 1891
June 16, 1991 – August 11, 1891 4th

(Abbott)
5. Frank Smith August 14, 1891 – January 10, 1892
6. Joseph-Aldric Ouimet January 11, 1892 – November 24, 1892
December 5, 1892 – December 12, 1894 5th

(Thompson)
December 21, 1894 – April 27, 1896 6th

(Bowell)
7. Alphonse Desjardins May 1, 1896 – July 8, 1896 7th

(Tupper)
8. Joseph-Israël Tarte July 13, 1896 – October 21, 1902 8th

(Laurier)
9. James Sutherland November 11, 1902 – May 3, 1905
10. Charles Smith Hyman May 22, 1905 – August 29, 1907
11. William Pugsley August 30, 1907 – October 6, 1911
12. Frederick Debartzch Monk October 10, 1911 – October 28, 1912 9th

(Borden)
13. Robert Rogers October 29, 191 – August 22, 1917
14. Charles Colquhoun Ballantyne October 3, 1917 – October 12, 1917
15. Frank Broadstreet Carvell October 13, 1917 – August 1, 1919 10th

(Borden)
* John Dowsley Reid (acting) August 6, 1919 – September 2, 1919
16. Arthur Lewis Sifton September 3, 1919 – December 30, 1919
* John Dowsley Reid (acting) December 31, 1919 – July 10, 1920
* July 10, 1920 – July 12, 1920 11th

(Meighen)
17. Fleming Blanchard McCurdy July 13, 1920 – December 29, 1921
18. Hewitt Bostock December 29, 1921 – February 2, 1922 12th

(King)
19. James Horace King February 3, 1922 – June 28, 1926
* Sir George Halsey Perley (acting) June 29, 1926 – July 12, 1926 13th

(Meighen)
20. Edmond Baird Ryckman July 13, 1926 – September 25, 1926
21. John Campbell Elliott September 25, 1926 – August 7, 1930 14th

(King)
22. Hugh Alexander Stewart August 7, 1930 – October 23, 1935 15th

(Bennett)
23. Pierre Joseph Arthur Cardin October 23, 1935 – May 12, 1942 16th

(King)
* Joseph-Enoil Michaud (acting) May 13, 1942 – October 6, 1942
25. Alphonse Fournier October 7, 1942 – November 15, 1948
November 15, 1948 – June 11, 1953 17th

(St. Laurent)
* Walter Edward Harris June 12, 1953 – September 16, 1953
24. Robert Henry Winters September 17, 1953 – June 21, 1957
25. Howard Charles Green June 21, 1957 – August 19, 1959 18th

(Diefenbaker)
26. David James Walker August 20, 1959 – July 12, 1962
* Howard Charles Green (acting) July 18, 1962 – August 8, 1962
27. Edmund Davie Fulton August 9, 1962 – April 22, 1963
28. Jean-Paul Deschatelets April 22, 1963 – February 11, 1965 19th

(Pearson)
29. Louis Joseph Lucien Cardin February 15, 1965 – July 6, 1965
32. George James McIlraith July 7, 1965 – April 20, 1968
April 20, 1968 – July 5, 1968 20th

(Trudeau, Sr.)
30. Arthur Laing July 5, 1968 – January 27, 1972
31. Jean-Eudes Dubé January 28, 1972 – August 7, 1974
32. Charles Mills Drury August 8, 1974 – September 13, 1976
33. J. Judd Buchanan September 14, 1976 – November 23, 1978
34. André Ouellet November 24, 1978 – June 3, 1979
35. Erik Nielsen June 4, 1979 – March 2, 1980 21st

(Clark)
36. Paul James Cosgrove March 3, 1980 – September 29, 1982 22nd

(Trudeau, Sr.)
37. Roméo LeBlanc September 30, 1982 – June 29, 1984
38. Charles Lapointe June 30, 1984 – September 16, 1984 23rd

(Turner)
39. Roch La Salle September 17, 1984 – June 29, 1986 24th

(Mulroney)
40. Stewart McInnes June 30, 1986 – December 7, 1988
* Otto Jelinek December 8, 1988 – January 29, 1989
41. Elmer MacIntosh MacKay January 30, 1989 – June 24, 1993
42. Paul Wyatt Dick June 24, 1993 – November 3, 1993 25th

(Campbell)
43. David Charles Dingwall November 4, 1993 – January 24, 1996 26th

(Chrétien)
44. Diane Marleau January 25, 1996 – July 11, 1996
After 1996, see Minister of Public Works and Government Services.
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