Guide to Canadian Ministries since Confederation

The Ministries

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Tenth Ministry

Unionist 1
12 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

Prime Minister
Right Honourable Sir Robert Laird Borden

The Ministry
Position Title
NameService Date /
Termination Date
Minister of Agriculture
Hon. Thomas Alexander Crerar   12 Oct. 1917 - 11 June 1919
Vacant  12 June 1919 - 17 June 1919
Hon. James Alexander Calder   18 June 1919 - 11 Aug. 1919
Hon. Simon Fraser Tolmie   12 Aug. 1919 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Customs2  
Hon. Arthur Lewis Sifton  3   12 Oct. 1917 - 17 May 1918

Minister of Customs and Inland Revenue2  
Hon. Arthur Lewis Sifton  3   18 May 1918 - 1 Sept. 1919
Hon. John Dowsley Reid   2 Sept. 1919 - 30 Dec. 1919
Hon. Martin Burrell   31 Dec. 1919 - 7 July 1920
Vacant  8 July 1920 - 10 July 1920

Secretary of State for External Affairs4  
Rt Hon. Sir Robert Laird Borden   12 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Finance and Receiver General
Hon. Sir William Thomas White   12 Oct. 1917 - 1 Aug. 1919
Hon. Sir Henry Lumley Drayton   2 Aug. 1919 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Immigration and Colonization5  
Hon. James Alexander Calder   12 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs6  
Hon. Arthur Meighen   12 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Inland Revenue2  
Hon. Albert Sévigny   12 Oct. 1917 - 1 April 1918
Vacant  2 April 1918 - 13 May 1918
Hon. Arthur Lewis Sifton  3   14 May 1918 - 17 May 1918

Minister of the Interior6  
Hon. Arthur Meighen   12 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Hon. Charles Joseph Doherty   12 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Labour
Hon. Thomas Wilson Crothers   12 Oct. 1917 - 6 Nov. 1918
Vacant  7 Nov. 1918 - 7 Nov. 1918
Hon. Gideon Decker Robertson  Senator  8 Nov. 1918 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Marine and Fisheries7  
Vacant 8   12 Oct. 1917 - 12 Oct. 1917
Hon. Charles Colquhoun Ballantyne   13 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Militia and Defence
Hon. Sydney Chilton Mewburn   12 Oct. 1917 - 15 Jan. 1920
Hon. James Alexander Calder   16 Jan. 1920 - 23 Jan. 1920
Hon. Hugh Guthrie   24 Jan. 1920 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Mines9  
Hon. Martin Burrell   12 Oct. 1917 - 30 Dec. 1919
Hon. Arthur Meighen   31 Dec. 1919 - 10 July 1920

Minister without Portfolio
Hon. Francis Cochrane   12 Oct. 1917 - 22 Sept. 1919
Hon. Sir James Alexander Lougheed  Senator 10   12 Oct. 1917 - 20 Feb. 1918
Hon. Alexander Kenneth Maclean   23 Oct. 1917 - 24 Feb. 1920
Hon. Gideon Decker Robertson  Senator 11   23 Oct. 1917 - 7 Nov. 1918

Minister of the Naval Service12  
Vacant  12 Oct. 1917 - 12 Oct. 1917
Hon. Charles Colquhoun Ballantyne   13 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

Minister of the Overseas Military Forces13  
Hon. Sir Albert Edward Kemp   12 Oct. 1917 - 1 July 1920

Postmaster General
Hon. Pierre-Édouard Blondin  Senator  12 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

President of the Privy Council14  
Hon. Newton Wesley Rowell   12 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Public Works
Hon. Charles Colquhoun Ballantyne  15   12 Oct. 1917 - 12 Oct. 1917
Hon. Frank Broadstreet Carvell   13 Oct. 1917 - 1 Aug. 1919
Vacant  2 Aug. 1919 - 5 Aug. 1919
Hon. John Dowsley Reid   6 Aug. 1919 - 2 Sept. 1919
Hon. Arthur Lewis Sifton  3   3 Sept. 1919 - 30 Dec. 1919
Hon. John Dowsley Reid   31 Dec. 1919 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Railways and Canals
Hon. John Dowsley Reid   12 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920

Secretary of State of Canada16  9  
Hon. Martin Burrell  17   12 Oct. 1917 - 30 Dec. 1919
Rt Hon. Arthur Lewis Sifton  3   31 Dec. 1919 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment18  
Hon. Sir James Alexander Lougheed  Senator  21 Feb. 1918 - 10 July 1920

Solicitor General of Canada19  
Hon. Hugh Guthrie  20   5 July 1919 - 23 Jan. 1920
Hon. Hugh Guthrie   24 Jan. 1920 - 10 July 1920

