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Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario)

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Ministry of Natural Resources
Ministère des Richesses naturelles (French)

The ministry's headquarters at
Robinson Place in Peterborough
Ministry overview
Formed1972
JurisdictionGovernment of Ontario
HeadquartersPeterborough, Ontario
Ministers responsible
Websitewww.ontario.ca/page/ministry-natural-resources

The Natural Resources is a government ministry of the Canadian province of Ontario that is responsible for Ontario's provincial parks, forests, fisheries, wildlife, mineral aggregates and the Crown lands and waters that make up 87 per cent of the province. Its offices are divided into Northwestern, Northeastern and Southern Ontario regions with the main headquarters in Peterborough, Ontario.[1] The current minister is Graydon Smith].

In 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry again merged with the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines to form the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, while the Ministry of Energy became a separate ministry. Following the 2022 Ontario general election, the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry was split up into three separate ministries. In June, 2024, the Minister of Natural Resources no longer had responsibility for forestry, which was now the responsibility of an Associate Minister of Forestry under the Minister of Natural Resources. The Minister of Mines and Minister of Northern Development remained separate ministries.[2][3]

The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry was Graydon Smith from the 2022 election until June 2024, when he was appointed the Minister of Natural Resources and Nolan Quinn became the Associate Minister of Forestry under the Ministry of Natural Resources.[3] Since the 2022 election, the Minister of Mines is George Pirie, and the Minister of Northern Development is Greg Rickford, the previous minister for the combined of NDMNR&F.[4]

History

[edit]

The first government office charge with responsibility of crown land management in modern-day Ontario was the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Northern District of North America, created in 1763[5] and initially headed by Samuel Holland. Holland was initially appointed Surveyor General of Quebec, but offered to assume the larger responsibility at no increase in salary.[6] In 1791, Upper and Lower Canada were created via the Constitutional Act 1791. Holland continued to serve as Surveyor General for both, but openly advocated that they should be separate posts.[6]: 14 

In 1792, David William Smith was named by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe to be acting Surveyor General of Upper Canada (against Holland's advice to appoint William Chewett as his replacement), Smith and was subsequently officially appointed to the position in 1798 and held the office until his resignation in 1804.[6]: 14  The previously overlooked Chewett and Thomas Ridout were appointed to the position jointly in the interim. In 1805, Charles Burton Wyatt was appointed (along with Joseph Bouchette[7]) but was suspended in 1807. Ridout was named to the office in 1807 and held the position until 1829.[6]: 15 

The Office of the Commissioner of Crown Lands for Upper Canada was established in 1827.[8] By the 1840s, however, the crown lands department had been established over which the Commissioner presided, and by 1860, this was renamed the Department of Crown Lands. The primary responsibility of the department was the sale and management of public lands and the granting of land to settlers. Between 1827 and 1867, the responsibilities of the department expanded to include the duties of the Surveyor General (in 1845), as well as those of the Surveyor General of Woods and Forests (in 1852). By 1867, the department had responsibility over mines, fisheries, ordnance lands, colonization roads, and Indian affairs, as well.[9]

In 1867, the Department of Crown Lands for the Province of Canada was replaced with the Department of Crown Lands for Ontario. Ordnance lands, Indian affairs and fisheries were, however, transferred to the federal government in 1867. In 1900, the department also acquired responsibility over immigration and colonization.[10]

In 1905, legislation was passed which renamed the Commissioner of Crown Lands to the Minister of Lands and Mines. With this change, the department was renamed the Department of Lands and Mines. At this time, responsibilities for forestry were transferred to the Department of Agriculture.[11] In 1906, the department was renamed the Department of Lands, Forests and Mines, resuming responsibilities for forestry.[12] It also resumed responsibilities for immigration and colonization between 1916 and 1920.[13]

In 1920, the department was renamed Department of Lands and Forests when a separate Department of Mines was established.[14] Responsibilities for immigration and colonization were also transferred back to the Department of Agriculture.[13]

The department existed until 1972, when it amalgamated with the Department of Mines and Northern Affairs to form the Ministry of Natural Resources.[15] The ministry was responsible for northern affairs until 1977, and for mines until 1985.[16] It was again merged briefly between 1995 and 1997 with Northern Development and Mines to form a single Ministry of Natural Resources, Northern Development and Mines.

