Guide to Canadian Ministries since Confederation

The Ministries

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Seventeenth Ministry

Liberal 1
15 Nov. 1948 - 21 June 1957

Prime Minister
Right Honourable Louis Stephen St-Laurent 2

The Ministry
Position Title
NameService Date /
Termination Date
Minister of Agriculture
Rt Hon. James Garfield Gardiner   15 Nov. 1948 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Citizenship and Immigration3  
Hon. Walter Edward Harris  4   18 Jan. 1950 - 30 June 1954
Hon. John Whitney Pickersgill   1 July 1954 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Defence Production5  
Rt Hon. Clarence Decatur Howe  6   1 April 1951 - 21 June 1957

Secretary of State for External Affairs
Hon. Lester Bowles Pearson   15 Nov. 1948 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Finance and Receiver General
Hon. Douglas Charles Abbott   15 Nov. 1948 - 30 June 1954
Hon. Walter Edward Harris   1 July 1954 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Fisheries
Hon. Robert Wellington Mayhew   15 Nov. 1948 - 14 Oct. 1952
Hon. James Sinclair   15 Oct. 1952 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Justice and Attorney General7  
Hon. Stuart Sinclair Garson   15 Nov. 1948 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Labour
Hon. Humphrey Mitchell   15 Nov. 1948 - 2 Aug. 1950
Hon. Paul Joseph James Martin   3 Aug. 1950 - 6 Aug. 1950
Hon. Milton Fowler Gregg   7 Aug. 1950 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Mines and Resources3  
Hon. James Angus MacKinnon  8   15 Nov. 1948 - 31 March 1949
Hon. Colin William George Gibson   1 April 1949 - 17 Jan. 1950

Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys3  
Hon. James Joseph McCann  9   18 Jan. 1950 - 12 Dec. 1950
Hon. George Prudham   13 Dec. 1950 - 21 June 1957

Minister without Portfolio
Hon. Wishart McLea Robertson  Senator  15 Nov. 1948 - 13 Oct. 1953
Hon. James Angus MacKinnon  Senator  1 April 1949 - 13 Dec. 1950
Hon. William Ross Macdonald  Senator 10   14 Oct. 1953 - 11 Jan. 1954

Associate Minister of National Defence11  
Vacant  11 Feb. 1953 - 11 Feb. 1953
Hon. Ralph Osborne Campney  12   12 Feb. 1953 - 30 June 1954
Vacant  1 July 1954 - 25 April 1957
Hon. Paul Theodore Hellyer   26 April 1957 - 21 June 1957

Minister of National Defence7  11  13  
Hon. Brooke Claxton   15 Nov. 1948 - 30 June 1954
Hon. Ralph Osborne Campney  12   1 July 1954 - 21 June 1957

Minister of National Health and Welfare
Hon. Paul Joseph James Martin   15 Nov. 1948 - 21 June 1957

Minister of National Revenue
Hon. James Joseph McCann  9   15 Nov. 1948 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources14  
Hon. Jean Lesage   16 Dec. 1953 - 21 June 1957

Postmaster General
Hon. Ernest Bertrand   15 Nov. 1948 - 23 Aug. 1949
Vacant  24 Aug. 1949 - 24 Aug. 1949
Hon. Gabriel Édouard Rinfret   25 Aug. 1949 - 12 Feb. 1952
Hon. Alcide Côté   13 Feb. 1952 - 7 Aug. 1955
Vacant  8 Aug. 1955 - 15 Aug. 1955
Hon. Roch Pinard   16 Aug. 1955 - 2 Nov. 1955
Hon. Hugues Lapointe  15   3 Nov. 1955 - 21 June 1957

President of the Privy Council
Rt Hon. Louis Stephen St-Laurent   15 Nov. 1948 - 24 April 1957
Hon. Lionel Chevrier   25 April 1957 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Public Works
Hon. Alphonse Fournier   15 Nov. 1948 - 11 June 1953
Hon. Walter Edward Harris   12 June 1953 - 16 Sept. 1953
Hon. Robert Henry Winters   17 Sept. 1953 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Reconstruction and Supply3  
Hon. Robert Henry Winters  16   15 Nov. 1948 - 17 Jan. 1950

Minister of Resources and Development3  
Hon. Robert Henry Winters  17   18 Jan. 1950 - 16 Sept. 1953
Hon. Jean Lesage  18   17 Sept. 1953 - 15 Dec. 1953

Secretary of State of Canada19  
Hon. Colin William George Gibson  20   15 Nov. 1948 - 31 March 1949
Hon. Frederick Gordon Bradley   1 April 1949 - 11 June 1953
Hon. John Whitney Pickersgill  21   12 June 1953 - 30 June 1954
Hon. Roch Pinard   1 July 1954 - 21 June 1957