Minister of Trade and Commerce
Rt Hon. Sir George Eulas Foster   12 Oct. 1917 - 10 July 1920
Not of the Cabinet
Position Title
NameService Date /
Termination Date
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for External Affairs
Hugh Clark   12 Oct. 1917 - 6 Nov. 1918
Francis Henry Keefer   7 Nov. 1918 - 1 July 1920

Parliamentary Secretary of Militia and Defence
Fleming Blanchard McCurdy   12 Oct. 1917 - 22 Feb. 1918
Vacant  23 Feb. 1918 - 6 Nov. 1918
Hugh Clark   7 Nov. 1918 - 1 July 1920

Parliamentary Secretary of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment
Vacant  21 Feb. 1918 - 22 Feb. 1918
Fleming Blanchard McCurdy   23 Feb. 1918 - 6 Nov. 1918
Vacant  7 Nov. 1918 - 1 July 1920

Solicitor General of Canada19  
Hon. Hugh Guthrie   12 Oct. 1917 - 4 July 1919

Footnotes

  • [1] The Tenth Ministry was in effect a re-organization of the Ninth with the addition of a number of Liberal and Labour Ministers. In addition to Borden, it was composed of 15 Conservatives, 9 Liberals and 1 Labour.
  • [2] The Department of Customs and the Department of Inland Revenue amalgamated and combined under the name of the Department of Customs and Inland Revenue and the office of Minister of Customs and Inland Revenue was created by Order in Council dated May 18, 1918, pursuant to the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act. Statutory provision was not made for the office.
  • [3] Sifton was appointed Minister of Customs on October 12, 1917; Minister of Customs and Inland Revenue on May 18, 1918; Minister of Public Works on September 3, 1919; and Secretary of State of Canada on December 31, 1919.
  • [4] The Prime Minister was ex officio the Secretary of State for External Affairs.
  • [5] The office of Minister of Immigration and Colonization was created effective October 12, 1917 by Order in Council dated October 29, 1917, pursuant to the War Measures Act. Statutory provision for the office was made by Statute 8-9 Geo. V, c. 3, and assented to on April 12, 1918.
  • [6] The Minister of the Interior was ex officio the Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs.
  • [7] The Minister of Marine and Fisheries was ex officio, the Minister of the Naval Service.
  • [8] Hazen, Minister of Marine and Fisheries in the Ninth Ministry, resigned from office on October 13, 1917. Since he could not be considered a member of the Tenth Ministry, the office is shown vacant for October 12.
  • [9] The Department of Mines was presided over by the minister of another department who was to be named by the Governor in Council and who was to be called "The Minister of Mines". Until December 31, 1919 the Secretary of State of Canada was ex officio the Minister of Mines, at which time the Minister of the Interior was named Minister of Mines.
  • [10] Lougheed was appointed Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment on February 21, 1918.
  • [11] Robertson was appointed Minister of Labour on November 8, 1918.
  • [12] The Minister of the Naval Service was also the Minister of Marine and Fisheries.
  • [13] Statute 7-8 Geo. V, c. 35, assented to on September 20, 1917, provided for the termination of the offices of Minister of the Overseas Military Forces, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary of Militia and Defence at the end of the session of Parliament in which the war, which had been declared on August 4, 1914, ended. An Imperial Order in Council declared the war terminated as of August 31, 1921. However, on December 20, 1919, the Governor in Council had approved an Order in Council which recognized that the war had in effect ceased to exist and provided for the repeal of all Orders in Council passed pursuant to the War Measures Act by the end of the next session of Parliament. That session of Parliament terminated on July 1, 1920, and as of that date the Government considered the Act creating these offices to be Spent.
  • [14] The Department of Health was created by Statute 9-10 Geo. V, c. 24, assented to on June 6, 1919, and was to be presided over by the minister of another department who was to be named by the Governor in Council. During the Tenth Ministry the President of the Privy Council was designated to be ex officio the minister to preside over the department.
  • [15] Ballantyne was appointed Minister of Marine and Fisheries on October 13, 1917.
  • [16] The Secretary of State of Canada was ex officio the Registrar General of Canada.
  • [17] Burrell was appointed Minister of Customs and Inland Revenue on December 31, 1919.
  • [18] The office of Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment was created by Order in Council dated February 21, 1918, pursuant to the War Measures Act. Statutory provision for the office was made by Statute 8-9 Geo. V, c. 42, and assented to on May 24, 1918.
  • [19] See also Not of the Cabinet, Solicitor General of Canada.
  • [20] Guthrie was appointed Minister of Militia and Defence on January 24, 1920.

The Canadian Ministry was prepared using an earlier publication (Guide to Canadian Ministries since Confederation) and new information compiled by the Orders in Council Division of the Privy Council Office.

Any inaccuracy or general inquiries should be brought to the attention of the Orders in Council Division at oica-ndec@pco-bcp.gc.ca.