# Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Ontario

The Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Ontario was a senior position in the provincial cabinet of Ontario from before Canadian Confederation until the 1960s.
The Provincial Secretary and Registrar was originally the second highest position in the provincial cabinet, equivalent to the position of Deputy Premier. The Provincial Secretary was the equivalent of the former Canadian Cabinet position of Secretary of State for Canada. Like its federal counterpart it included an eclectic variety of responsibilities that were not assigned to other ministers, most of which would eventually evolve into portfolios of their own. The provincial secretary was also responsible for official communications between the provincial government and the Colonial Office in London as well as with other provincial and colonial governments (and after 1867 the federal government). As well, the position also included various duties related to ceremonial occasions, visits by dignitaries, protocol, relations between the government and the office of lieutenant governor and commemorative events particularly in relation to the monarchy.
Generally, the Provincial Secretary acted as a province's Registrar-General and was responsible for formal documents and records such as licences, birth and death certificates, land registries and surveys, business registrations and writs. As well, the position was generally responsible for the administration of the civil service and of elections. Provincial secretaries were usually the most senior member of the provincial cabinet outside of the Premier, and the office holder was often designated as Acting Premier when the Premier was out of province, ill or otherwise unavailable. The last individual to hold the position of Provincial Secretary and Registrar (renamed Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship in 1961) was John Yaremko who left office in 1972.
In 1972 the Progressive Conservative government of Bill Davis adopted the provincial secretary title for a non-departmental cabinet portfolio in which the occupant either having responsibility spreading over several ministries, assisting a senior minister in an area or as a secondary portfolio for a senior minister giving him a broader responsibility or mandate area. The three positions created were Provincial Secretary for Social Development, Provincial Secretary for Justice and Provincial Secretary for Resource Development. These positions were unrelated to the original Provincial Secretary position except for the common name. The positions were retained by Davis' successor, Frank Miller, in 1985 but were abolished when the Progressive Conservatives lost power to David Peterson's Liberals in 1985.

## Pre-Confederation Provincial Secretary

Prior to Confederation and the creation of the office of Premier, the Provincial Secretary was the most important and powerful figure in provincial politics. The title holder was appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and many sat as members of the Legislative Council.

### Upper Canada

* William Jarvis (1791-1817) Family Compact (Conservative)
* Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet, of Toronto (1817-1829) Family Compact (Conservative)
* Robert Baldwin Sullivan (1838-1840)

### United Provinces of Canada

* Sir Dominick Daly (1844-1848) - former Provincial Secretary of Lower Canada (1827-1840), Canada East (1843-1844)
* Pierre Joseph Olivier Chauveau (1853-1854) Conservative
* Sir George-Étienne Cartier (1855-1857) Conservative

