Guide to Canadian Ministries since Confederation

The Ministries

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Ninth Ministry

Conservative 1
10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Prime Minister
Right Honourable Sir Robert Laird Borden 2

The Ministry
Position Title
NameService Date /
Termination Date
Minister of Agriculture
Vacant  10 Oct. 1911 - 15 Oct. 1911
Hon. Martin Burrell   16 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of Customs
Hon. John Dowsley Reid   10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Secretary of State for External Affairs3  
Rt Hon. Sir Robert Laird Borden   1 April 1912 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of Finance and Receiver General
Hon. Sir William Thomas White   10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs4  5  
Hon. Robert Rogers   10 Oct. 1911 - 28 Oct. 1912
Hon. William James Roche  6   29 Oct. 1912 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of Inland Revenue
Hon. Wilfrid Bruno Nantel   10 Oct. 1911 - 19 Oct. 1914
Hon. Pierre-Édouard Blondin  7   20 Oct. 1914 - 5 Oct. 1915
Hon. Esioff-Léon Patenaude  8   6 Oct. 1915 - 7 Jan. 1917
Hon. Albert Sévigny   8 Jan. 1917 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of the Interior4  5  
Hon. Robert Rogers  9   10 Oct. 1911 - 28 Oct. 1912
Hon. William James Roche  6   29 Oct. 1912 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Hon. Charles Joseph Doherty   10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of Labour
Hon. Thomas Wilson Crothers   10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of Marine and Fisheries10  
Hon. John Douglas Hazen   10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of Militia and Defence
Hon. Sir Samuel Hughes   10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1916
Vacant  13 Oct. 1916 - 22 Nov. 1916
Hon. Sir Albert Edward Kemp   23 Nov. 1916 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of Mines5  
Hon. Wilfrid Bruno Nantel   10 Oct. 1911 - 29 March 1912
Hon. Robert Rogers   30 March 1912 - 28 Oct. 1912
Hon. William James Roche  6   29 Oct. 1912 - 9 Feb. 1913
Hon. Louis Coderre   10 Feb. 1913 - 5 Oct. 1915
Hon. Pierre-Édouard Blondin   6 Oct. 1915 - 7 Jan. 1917
Hon. Esioff-Léon Patenaude   8 Jan. 1917 - 12 June 1917
Hon. Albert Sévigny   13 June 1917 - 24 Aug. 1917
Hon. Arthur Meighen   25 Aug. 1917 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister without Portfolio
Hon. Sir George Halsey Perley  11   10 Oct. 1911 - 30 Oct. 1916
Hon. Albert Edward Kemp  12   10 Oct. 1911 - 22 Nov. 1916
Hon. Sir James Alexander Lougheed  Senator  10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of the Naval Service10  
Hon. John Douglas Hazen   10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of the Overseas Military Forces13  
Hon. Sir George Halsey Perley   31 Oct. 1916 - 12 Oct. 1917

Postmaster General
Hon. Louis-Philippe Pelletier   10 Oct. 1911 - 19 Oct. 1914
Hon. Thomas Chase Casgrain   20 Oct. 1914 - 29 Dec. 1916
Vacant  30 Dec. 1916 - 7 Jan. 1917
Hon. Pierre-Édouard Blondin  7   8 Jan. 1917 - 12 Oct. 1917

President of the Privy Council
Rt Hon. Sir Robert Laird Borden   10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of Public Works
Hon. Frederick Debartzch Monk   10 Oct. 1911 - 28 Oct. 1912
Hon. Robert Rogers   29 Oct. 1912 - 22 Aug. 1917
Vacant  23 Aug. 1917 - 2 Oct. 1917
Hon. Charles Colquhoun Ballantyne   3 Oct. 1917 - 12 Oct. 1917

Minister of Railways and Canals
Hon. Francis Cochrane   10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917

