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Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Ontario

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Defunct Ontario political office

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The Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Ontario was a senior position in the provincial cabinet of Ontario from before Canadian Confederation until the 1960s.

The Provincial Secretary and Registrar was originally the second highest position in the provincial cabinet, equivalent to the position of Deputy Premier. The Provincial Secretary was the equivalent of the former Canadian Cabinet position of Secretary of State for Canada. Like its federal counterpart it included an eclectic variety of responsibilities that were not assigned to other ministers, most of which would eventually evolve into portfolios of their own. The provincial secretary was also responsible for official communications between the provincial government and the Colonial Office in London as well as with other provincial and colonial governments (and after 1867 the federal government). As well, the position also included various duties related to ceremonial occasions, visits by dignitaries, protocol, relations between the government and the office of lieutenant governor and commemorative events particularly in relation to the monarchy.

Generally, the Provincial Secretary acted as a province's Registrar-General and was responsible for formal documents and records such as licences, birth and death certificates, land registries and surveys, business registrations and writs. As well, the position was generally responsible for the administration of the civil service and of elections. Provincial secretaries were usually the most senior member of the provincial cabinet outside of the Premier, and the office holder was often designated as Acting Premier when the Premier was out of province, ill or otherwise unavailable. The last individual to hold the position of Provincial Secretary and Registrar (renamed Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship in 1961) was John Yaremko who left office in 1972.

In 1972 the Progressive Conservative government of Bill Davis adopted the provincial secretary title for a non-departmental cabinet portfolio in which the occupant either having responsibility spreading over several ministries, assisting a senior minister in an area or as a secondary portfolio for a senior minister giving him a broader responsibility or mandate area. The three positions created were Provincial Secretary for Social Development, Provincial Secretary for Justice and Provincial Secretary for Resource Development. These positions were unrelated to the original Provincial Secretary position except for the common name. The positions were retained by Davis' successor, Frank Miller, in 1985 but were abolished when the Progressive Conservatives lost power to David Peterson's Liberals in 1985.

Pre-Confederation Provincial Secretary

Prior to Confederation and the creation of the office of Premier, the Provincial Secretary was the most important and powerful figure in provincial politics. The title holder was appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and many sat as members of the Legislative Council.

Upper Canada

United Provinces of Canada

Provincial Secretary and Registrar (after Confederation)

Portrait Name Term of office Tenure Political party
(Ministry) 		Note
1 Matthew Crooks
Cameron		 July 16, 1867 July 25, 1871 4 years, 9 days Liberal
Conservative
(Macdonald)
2 Stephen Richards July 25, 1871 December 20, 1871 148 days Liberal
Conservative
(Macdonald)
3 Peter Gow October 25, 1872 December 4, 1873 1 year, 40 days Liberal
(Blake)
4 Timothy B. Pardee October 25, 1872 December 4, 1873 1 year, 34 days Liberal
(Mowat)
5 Christopher F. Fraser December 4, 1873 July 23, 1875 1 year, 231 days Liberal
(Mowat)
6 Samuel Wood July 23, 1875 March 19, 1877 1 year, 239 days Liberal
(Mowat)
7 Arthur Sturgis Hardy March 19, 1877 January 18, 1889 11 years, 305 days Liberal
(Mowat)
8 John M. Gibson January 18, 1889 July 21, 1896 7 years, 185 days Liberal
(Mowat)
9 William Balfour July 21, 1896 August 19, 1896 29 days Liberal
(Hardy)
10 Elihu Davis August 19, 1896 October 21, 1899 3 years, 63 days Liberal
(Hardy)
11 James Robert Stratton October 21, 1899 November 22, 1904 5 years, 32 days Liberal
(Ross)
12 George Perry Graham November 22, 1904 February 8, 1905 78 days
13 William Hanna February 8, 1905 December 19, 1916 11 years, 315 days Conservative
(Whitney)
Conservative
(Hearst)
14 William McPherson December 19, 1916 November 14, 1919 2 years, 330 days
15
(1) 		Harry Nixon November 14, 1919 July 16, 1923 3 years, 244 days United Farmers
(Drury)
16 Lincoln Goldie July 16, 1923 December 15, 1930 7 years, 152 days Conservative
(Ferguson)
17 Leopold Macaulay December 15, 1930 July 31, 1931 228 days Conservative
(Henry)
18 George Challies July 31, 1931 July 10, 1934 2 years, 344 days
19
(2) 		Harry Nixon July 10, 1934 October 21, 1942 8 years, 103 days Liberal
(Hepburn)
20 Norman Hipel October 21, 1942 May 18, 1943 209 days Liberal
(Conant)
21
(3) 		Harry Nixon May 18, 1943 August 17, 1943 91 days Liberal
(Nixon) 		While Premier
22
(1) 		George Dunbar August 17, 1943 April 15, 1946 2 years, 241 days PC
(Drew)
23 Roland Michener April 15, 1946 October 19, 1948 2 years, 187 days
24 Dana Porter October 19, 1948 May 4, 1949 197 days PC
(Kennedy)
25 George Welsh May 4, 1949 January 20, 1955 5 years, 261 days PC
(Frost)
26 William Nickle January 20, 1955 August 17, 1955 209 days
27
(2) 		George Dunbar August 17, 1955 December 22, 1958 3 years, 127 days
28 Mac Phillips December 22, 1958 May 26, 1960 1 year, 156 days
29 John Yaremko May 26, 1960 November 8, 1961 1 year, 166 days
Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship
1
(1) 		John Yaremko November 8, 1961 November 24, 1966 5 years, 16 days
 PC
(Robarts) 		The Registrar General of Ontario eventually transferred to the Ministry of Government Services in 1972.
2 Bob Welch November 24, 1966 March 1, 1971 4 years, 97 days
3
(2) 		John Yaremko March 1, 1971 April 7, 1972 1 year, 37 days
(second instance) 		PC
(Davis) 		After 1972 the responsibility of Citizenship affairs was transferred to the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture when it was formed in 1982.