## Provincial Secretary and Registrar (after Confederation)

| | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Tenure | Political party (Ministry) | Note |
| 1 | | Matthew Crooks Cameron | July 16, 1867 | July 25, 1871 | 4 years, 9 days | Liberal Conservative (Macdonald) | |
| 2 | | Stephen Richards | July 25, 1871 | December 20, 1871 | 148 days | Liberal Conservative (Macdonald) | |
| 3 | | Peter Gow | October 25, 1872 | December 4, 1873 | 1 year, 40 days | Liberal (Blake) | |
| 4 | | Timothy B. Pardee | October 25, 1872 | December 4, 1873 | 1 year, 34 days | Liberal (Mowat) | |
| 5 | | Christopher F. Fraser | December 4, 1873 | July 23, 1875 | 1 year, 231 days | Liberal (Mowat) | |
| 6 | | Samuel Wood | July 23, 1875 | March 19, 1877 | 1 year, 239 days | Liberal (Mowat) | |
| 7 | | Arthur Sturgis Hardy | March 19, 1877 | January 18, 1889 | 11 years, 305 days | Liberal (Mowat) | |
| 8 | | John M. Gibson | January 18, 1889 | July 21, 1896 | 7 years, 185 days | Liberal (Mowat) | |
| 9 | | William Balfour | July 21, 1896 | August 19, 1896 | 29 days | Liberal (Hardy) | |
| 10 | | Elihu Davis | August 19, 1896 | October 21, 1899 | 3 years, 63 days | Liberal (Hardy) | |
| 11 | | James Robert Stratton | October 21, 1899 | November 22, 1904 | 5 years, 32 days | Liberal (Ross) | |
| 12 | | George Perry Graham | November 22, 1904 | February 8, 1905 | 78 days | |
| 13 | | William Hanna | February 8, 1905 | December 19, 1916 | 11 years, 315 days | Conservative (Whitney) |
| | Conservative (Hearst) | William Hanna | February 8, 1905 | December 19, 1916 | 11 years, 315 days |
| 14 | | William McPherson | December 19, 1916 | November 14, 1919 | 2 years, 330 days | |
| 15 (1) | | Harry Nixon | November 14, 1919 | July 16, 1923 | 3 years, 244 days | United Farmers (Drury) | |
| 16 | | Lincoln Goldie | July 16, 1923 | December 15, 1930 | 7 years, 152 days | Conservative (Ferguson) | |
| 17 | | Leopold Macaulay | December 15, 1930 | July 31, 1931 | 228 days | Conservative (Henry) | |
| 18 | | George Challies | July 31, 1931 | July 10, 1934 | 2 years, 344 days | |
| 19 (2) | | Harry Nixon | July 10, 1934 | October 21, 1942 | 8 years, 103 days | Liberal (Hepburn) | |
| 20 | | Norman Hipel | October 21, 1942 | May 18, 1943 | 209 days | Liberal (Conant) | |
| 21 (3) | | Harry Nixon | May 18, 1943 | August 17, 1943 | 91 days | Liberal (Nixon) | While Premier |
| 22 (1) | | George Dunbar | August 17, 1943 | April 15, 1946 | 2 years, 241 days | PC (Drew) | |
| 23 | | Roland Michener | April 15, 1946 | October 19, 1948 | 2 years, 187 days | |
| 24 | | Dana Porter | October 19, 1948 | May 4, 1949 | 197 days | PC (Kennedy) | |
| 25 | | George Welsh | May 4, 1949 | January 20, 1955 | 5 years, 261 days | PC (Frost) | |
| 26 | | William Nickle | January 20, 1955 | August 17, 1955 | 209 days | |
| 27 (2) | | George Dunbar | August 17, 1955 | December 22, 1958 | 3 years, 127 days | |
| 28 | | Mac Phillips | December 22, 1958 | May 26, 1960 | 1 year, 156 days | |
| 29 | | John Yaremko | May 26, 1960 | November 8, 1961 | 1 year, 166 days | |
| | Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship | Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship | Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship | Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship | | |
| 1 (1) | | John Yaremko | November 8, 1961 | November 24, 1966 | 5 years, 16 days | PC (Robarts) | The Registrar General of Ontario eventually transferred to the Ministry of Government Services in 1972. |
| 2 | | Bob Welch | November 24, 1966 | March 1, 1971 | 4 years, 97 days | |
| 3 (2) | | John Yaremko | March 1, 1971 | April 7, 1972 | 1 year, 37 days (second instance) | PC (Davis) | After 1972 the responsibility of Citizenship affairs was transferred to the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture when it was formed in 1982. |

## Premier Davis's Provincial Secretaries

In 1972 as part of a general administrative reorganization of the Government of Ontario, Premier Bill Davis created three new Provincial Secretariats. With this reorganisation, the Ministries of the Government, with a few exceptions, were grouped into three common areas of interest called policy fields. The three policy fields established were the Justice Policy Field, the Social Development Policy Field and the Resources Development Policy Field.
Cabinet Committees were established for each field, to be chaired by a Provincial Secretary given Cabinet Minister status, and to be responsible for co-ordinating and developing policies for the various Ministries which formed that policy field. In addition, Secretariats were established for each field in order to provide analytical and research support to the Provincial Secretaries and the Cabinet Committees.
The Provincial Secretary for Justice coordinated the ministries of Correctional Services, of Labour, of Consumer and Commercial Relations, the office of Attorney General, and the office of Solicitor General (and possibly of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and of Intergovernmental Affairs).
The Provincial Secretary for Resources Development coordinated the ministries of Agriculture and Food, of Transportation and Communications, of Natural Resources, of Northern Affairs, of Energy (and possibly of the Environment and of Industry and Trade).
The Provincial Secretary for Social Development coordinated the ministries of Education, of Colleges and Universities, of Community and Social Services, of Citizenship and Culture, of Health, and eventually of Skills Development (and possibly of Tourism and Recreation).
The Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet probably coordinated the ministries of Treasurer, of Revenue, and Government Services.
Premier Frank Miller continued with the practice of appointing Provincial Secretaries, but when David Peterson ascended to the Premiership in 1985, the secretariats were terminated.

