Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (French: ministre des pêches, des océans et de la Garde côtière canadienne) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for supervising the fishing industry, administrating all navigable waterways in the country, and overseeing the operations of the Canadian Coast Guard and the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation.

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Ministre des Pêches, des Océans et de la Garde côtière canadienne
since July 26, 2023
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
StyleThe Honourable
Member of
Reports to
AppointerMonarch (represented by the governor general);[3]
on the advice of the prime minister[4]
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
PrecursorMinister of Fisheries and the Environment
Inaugural holderRoméo LeBlanc
FormationApril 2, 1979
SalaryCA$269,800 (2019)[5]
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

The minister is the head of the Government of Canada's marine department, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, often referred to by its older (and technical) name: the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

History

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There was a minister of marine and fisheries from Confederation in 1867 onwards. The role was split in two in 1930, with duties related to fisheries going to the new minister of fisheries,[6] and all other responsibilities going to the new minister of marine,[7] which was merged into the role of minister of transport a few years later.[8]

The minister of fisheries lasted from 1930 to 1969, at which point the post was merged with forestry to create the post of minister of fisheries and forestry.[9] This lasted only two years, until 1971, when the minister of fisheries became a secondary role held concurrently by the minister of the environment.[10] In 1974, the fisheries portfolio was assigned to Roméo LeBlanc as the minister of state (fisheries) assisting the minister of the environment. When LeBlanc was appointed as the minister of the environment in 1976, the post was restyled minister of fisheries and environment.

The current post of minister of fisheries and oceans was established in 1979,[11] and it has continued under various names since then. Hunter Tootoo was the first Indigenous person to hold this portfolio, from November 4, 2015 until May 31, 2016.[12]

Ministers of Marine and Fisheries (1867–1930)

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Key:

No. Portrait Name Term of office Political party Ministry
1   Peter Mitchell July 1, 1867 November 5, 1873 Liberal-Conservative 1 (Macdonald)
2   Sir Albert James Smith November 7, 1873 October 8, 1878 Liberal 2 (Mackenzie)
3   James Colledge Pope October 19, 1878 July 9, 1882 Conservative (historical) 3 (Macdonald)
4   Archibald McLelan July 10, 1882 December 9, 1885 Conservative (historical)
5   George Foster December 10, 1885 May 28, 1888 Conservative (historical)
6   Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper June 1, 1888 June 6, 1891 Conservative (historical)
June 16, 1891 November 24, 1892 4 (Abbott)
December 5, 1892 December 12, 1894 5 (Thompson)
7   John Costigan December 21, 1894 April 27, 1896 Liberal-Conservative 6 (Bowell)
May 1, 1896 July 8, 1896 7 (Tupper)
8   Sir Louis Henry Davies July 13, 1896 September 24, 1901 Liberal 8 (Laurier)
9   James Sutherland January 15, 1902 November 10, 1902 Liberal
10   Raymond Préfontaine November 11, 1902 January 5, 1905 Liberal
  Sir Wilfrid Laurier
(acting)
January 6, 1906 February 5, 1906 Liberal
11   Louis-Philippe Brodeur February 6, 1906 August 10, 1911 Liberal
12   Rodolphe Lemieux August 11, 1911 October 6, 1911 Liberal
13   John Douglas Hazen October 10, 1911 October 12, 1917 Conservative (historical) 9 (Borden)
14   Charles Ballantyne October 13, 1917 July 10, 1920 Unionist 10 (Borden)
July 10, 1920 December 29, 1921 11 (Meighen)
15   Ernest Lapointe December 29, 1921 January 29, 1924 Liberal 12 (King)
16   Arthur Cardin
(1st time)
January 30, 1924 June 28, 1926 Liberal
  William Anderson Black
(acting)
June 29, 1926 July 12, 1926 Conservative (historical) 13 (Meighen)
17   Esioff-Léon Patenaude July 13, 1926 September 25, 1926 Conservative (historical)
(16)   Arthur Cardin
(2nd time)
September 25, 1926 June 13, 1930 Liberal 14 (King)
Marine portfolio moved to Minister of Marine, Fisheries portfolio moved to Minister of Fisheries.

Ministers of Fisheries (1930–1969)

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Key:

  Historical conservative parties: Conservative (historical), Progressive Conservative
No. Portrait Name Term of office Political party Ministry
1 Cyrus Macmillan June 17, 1930 August 7, 1930 Liberal 14 (King)
2   Edgar Nelson Rhodes August 7, 1930 February 2, 1932 Conservative (historical) 15 (Bennett)
Alfred Duranleau (acting) February 2, 1932 November 16, 1934 Conservative (historical)
  Grote Stirling (acting) November 17, 1934 August 13, 1935 Conservative (historical)
3 William Gordon Ernst August 14, 1935 October 23, 1935 Conservative (historical)
4   Joseph-Enoil Michaud October 23, 1935 October 5, 1942 Liberal 16 (King)
5   Ernest Bertrand October 7, 1942 August 28, 1945 Liberal
6 Hedley Francis Gregory Bridges August 30, 1945 August 10, 1947 Liberal
  Ernest Bertrand (acting) August 14, 1947 September 1, 1947 Liberal
7 Milton Fowler Gregg September 2, 1947 January 18, 1948 Liberal
8 James Angus MacKinnon January 19, 1948 June 10, 1948 Liberal
9 Robert Mayhew June 11, 1948 November 15, 1948 Liberal
November 15, 1948 October 14, 1952 17 (St. Laurent)
10   James Sinclair October 15, 1952 June 21, 1957 Liberal
11 Angus MacLean June 21, 1957 April 22, 1963 Progressive Conservative 18 (Diefenbaker)
12 Hédard Robichaud April 22, 1963 April 20, 1968 Liberal 19 (Pearson)
April 20, 1968 July 5, 1968 20 (P. E. Trudeau)
13 Jack Davis July 6, 1968 March 31, 1969 Liberal
Fisheries portfolio moved to Minister of Fisheries and Forestry.