Solicitor General of Canada7  13  11  
Hon. Joseph Jean   15 Nov. 1948 - 23 Aug. 1949
Vacant  24 Aug. 1949 - 24 Aug. 1949
Hon. Hugues Lapointe  15   25 Aug. 1949 - 6 Aug. 1950
Hon. Stuart Sinclair Garson   7 Aug. 1950 - 14 Oct. 1952
Hon. Ralph Osborne Campney  12   15 Oct. 1952 - 11 Jan. 1954
Hon. William Ross Macdonald  Senator  12 Jan. 1954 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Trade and Commerce
Rt Hon. Clarence Decatur Howe  6   15 Nov. 1948 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Transport
Hon. Lionel Chevrier  22   15 Nov. 1948 - 30 June 1954
Hon. George Carlyle Marler   1 July 1954 - 21 June 1957

Minister of Veterans Affairs
Hon. Milton Fowler Gregg  23   15 Nov. 1948 - 6 Aug. 1950
Hon. Hugues Lapointe  15   7 Aug. 1950 - 21 June 1957

Footnotes

  • [1] On November 15, 1948 King resigned as Prime Minister and President of the Privy Council. On the same day the Seventeenth Ministry assumed office. It included eighteen ministers from the Sixteenth Ministry, seventeen of whom retained their previous portfolios. Howe dropped one of his: Reconstruction and Supply.
  • [2] St-Laurent was also President of the Privy Council.
  • [3] The offices of Minister of Mines and Resources and Minister of Reconstruction and Supply were abolished by Statute 13 Geo. VI, c. 18, and the offices of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys and Minister of Resources and Development created by Statutes 13 Geo. VI, c. 16, 17 and 18 respectively, each assented to on December 10, 1949 and proclaimed in force on January 18, 1950.
  • [4] Harris was appointed Minister of Finance and Receiver General on July 1, 1954.
  • [5] The office of Minister of Defence Production was created by Statute 15 Geo. VI, c. 4, assented to on March 21, 1951 and proclaimed in force on April 1, 1951.
  • [6] Howe was appointed Minister of Trade and Commerce on November 15, 1948; and Minister of Defence Production on April 1, 1951.
  • [7] By Order in Council dated August 7, 1950, pursuant to the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act, the powers, duties and functions of the Solicitor General of Canada were transferred to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, and were exercised by him until October 14, 1952.
  • [8] MacKinnon was appointed Minister without Portfolio on April 1, 1949.
  • [9] McCann was appointed Minister of National Revenue on November 15, 1948; and Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys on January 18, 1950.
  • [10] Macdonald was appointed Solicitor General of Canada on January 12, 1954.
  • [11] Statute 1-2 Eliz. II, c. 6, assented to on February 11, 1953, amended the National Defence Act to provide for the appointment at any time of an Associate Minister of National Defence. Previously the Act had provided for the appointment of three additional Ministers of National Defence and three Associate Ministers of National Defence only during an emergency.
  • [12] Campney was appointed Solicitor General of Canada on October 15, 1952; Associate Minister of National Defence on February 12, 1953; and Minister of National Defence on July 1, 1954.
  • [13] The National Defence Act of 1950 (Statute 14 Geo. VI, c. 43) provided for the designation by the Governor in Council of any other person in addition to the Minister of National Defence to exercise any power or perform any duty or function vested in the Minister of National Defence. By Order in Council dated November 24, 1952, the Solicitor General of Canada was so designated and exercised that function until February 12, 1953. See Associate Minister of National Defence.
  • [14] The office of Minister of Resources and Development was abolished and the office of Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources created by Statute 2-3 Eliz. II, c. 4, and assented to on December 16, 1953.
  • [15] Lapointe was appointed Sollicitor General on August 25, 1949; Minister of Veterans Affairs on August 7, 1950; and Postmaster General on November 3, 1955.
  • [16] Winters was appointed Minister of Resources and Development on January 18, 1950.
  • [17] Winters was appointed Minister of Public Works on September 17, 1953.
  • [18] Lesage was appointed Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources on December 16, 1953.
  • [19] The Secretary of State of Canada was ex officio the Registrar General of Canada.
  • [20] Gibson was appointed Minister of Mines and Resources on April 1, 1949.
  • [21] Pickersgill was appointed Minister of Citizenship and Immigration on July 1, 1954.
  • [22] Chevrier rejoined the Ministry as President of the Privy Council on April 25, 1957.
  • [23] Gregg was appointed Minister of Labour on August 7, 1950.

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.