Secretary of State of Canada14  5  
Hon. William James Roche  6   10 Oct. 1911 - 28 Oct. 1912
Hon. Louis Coderre   29 Oct. 1912 - 5 Oct. 1915
Hon. Pierre-Édouard Blondin  7   6 Oct. 1915 - 7 Jan. 1917
Hon. Esioff-Léon Patenaude   8 Jan. 1917 - 12 June 1917
Hon. Albert Sévigny   13 June 1917 - 24 Aug. 1917
Hon. Arthur Meighen   25 Aug. 1917 - 12 Oct. 1917

Solicitor General of Canada15  
Hon. Arthur Meighen  16   2 Oct. 1915 - 24 Aug. 1917
Vacant  25 Aug. 1917 - 30 Aug. 1917
Hon. Arthur Meighen   31 Aug. 1917 - 3 Oct. 1917

Minister of Trade and Commerce
Rt Hon. Sir George Eulas Foster   10 Oct. 1911 - 12 Oct. 1917
Not of the Cabinet
Position Title
NameService Date /
Termination Date
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for External Affairs
Vacant  15 July 1916 - 20 Oct. 1916
Hugh Clark   21 Oct. 1916 - 12 Oct. 1917

Parliamentary Secretary of Militia and Defence
Vacant  15 July 1916 - 18 July 1916
Fleming Blanchard McCurdy   19 July 1916 - 12 Oct. 1917

Solicitor General of Canada15  
Vacant  10 Oct. 1911 - 25 June 1913
Hon. Arthur Meighen   26 June 1913 - 1 Oct. 1915
Hon. Hugh Guthrie   4 Oct. 1917 - 12 Oct. 1917

Footnotes

  • [1] Defeated in the general election of September 21, 1911, Laurier resigned on October 6, 1911. The following day the Governor General requested Borden to form a Government and three days later, on October 10, the Ninth Ministry assumed office.
  • [2] Borden was also President of the Privy Council.
  • [3] Prior to April 1, 1912, the Secretary of State of Canada presided over the Department of External Affairs. The office of Secretary of State for External Affairs was created by Statute 2 Geo. V, c. 22, and assented to on April 1, 1912. By this Act the Prime Minister was to hold the office ex officio.
  • [4] The Minister of the Interior was ex officio the Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs.
  • [5] 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". The Minister of Inland Revenue, the Minister of the Interior and the Secretary of State of Canada were designated to be ex officio the Minister of Mines on October 10, 1911, March 30, 1912 and February 10, 1913 respectively.
  • [6] Roche was appointed Secretary of State of Canada on October 10, 1911; and Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs, Minister of the Interior and Minister of Mines on October 29, 1912.
  • [7] Blondin was appointed Minister of Inland Revenue on October 20, 1914; Secretary of State of Canada on October 6, 1915; and Postmaster General on January 8, 1917.
  • [8] Patenaude was appointed Secretary of State of Canada on January 8, 1917.
  • [9] Rogers was appointed Minister of Public Works on October 29, 1912.
  • [10] The Minister of Marine and Fisheries was ex officio the Minister of the Naval Service.
  • [11] From August 4, 1914 to October 12, 1917, Perley exercised the functions of High Commissioner in London although he was not officially appointed to that office. He was appointed Minister of the Overseas Military Forces on October 31, 1916.
  • [12] Kemp was appointed Minister of Militia and Defence on November 23, 1916.
  • [13] The office of Minister of the Overseas Military Forces was created by Order in Council dated October 31, 1916, pursuant to the War Measures Act. The minister was to reside in London, administer the affairs of Canadian military forces in the United Kingdom and Europe, and submit recommendations to the Governor in Council through the President of the Privy Council. Statutory provision for this office and those of Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary of Militia and Defence was made by Statute 7-8 Geo. V, c. 35, and assented to on September 20, 1917. This Statute also provided for its own termination at the end of the parliamentary session in which the war, which had been declared on August 4, 1914, ended.
  • [14] The Secretary of State of Canada was ex officio the Registrar General of Canada and until April 1, 1912 also presided ex officio over the Department of External Affairs.
  • [15] See also Not of the Cabinet, Solicitor General of Canada.
  • [16] Meighen was appointed Secretary of State of Canada on August 25, 1917.

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.