In 2014 the ministry was renamed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, but responsibilities did not change.[17]

In June 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry once again merged with the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines to form the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry.[citation needed]

After the 2022 Ontario General Election in which the incumbent Progressive Conservatives were re-elected, the Ministry was once again separated, this time into 3 independent ministries; the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Ministry of Northern Development and the Ministry of Mines.[18]

On 6 June 2024, it was announced that the Minister of Natural Resources longer had responsibility for forestry.[2] An Associate Minister of Forestry was appointed as part of the Ministry of Natural Resources.[3]

List of ministers (and "commissioners", before 1905)

[edit]
Name Term of office Name Term of office Political party
(Ministry) 		Note
Commissioner of Crown Lands
Stephen Richards 16 July 1867 25 July 1871 Liberal
Conservative
(MacDonald)
Matthew Crooks Cameron 25 July 1871 21 December 1871
Richard William Scott 21 December 1871 25 October 1872 Liberal
(Blake)
25 October 1872 4 December 1873 Liberal
(Mowat)
Timothy Blair Pardee 4 December 1873 18 January 1889 Resigned due to poor health, subsequently died on 21 July 1889.
Arthur Sturgis Hardy 18 January 1889 21 July 1896
John Morison Gibson 21 July 1896 21 October 1899 Liberal
(Hardy)
Elihu Davis 21 October 1899 22 November 1904 Liberal
(Ross)
Alexander Grant MacKay 22 November 1904 8 February 1905
James Joseph Foy 8 February 1905 30 May 1905 Conservative
(Whitney)
Minister of Lands and Mines
Francis Cochrane 30 May 1905 27 April 1906
Minister of Lands, Forests and Mines
Francis Cochrane 27 April 1906 12 October 1911
William Howard Hearst 12 October 1911 2 October 1914
2 October 1914 22 December 1914 Conservative
(Hearst) 		While Premier
Howard Ferguson 22 December 1914 14 November 1919
Minister of Lands and Forests Minister of Mines United Farmers
(Drury)
Beniah Bowman 14 November 1919 16 July 1923 Harry Mills 26 June 1920 16 July 1923
James W. Lyons 16 July 1923 1 March 1926 Charles McCrea 16 July 1923 15 December 1930 Conservative
(Ferguson)
Howard Ferguson 2 March 1926 18 October 1926
William Finlayson 18 October 1926 15 December 1930
15 December 1930 10 July 1934 15 December 1930 10 July 1934 Conservative
(Henry)
Peter Heenan 10 July 1934 27 May 1941 Paul Leduc 10 July 1934 30 September 1940 Liberal
(Hepburn)
Robert Laurier 7 October 1940 21 October 1942
Norman Otto Hipel 27 May 1941 21 October 1942 Hipel was concurrently Provincial Secretary and Registrar (27 October 1942 – 18 May 1943)
21 October 1942 18 May 1943 21 October 1942 18 May 1943 Liberal
(Conant)
18 May 1943 17 August 1943 21 October 1942 18 May 1943 Liberal
(Nixon)
Wesley Gardiner Thompson 17 August 1943 28 November 1946 Leslie Frost 17 August 1943 19 October 1948 PC
(Drew)
Harold Robinson Scott 28 November 1946 19 October 1948
19 October 1948 4 May 1949 19 October 1948 4 May 1949 PC
(Kennedy)
4 May 1949 3 June 1952 Welland Gemmell 4 May 1949 3 June 1952 PC
(Frost)
Welland Gemmell 3 June 1952 18 June 1954 Philip Kelly 3 June 1952 18 July 1957 Gemmell died in office
Clare Mapledoram 7 July 1954 4 July 1958
Wilf Spooner 18 July 1957 22 December 1958
Wilf Spooner 23 July 1958 8 November 1961 James Anthony Maloney 22 December 1958 1 October 1961
8 November 1961 25 October 1962 George Wardrope 8 November 1961 23 November 1967 PC
(Robarts)
Kelso Roberts 25 October 1962 24 November 1966
René Brunelle 24 November 1966 1 March 1971
René Brunelle 23 November 1967 13 February 1968
Allan Lawrence 13 February 1968 26 June 1970