### Provincial Secretaries for Justice

| | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Tenure | Political party (Ministry) | Note |
| 1 | Allan Lawrence | January 5, 1972 | September 28, 1972 | 267 days | PC (Davis) | While Minister of Justice and Attorney General |
| 2 (1) | George Kerr | September 28, 1972 | February 26, 1974 | 1 year, 151 days | |
| 3 (1) | Bob Welch | February 26, 1974 | June 18, 1975 | 1 year, 112 days | While Attorney-General While Minister of Culture and Recreation after January 14, 1975 |
| 4 | John Clement | June 18, 1975 | October 7, 1975 | 111 days | While Attorney-General and Solicitor General |
| 5 | John MacBeth | October 7, 1975 | January 21, 1978 | 2 years, 106 days | While Solicitor General While Minister of Correctional Services June 23, 1977 – September 21, 1977 |
| 6 (2) | George Kerr | January 21, 1978 | August 18, 1978 | 209 days | While Solicitor-General |
| 7 (2) | Bob Welch | August 18, 1978 | August 30, 1979 | 1 year, 12 days | While Deputy Premier |
| 8 | Gordon Walker | August 30, 1979 | February 13, 1982 | 2 years, 167 days | While Minister of Correctional Services August 30, 1979 – April 10, 1981 While Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations April 10, 1981 – February 13, 1982 |
| 9 | Norman Sterling | February 13, 1982 | December 23, 1983 | 1 year, 313 days | |
| 10 (3) | Bob Welch | December 23, 1983 | February 8, 1985 | 1 year, 47 days | While Deputy Premier and Minister Responsible for Women's Issues |
| 11 | Reuben Baetz | February 8, 1985 | May 1, 1985 | 82 days | PC (Miller) | |
| 12 | Alan Pope | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 | 40 days | While Attorney General |

### Provincial Secretaries for Resource Development

| | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Tenure | Political party (Ministry) | Note |
| 1 | Bert Lawrence | January 5, 1972 | February 26, 1974 | 2 years, 52 days | PC (Davis) | While Minister of Health until February 2, 1972 |
| 2 | Allan Grossman | February 26, 1974 | October 7, 1975 | 1 year, 223 days | |
| 3 | Donald Irvine | October 7, 1975 | February 3, 1977 | 1 year, 119 days | |
| 4 | René Brunelle | February 3, 1977 | April 10, 1981 | 5 years, 296 days | |
| 5 | Russ Ramsay | April 10, 1981 | February 13, 1982 | 309 days | |
| 6 | Lorne Henderson | February 13, 1982 | July 6, 1983 | 1 year, 143 days | |
| 7 | Russ Ramsay | July 6, 1983 | February 8, 1985 | 1 year, 217 days | |
| 8 | Ernie Eves | February 8, 1985 | May 1, 1985 | 82 days | PC (Miller) | While Minister of Skills Development (after March 22, 1985) |
| 9 | Dennis Timbrell | May 17, 1985 | June 28, 1985 | 58 days | While Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing |

### Provincial Secretaries for Social Development

| | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Tenure | Political party (Ministry) | Note |
| 1 | | Bob Welch | January 5, 1972 | February 26, 1974 | 2 years, 52 days | PC (Davis) | While Minister of Education until February 2, 1972 While Minister of Housing after November 7, 1973 |
| 2 | | Margaret Birch | February 26, 1974 | December 23, 1983 | 9 years, 300 days | |
| 3 | | Bruce McCaffrey | July 6, 1983 | December 23, 1983 | 170 days | |
| 4 | | Gordon Dean | December 23, 1983 | February 8, 1985 | 1 year, 47 days |
| | February 8, 1985 | Gordon Dean | May 1, 1985 | 82 days | PC (Miller) | |
| 5 | | Larry Grossman | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 | 40 days | While Minister of Education, and Minister of Colleges and Universities |