Ministers of Fisheries and Forestry (1969–1971)

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Key:

No. Portrait Name Term of office Political party Ministry
1 Jack Davis April 1, 1969 June 10, 1971 Liberal 20 (P. E. Trudeau)
Fisheries portfolio held concurrently with Minister of Environment.

Ministers responsible for Fisheries through the Department of Environment (1971–1979)

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Key:

No. Portrait Name Term of office Political party Ministry
Minister of Environment & Minister of Fisheries (held concurrently)
  Jack Davis June 11, 1971 August 7, 1974 Liberal 20 (P. E. Trudeau)
Minister of State (Fisheries)
  Roméo LeBlanc August 8, 1974 September 13, 1976 Liberal 20 (P. E. Trudeau)
Minister of Fisheries and the Environment
  Roméo LeBlanc September 14, 1976 April 1, 1979 Liberal 20 (P. E. Trudeau)
Fisheries portfolio moved to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

Ministers of Fisheries and Oceans (1979–present)

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Key:

No. Portrait Name Term of office Political party Ministry
Ministers of Fisheries and Oceans
1 Roméo LeBlanc (1st time) April 2, 1979 June 3, 1979 Liberal 20 (P. E. Trudeau)
2 James McGrath June 4, 1979 March 2, 1980 Progressive Conservative 21 (Clark)
(1) Roméo LeBlanc (2nd time) March 3, 1980 September 29, 1982 Liberal 22 (P. E. Trudeau)
3 Pierre de Bané September 30, 1982 June 29, 1984 Liberal
4 Herb Breau June 30, 1984 September 16, 1984 Liberal 23rd (Turner)
5 John Fraser September 17, 1984 September 23, 1985 Progressive Conservative 24 (Mulroney)
Erik Nielsen (acting) September 23, 1985 November 19, 1985 Progressive Conservative
6 Tom Siddon November 20, 1985 February 22, 1990 Progressive Conservative
7 Bernard Valcourt February 23, 1990 April 20, 1991 Progressive Conservative
8   John Crosbie April 21, 1991 June 24, 1993 Progressive Conservative
9 Ross Reid June 25, 1993 November 3, 1993 Progressive Conservative 25 (Campbell)
10   Brian Tobin November 4, 1993 January 8, 1996 Liberal 26 (Chrétien)
David Dingwall (acting) January 9, 1996 January 24, 1996 Liberal
11 Fred Mifflin January 25, 1996 June 10, 1997 Liberal
12 David Anderson June 11, 1997 August 2, 1999 Liberal
13 Herb Dhaliwal August 3, 1999 January 14, 2002 Liberal
14 Robert Thibault January 15, 2002 December 11, 2003 Liberal
15   Geoff Regan December 12, 2003 February 5, 2006 Liberal 27 (Martin)
16 Loyola Hearn February 6, 2006 October 30, 2008 Conservative 28 (Harper)
17 Gail Shea October 30, 2008 May 18, 2011 Conservative
18 Keith Ashfield May 18, 2011 July 15, 2013 Conservative
(17) Gail Shea (2nd time) July 15, 2013 November 4, 2015 Conservative
Ministers of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
19   Hunter Tootoo November 4, 2015 May 31, 2016 Liberal 29 (J. Trudeau)
20   Dominic LeBlanc May 31, 2016 July 18, 2018 Liberal
21   Jonathan Wilkinson July 18, 2018 November 20, 2019 Liberal
22   Bernadette Jordan November 20, 2019 October 26, 2021 Liberal
23   Joyce Murray October 26, 2021 July 26, 2023 Liberal
23   Diane Lebouthillier July 26, 2023 Incumbent Liberal

References

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  1. ^ "The Canadian Parliamentary system – Our Procedure – House of Commons". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Review of the Responsibilities and Accountabilities of Ministers and Senior Officials" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Constitutional Duties". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  4. ^ "House of Commons Procedure and Practice – 1. Parliamentary Institutions – Canadian Parliamentary Institutions". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  5. ^ "Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances". Library of Parliament. April 11, 2018. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  6. ^ The Department of Fisheries Act, S.C. 20–21 George V, c. 21, Sch. 1
  7. ^ The Department of Marine Act, S.C. 20–21 George V, c. 31
  8. ^ "Sixteenth Ministry – The Ministries – Guide to Canadian Ministries since Confederation". Privy Council Office.
  9. ^ Government Organization Act, 1969, S.C. 1968–1969, c. 28, s. 2-6
  10. ^ Department of the Environment Act, S.C. 1970–1972, c. 42, s. 2-7
  11. ^ Government Organization Act, 1979, S.C. 1978–1979, c. 13, s. 2-7,33
  12. ^ "Full list of Justin Trudeau's cabinet 31-member cabinet includes 15 women, attempt at regional balance". CBC News. November 4, 2015.