Minister of Mines and Northern Affairs
Allan Lawrence 26 June 1970 1 March 1971
1 March 1971 2 February 1972 Leo Bernier 1 March 1971 2 April 1972 PC
(Davis)
Leo Bernier 2 February 1972 7 April 1972
Minister of Natural Resources
Leo Bernier 7 April 1972 3 February 1977
Minister of Natural Resources Minister of Northern Affairs
Frank Miller 3 February 1977 18 August 1978 Leo Bernier 3 February 1977 26 June 1985
James Auld 18 August 1978 10 April 1981 Auld was concurrently Minister of Energy
Alan Pope 10 April 1981 8 February 1985
Mike Harris 8 February 1985 26 June 1985 PC
(Miller) 		Harris was concurrently Minister of Energy from 17 May 1985, onward
Vince Kerrio 26 June 1985 2 August 1989 René Fontaine 26 June 1985 26 June 1986 Liberal
(Peterson) 		Kerrio was concurrently Minister of Energy until 29 September 1987
Peterson was minister while Premier
Conway was concurrently Government House Leader
René Fontaine held the separate title of Minister of Northern Development from 29 September 1987, onward
McLeod was concurrently Minister of Energy
David Peterson 26 June 1986 29 September 1987
Sean Conway 29 September 1987 2 August 1989
Lyn McLeod 2 August 1989 1 October 1990 Hugh O'Neil 2 August 1989 1 October 1990
Bud Wildman 1 October 1990 3 February 1993 Gilles Pouliot 1 October 1990 31 July 1991 NDP
(Rae) 		Wildman was concurrently Minister Responsible for Native Affairs
Shelley Martel held the separate title of Minister of Northern Development from 1 October 1990, to 31 July 1991
Shelley Martel 31 July 1991 7 October 1994
Howard Hampton 3 February 1993 26 June 1995 Hampton was concurrently Minister Responsible for Native Affairs
Gilles Pouliot 7 October 1994 26 June 1995
Minister of Natural Resources, Northern Development and Mines PC
(Harris)
Chris Hodgson 26 June 1995 10 October 1997
Minister of Natural Resources Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
John Snobelen 10 October 1997 14 April 2002 Chris Hodgson 10 October 1997 17 June 1999 Hodgson was concurrently Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet
Tim Hudak 2 June 1999 8 March 2001
Dan Newman 8 February 2001 14 April 2002
Jerry Ouellette 15 April 2002 22 October 2003 Jim Wilson 15 April 2002 22 October 2003 PC
(Eves)
David Ramsay 23 October 2003 30 October 2007 Rick Bartolucci 23 October 2003 30 October 2007 Liberal
(McGuinty) 		Concurrently Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs (29 June 2005 – 21 June 2007), Minister of Aboriginal Affairs (21 June 2007 – 30 October 2007)
Donna Cansfield 30 October 2007 18 January 2010 Michael Gravelle 30 October 2007 20 October 2011 Gravelle was styled as Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry between 24 June 2009, and 20 October 2011
Linda Jeffrey 18 January 2010 20 October 2011
Michael Gravelle 20 October 2011 11 February 2013 Rick Bartolucci 20 October 2011 11 February 2013 Bartolucci was concurrently Chair of Cabinet
David Orazietti 11 February 2013 24 June 2014 Michael Gravelle 11 February 2013 29 June 2018 Liberal
(Wynne)
Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
Bill Mauro 24 June 2014 13 June 2016
Kathryn McGarry 13 June 2016 17 January 2018
Nathalie Des Rosiers 17 January 2018 29 June 2018
Jeff Yurek 29 June 2018 5 November 2018 Greg Rickford 29 June 2018 18 June 2021 PC
(Ford) 		Rickford was styled Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and was concurrently Minister of Indigenous Affairs
John Yakabuski 5 November 2018 18 June 2021
Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry
Greg Rickford 18 June 2021 24 June 2022 Concurrently Minister of Indigenous Affairs
Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
Graydon Smith 24 June 2022 6 June 2024
Minister of Natural Resources
Graydon Smith 6 June 2024 incumbent

