# Minister of Militia and Defence

The Minister of Militia and Defence was the federal government minister in charge of the volunteer army units in Canada, the Canadian Militia.
From 1855 to 1906, the minister was responsible for Canadian militia units only, as the British Army was still stationed in Canada. From 1906 to 1923, the minister was in charge of the Department of Militia and Defence (Canada). After 1923, the position was merged with the Minister of the Naval Service and the Minister of Aviation into the new position of Minister of National Defence. The Minister of National Defence became responsible for the Canadian Militia, the Royal Canadian Navy and, from 1924, the Royal Canadian Air Force.

## List of ministers
### Pre-Confederation (1855–1867)

The following individuals were named the Minister of Militia and Defence for the Province of Canada.
Key:
| No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| 1 | | Étienne-Paschal Taché | 1855 | 1860 | Parti bleu |
| 2 | | John A. Macdonald | 1860 | 1867 | Tories |

### Post-Confederation (1867–1922)

The following individuals were named the Minister of Militia and Defence for Canada.
Key:
| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry |
| 1 | George-Étienne Cartier | 1 July 1867 | 20 May 1873 | Liberal-Conservative | 1 (Macdonald) |
| – | Hector-Louis Langevin (Acting) | 21 May 1873 | 30 June 1873 | Liberal-Conservative | 1 (Macdonald) |
| 2 | Hugh McDonald | 1 July 1873 | 4 November 1873 | Liberal-Conservative | 1 (Macdonald) |
| 3 | William Ross | 7 November 1873 | 29 September 1874 | Liberal | 2 (Mackenzie) |
| 4 | William Berrian Vail | 30 September 1874 | 20 January 1878 | Liberal | 2 (Mackenzie) |
| 5 | Alfred Gilpin Jones | 21 January 1878 | 8 October 1878 | Liberal | 2 (Mackenzie) |
| 6 | Louis-Rodrigue Masson | 19 October 1878 | 15 January 1880 | Conservative | 3 (Macdonald) |
| 7 | Alexander Campbell | 16 January 1880 | 7 November 1880 | Conservative | 3 (Macdonald) |
| 8 | Adolphe-Philippe Caron | 8 November 1880 | 6 June 1891 | Conservative | 3 (Macdonald) |
| 8 | Adolphe-Philippe Caron | 16 June 1891 | 24 January 1892 | Conservative | 4 (Abbott) |
| 9 | Mackenzie Bowell | 25 January 1892 | 24 November 1892 | Conservative | 4 (Abbott) |
| 10 | James Colebrooke Patterson | 5 December 1892 | 12 December 1894 | Conservative | 5 (Thompson) |
| 10 | James Colebrooke Patterson | 21 December 1894 | 26 March 1895 | Conservative | 6 (Bowell) |
| 11 | Arthur Rupert Dickey | 26 March 1895 | 5 April 1896 | Conservative | 6 (Bowell) |
| 12 | Mackenzie Bowell | 6 January 1896 | 14 January 1896 | Conservative | 6 (Bowell) |
| 13 | Alphonse Desjardins | 15 January 1896 | 27 April 1896 | Conservative | 6 (Bowell) |
| 14 | David Tisdale | 1 May 1896 | 8 July 1896 | Conservative | 7 (Tupper) |
| 15 | Frederick William Borden | 13 July 1896 | 6 October 1911 | Liberal | 8 (Laurier) |
| 16 | Sam Hughes | 10 October 1911 | 12 October 1916 | Conservative | 9 (Borden) |
| 17 | Albert Edward Kemp | 23 November 1916 | 11 November 1917 | Conservative | 9 (Borden) |
| 18 | Sydney Chilton Mewburn | 12 October 1917 | 15 January 1920 | Unionist | 10 (Borden) |
| – | James Alexander Calder (Acting) | 16 January 1920 | 23 January 1920 | Unionist | 10 (Borden) |
| 19 | Hugh Guthrie | 24 January 1920 | 28 December 1921 | Unionist | 10 (Borden) |
| 19 | Hugh Guthrie | 24 January 1920 | 28 December 1921 | National Liberal and Conservative | 11 (Meighen) |
| 20 | George Perry Graham | 29 December 1921 | 31 December 1922 | Liberal | 12 (King) |
| Office succeeded by the Minister of National Defence ||||||||

### Ministers with military experience

Several individuals that served as the Minister of Militia and Defence have served with the Canadian Militia. They include:
* Private John Alexander Macdonald, Sedentary Militia during 1837 Rebellion
* Lieutenant Étienne-Paschal Taché, 5th Battalion of Select Embodied Militia, Chasseurs Canadiens Militia
* Lieutenant Colonel David Tisdale, 39th Norfolk Battalion of Infantry
* Assistant Surgeon Frederick William Borden, 68th (Kings) Battalion of Infantry, Non-Permanent Active Militia
* Colonel Sir Sam Hughes, 45th Canadian Volunteer Militia (45th West Durham Battalion of Infantry, later The Victoria and Haliburton Regiment and lastly as 45th Medium Battery, RCA) merged into what is 50th Field Artillery Regiment (The Prince of Wales Rangers), RCA) in 1960; Canadian volunteer to the British Army
* Major Sydney Chilton Mewburn, Commanding Officer of Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, Permanent Active Militia

## Deputy Minister of Militia and Defence

* Eugène Fiset 1906-1922
Fiset was a retired as Surgeon Colonel of Royal Canadian Regiment