Premier Davis's Provincial Secretaries

In 1972 as part of a general administrative reorganization of the Government of Ontario, Premier Bill Davis created three new Provincial Secretariats. With this reorganisation, the Ministries of the Government, with a few exceptions, were grouped into three common areas of interest called policy fields. The three policy fields established were the Justice Policy Field, the Social Development Policy Field and the Resources Development Policy Field.

Cabinet Committees were established for each field, to be chaired by a Provincial Secretary given Cabinet Minister status, and to be responsible for co-ordinating and developing policies for the various Ministries which formed that policy field. In addition, Secretariats were established for each field in order to provide analytical and research support to the Provincial Secretaries and the Cabinet Committees.

The Provincial Secretary for Justice coordinated the ministries of Correctional Services, of Labour, of Consumer and Commercial Relations, the office of Attorney General, and the office of Solicitor General (and possibly of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and of Intergovernmental Affairs).

The Provincial Secretary for Resources Development coordinated the ministries of Agriculture and Food, of Transportation and Communications, of Natural Resources, of Northern Affairs, of Energy (and possibly of the Environment and of Industry and Trade).

The Provincial Secretary for Social Development coordinated the ministries of Education, of Colleges and Universities, of Community and Social Services, of Citizenship and Culture, of Health, and eventually of Skills Development (and possibly of Tourism and Recreation).

The Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet probably coordinated the ministries of Treasurer, of Revenue, and Government Services.

Premier Frank Miller continued with the practice of appointing Provincial Secretaries, but when David Peterson ascended to the Premiership in 1985, the secretariats were terminated.

Provincial Secretaries for Justice

Portrait Name Term of office Tenure Political party
(Ministry) 		Note
1 Allan Lawrence January 5, 1972 September 28, 1972 267 days PC
(Davis) 		While Minister of Justice and Attorney General
2
(1) 		George Kerr September 28, 1972 February 26, 1974 1 year, 151 days
3
(1) 		Bob Welch February 26, 1974 June 18, 1975 1 year, 112 days While Attorney-General
While Minister of Culture and Recreation after January 14, 1975
4 John Clement June 18, 1975 October 7, 1975 111 days While Attorney-General and Solicitor General
5 John MacBeth October 7, 1975 January 21, 1978 2 years, 106 days While Solicitor General
While Minister of Correctional Services June 23, 1977 – September 21, 1977
6
(2) 		George Kerr January 21, 1978 August 18, 1978 209 days While Solicitor-General
7
(2) 		Bob Welch August 18, 1978 August 30, 1979 1 year, 12 days While Deputy Premier
8 Gordon Walker August 30, 1979 February 13, 1982 2 years, 167 days While Minister of Correctional Services August 30, 1979 – April 10, 1981
While Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations April 10, 1981 – February 13, 1982
9 Norman Sterling February 13, 1982 December 23, 1983 1 year, 313 days
10
(3) 		Bob Welch December 23, 1983 February 8, 1985 1 year, 47 days While Deputy Premier and Minister Responsible for Women's Issues
11 Reuben Baetz February 8, 1985 May 1, 1985 82 days PC
(Miller)
12 Alan Pope May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 40 days While Attorney General

Provincial Secretaries for Resource Development

Portrait Name Term of office Tenure Political party
(Ministry) 		Note
1 Bert Lawrence January 5, 1972 February 26, 1974 2 years, 52 days PC
(Davis) 		While Minister of Health until February 2, 1972
2 Allan Grossman February 26, 1974 October 7, 1975 1 year, 223 days
3 Donald Irvine October 7, 1975 February 3, 1977 1 year, 119 days
4 René Brunelle February 3, 1977 April 10, 1981 5 years, 296 days
5 Russ Ramsay April 10, 1981 February 13, 1982 309 days
6 Lorne Henderson February 13, 1982 July 6, 1983 1 year, 143 days
7 Russ Ramsay July 6, 1983 February 8, 1985 1 year, 217 days
8 Ernie Eves February 8, 1985 May 1, 1985 82 days PC
(Miller) 		While Minister of Skills Development (after March 22, 1985)
9 Dennis Timbrell May 17, 1985 June 28, 1985 58 days While Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Provincial Secretaries for Social Development

Portrait Name Term of office Tenure Political party
(Ministry) 		Note
1 Bob Welch January 5, 1972 February 26, 1974 2 years, 52 days PC
(Davis) 		While Minister of Education until February 2, 1972
While Minister of Housing after November 7, 1973
2 Margaret Birch February 26, 1974 December 23, 1983 9 years, 300 days
3 Bruce McCaffrey July 6, 1983 December 23, 1983 170 days
4 Gordon Dean December 23, 1983 February 8, 1985 1 year, 47 days
February 8, 1985 May 1, 1985 82 days PC
(Miller)
5 Larry Grossman May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 40 days While Minister of Education, and Minister of Colleges and Universities


See also

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