Organization

[edit]

MNRF is organized into divisions; within each division are branches/regions, sections, and units.[19]

Divisions
  • Regional Operations Division
  • Provincial Services Division
  • Policy Division
  • Corporate Management and Information Division

Responsibilities

[edit]

The Ministry is responsible for:

  • Fish & Wildlife Management – sustainably managing Ontario's fish and wildlife resources.[citation needed]
  • Land & Waters Management – leading the management of Ontario's Crown lands, water, oil, gas, salt and aggregates resources, including making Crown land available for renewable energy projects.[citation needed]
  • Forest Management – ensuring the sustainable management of Ontario's Crown forests.[citation needed]
  • Ontario Parks – guiding the management of Ontario's parks and protected areas.[citation needed]
  • Forest Fire, Flood and Drought Protection - protecting people, property and communities from related emergencies.[20]
  • Geographic Information – developing and applying geographic information to help manage the province's natural resources.[citation needed]

The ministry also has responsibility for the Office of the Mining & Lands Commissioner and the Niagara Escarpment Commission agencies.[21][22]

Regional Operations Division

[edit]

The Regional Operations Division (ROD) is a frontline arm of the Ministry with offices in 35 locations across Ontario.[23] It plays a key role in issuing authorizations and compliance monitoring to ensure the province's natural resources are managed effectively and sustainably. ROD is accountable for:

  • The sustainable management of Ontario's fish and wildlife resources
  • The management of Ontario's Crown lands, water, oil, gas, salt and aggregates resources, including making Crown land available for renewable energy projects
  • Ensuring the sustainable management of Ontario's Crown forests
  • Protecting people, property and communities from forest fires, floods, droughts, and other emergencies
  • Developing and applying geographic information to help manage the province's natural resources.[24]

ROD's programs and services contribute directly to:

  • provincial revenue (e.g. Crown land rental fees, hydro-electric royalties, etc.)
  • understanding and protecting Ontario's ecosystems and natural resources
  • supporting the natural resource-based and green energy economy (e.g. fishing, hunting, tourism, forestry, etc.)
  • keeping people and property safe from natural hazards (e.g. dam operations, flood forecasting and warning, etc.)

ROD also works jointly with First Nations on community-based land use planning in the far north. The parties make consensus-based recommendations on which Crown lands will be dedicated to protection and which will be open for potential economic development (e.g. tourism, forestry, mining, renewable energy).[25]

Ontario Parks

[edit]

Ontario Parks protects significant natural and cultural resources in a system of parks and protected areas.[citation needed]

Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services

[edit]

The Ministry's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) program coordinates forest fire detection, monitoring, suppression and public information and education services for Ontario. AFFES also provides aviation services for the Ontario government and leads emergency management planning and response for natural hazards such as forest fires, floods, erosion, dam failures, unstable soils and bedrock, droughts and oil and gas emergencies.[26]

The Ministry's entrance into the field of aviation started with hiring Laurentide Air Services to carry out fire patrols however the government soon realized it could save money by carrying out the operations itself and formed the Ontario Provincial Air Service, (O.P.A.S.) in February 1924 with 13 second hand Curtiss HS-2L flying boats that had been originally built for the US Navy. The OPAS was an early pioneer in the use of aircraft for the discovery and extinguishing of forest fires. Initially this involved carrying warnings of fires back to existing fire patrols, to be extinguished by teams that travelled by canoe or overland but soon they began landing firefighters (never more than a few at a time due to the limited carrying capacity of the aircraft available) with a hand-operated water pump near a fire. As a part of this program the OPAS completely rebuilt damaged aircraft before they began building a number of aircraft under license to meet their requirements such as the Buhl Air Sedan, and later provided considerable input on the development of the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver and de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter and finally were central to the invention of the water bomber. The first water bomber was an OPAS DHC Beaver with a tank mounted on the float designed to dump the water out quickly. This had followed unsuccessful experiments with bags of water.[27]

Current AFFES Airfleet
Retired[30]

Aircraft on display

[edit]
[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Ministry of Natural Resources | Ontario.ca". Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b Stone, Laura; Gray, Jeff (6 June 2024). "Premier Doug Ford unveils cabinet shuffle as Ontario legislature breaks until October". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Premier Ford Renews Team that is Rebuilding Ontario's Economy". Office of the Premier. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Ministries". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  5. ^ "History of the Office of the Surveyor General - Science and Information Resources Division - Ministry of Natural Resources, Government of Ontario". Mnr.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d Ballantyne, Dr. Brian (2010). Surveys, Parcels and Tenure on Canada Lands (PDF). Natural Resources Canada. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-100-17563-8.
  7. ^ "Biography – BOUCHETTE, JOSEPH – Volume VII (1836-1850) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca.
  8. ^ Alexander Fraser (1903). First Report of the Bureau of Archives for the Province of Ontario. Vol. I. Toronto: L.K. Cameron, King's Printer. pp. 19–25.
  9. ^ Bishop, Olga Bernice (1984). Publications of the Province of Upper Canada and of Great Britain: Relating to Upper Canada, 1791-1840. Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Culture. ISBN 978-0774389310.
  10. ^ Bishop, Olga Bernice (1976). Publications of the Government of Ontario, 1867-1900. Ontario Ministry of Government Services. ISBN 978-1341908729.
  11. ^ Act to Amend the Act respecting the Executive Council (Statutes of Ontario, Chapter 5). 1905.
  12. ^ An Act respecting the Department of Lands, Forests and Mines (Statutes of Ontario, Chapter 10). 1906.
  13. ^ a b MacTaggart, Hazel I (1964). Publications of the Government of Ontario, 1901-1955. Queen's Printer of Ontario.
  14. ^ Department of Mines Act (Statutes of Ontario, Chapter 12). 1920.
  15. ^ The Ministry of Natural Resources Act (Statutes of Ontario, Chapter 4). 1972.
  16. ^ Government of Ontario Telephone Directories, 1972-1996
  17. ^ "Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources adds forestry to its title". CBC News. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Premier Ford Unveils New Cabinet to Build Ontario". Office of the Premier. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Organization Chart for Ministry of Natural Resources - Communications Services Branch - Ontario Government, Ministry of Natural Resources". Mnr.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  20. ^ "Forest fire management | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  21. ^ "History of the Ontario Mining and Lands Commissioner | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  22. ^ "About - Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC)". escarpment.org/. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  23. ^ "Ministry of Natural Resources work centres | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Ministry of Natural Resources | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Land use planning process in the Far North | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  26. ^ "Forest, wildland and outdoor fires | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  27. ^ West, Bruce. Firebirds. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Queen's Printer, 1974.
  28. ^ "Current Fleet - Aviation and Forest Fire Management - Government of Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources". Mnr.gov.on.ca. 5 December 2007. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g Transport Canada (2 July 2013). "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  30. ^ Government of Ontario (2008). "History of the Air Service". Archived from the original on 11 April 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
  31. ^ Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre (n.d.). "de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver". Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
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