# Minister of Transport (Canada)

The minister of transport (French: ministre des transports) is a minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet. The minister is responsible for overseeing the federal government's transportation regulatory and development department, Transport Canada, the Saint Lawrence Seaway, Nav Canada, and the Port Authority system. Since March 14, 2025, the position has been held by Chrystia Freeland of the Liberal Party. Since December 20, 2024, each minister of transport has concurrently been minister for internal trade, styled as Minister of Transport and Internal Trade.

## History

The Constitution Act, 1867 under section 92(10) established federal responsibility for land and sea transportation between provinces and internationally. Most transportation duties and powers were placed under the minister of public works, with responsibilities for ports and harbours going to the minister of marine and fisheries. In 1879, the Department of Public Works was divided in two, with powers and duties over rail and inland sea transport going to the newly formed minister of railways and canals. The minister of railways and canals was one of the most important cabinet posts because of the importance of railways to the economic development of Canada, with three prime ministers assuming the position either before or during their premiership.
In Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's third cabinet in 1935, C. D. Howe was appointed to both the minister of railways and canals and the minister of marine, which was a short-lived position split from the minister of marine and fisheries in 1930. The office of Minister of Transport was created by Mackenzie King in 1936, which was formally a successor to the minister of railways and canals, and C. D. Howe was appointed as the first Minister of Transport.
From 2006 to 2013, the position was styled Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, a name change corresponding with responsibility for Infrastructure Canada being transferred to the portfolio at that time. "Minister of Transport" remained the title for legal purposes. With the Cabinet shuffle of July 15, 2013, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio was separated from Transport and assigned to the minister of intergovernmental affairs.
Transport Canada used to manage most of Canada's major airports, but in the 1990s, most airports were off-loaded to non-profit private airport authorities. The department is now responsible for transportation safety, appointments to Boards of Governors, and regulation management.

## Portfolio

In addition to Transport Canada, the minister of transport is responsible for overseeing 55 other entities, the majority of which are port authorities and airport authorities:
* Transport Canada
* Shared governance organizations:
** 18 port authorities
** 21 airport authorities
** Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority
** Nav Canada
** St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation
* Crown corporations:
** Atlantic Pilotage Authority
** Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
** Federal Bridge Corporation
** Great Lakes Pilotage Authority
** Laurentian Pilotage Authority
** Marine Atlantic
** Pacific Pilotage Authority
** Via Rail
* Other entities:
** Canadian Transportation Agency
** Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund
** The Fund for Railway Accidents Involving Designated Goods
** Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada

## Minister of Railways and Canals (1879–1936)

Key:
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry |
| | Sir Charles Tupper | 20 May 1879 | 28 May 1884 | Liberal-Conservative | 3 (Macdonald) |
| | John Henry Pope (acting) | 29 May 1884 | 24 September 1885 | Liberal-Conservative | 3 (Macdonald) |
| | John Henry Pope | 25 September 1885 | 1 April 1889 | Liberal-Conservative | 3 (Macdonald) |
| | vacant | 2 April 1889 | 9 April 1889 | – | 3 (Macdonald) |
| | John A. Macdonald (acting) | 10 April 1889 | 27 November 1889 | Liberal-Conservative | 3 (Macdonald) |
| | John A. Macdonald | 28 November 1889 | 6 June 1891 | Liberal-Conservative | 3 (Macdonald) |
| | vacant | 7 June 1891 | 16 June 1891 | – | 4 (Abbott) |
| | Mackenzie Bowell (acting) | 17 June 1891 | 10 January 1892 | Conservative (historical) | 4 (Abbott) |
| | John Graham Haggart | 11 January 1892 | 4 December 1892 | Conservative (historical) | 4 (Abbott) |
| | John Graham Haggart | 5 December 1892 | 20 December 1894 | Conservative (historical) | 5 (Thompson) |
| | John Graham Haggart | 21 December 1894 | 5 January 1896 | Conservative (historical) | 6 (Bowell) |
| | Joseph-Aldric Ouimet (acting) | 6 January 1896 | 14 January 1896 | Conservative (historical) | 6 (Bowell) |
| | John Graham Haggart | 15 January 1896 | 30 April 1896 | Conservative (historical) | 6 (Bowell) |
| | John Graham Haggart | 1 May 1896 | 8 July 1896 | Conservative (historical) | 7 (Tupper) |
| | vacant | 6 January 1896 | 14 January 1896 | – | 8 (Laurier) |
| | Andrew George Blair | 20 July 1896 | 20 July 1903 | Liberal | 8 (Laurier) |
| | William Stevens Fielding (acting) | 21 July 1903 | 14 January 1904 | Liberal | 8 (Laurier) |
| | Henry Emmerson | 15 January 1904 | 2 April 1907 | Liberal | 8 (Laurier) |
| | vacant | 3 April 1907 | 8 April 1907 | – | 8 (Laurier) |
| | William Stevens Fielding (acting) | 9 April 1907 | 29 August 1907 | Liberal | 8 (Laurier) |
| | George Perry Graham | 30 August 1907 | 10 October 1911 | Liberal | 8 (Laurier) |
| | Francis Cochrane | 10 October 1911 | 12 October 1917 | Conservative (historical) | 9 (Borden) |
| | John Dowsley Reid | 12 October 1917 | 9 July 1920 | Unionist | 10 (Borden) |
| | John Dowsley Reid | 10 July 1920 | 20 September 1921 | Unionist | 11 (Meighen) |
| | John Alexander Stewart | 21 September 1921 | 29 December 1921 | Unionist | 11 (Meighen) |
| | William Costello Kennedy | 29 December 1921 | 18 January 1923 | Liberal | 12 (King) |
| | vacant | 19 January 1923 | 27 April 1923 | – | 12 (King) |
| | George Perry Graham | 28 April 1923 | 19 February 1926 | Liberal | 12 (King) |
| | vacant | 20 February 1926 | 28 February 1926 | – | 12 (King) |
| | Charles Avery Dunning | 1 March 1926 | 28 June 1926 | Liberal | 12 (King) |
| | Henry Lumley Drayton (acting) | 29 June 1926 | 12 July 1926 | Conservative (historical) | 13 (Meighen) |
| | William Anderson Black (acting) | 13 July 1926 | 25 September 1926 | Conservative (historical) | 13 (Meighen) |
| | Charles Avery Dunning | 25 September 1926 | 25 November 1929 | Liberal | 14 (King) |
| | Charles Avery Dunning (acting) | 26 November 1929 | 29 December 1929 | Liberal | 14 (King) |
| | Thomas Crerar | 30 December 1929 | 7 August 1930 | Liberal | 14 (King) |
| | Robert James Manion | 7 August 1930 | 23 October 1935 | Conservative (historical) | 15 (Bennett) |
| | C. D. Howe | 23 October 1935 | 1 November 1936 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| Railways and Canals portfolio moved to Minister of Transport. |||||||

## Minister of Marine (1930–1936)

Key:
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry |
| | Arthur Cardin | 14 June 1930 | 7 August 1930 | Liberal | 14 (King) |
| | Alfred Duranleau | 7 August 1930 | 19 July 1935 | Conservative (historical) | 15 (Bennett) |
| | vacant | 20 July 1935 | 29 August 1935 | — | 15 (Bennett) |
| | Lucien Henri Gendron | 30 August 1935 | 23 October 1935 | Conservative (historical) | 15 (Bennett) |
| | C. D. Howe | 23 October 1935 | 1 November 1936 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| Marine portfolio moved to Minister of Transport. |||||||

## Minister of Transport (1936–present)

Key:
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry |
| Minister of Transport |||||||
| | C. D. Howe | 2 November 1936 | 7 July 1940 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| | Arthur Cardin | 8 July 1940 | 12 May 1942 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| | C. D. Howe (acting) | 13 May 1942 | 5 October 1942 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| | Joseph-Enoil Michaud | 6 October 1942 | 17 April 1945 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| | Lionel Chevrier | 18 April 1945 | 14 November 1948 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| | Lionel Chevrier | 15 November 1948 | 30 June 1954 | Liberal | 17 (St. Laurent) |
| | George Carlyle Marler | 1 July 1954 | 20 June 1957 | Liberal | 17 (St. Laurent) |
| | George Hees | 21 June 1957 | 10 October 1960 | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| | Léon Balcer | 11 October 1960 | 21 April 1963 | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| | George McIlraith | 22 April 1963 | 2 February 1964 | Liberal | 19 (Pearson) |
| | Jack Pickersgill | 3 February 1964 | 18 September 1967 | Liberal | 19 (Pearson) |
| | Paul Hellyer | 19 September 1967 | 19 April 1968 | Liberal | 19 (Pearson) |
| | Paul Hellyer | 20 April 1968 | 29 April 1969 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| | James Armstrong Richardson (acting) | 30 April 1969 | 4 May 1969 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| | Don Jamieson | 5 May 1969 | 26 November 1972 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| | Jean Marchand | 27 November 1972 | 25 September 1975 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| | Otto Lang | 26 September 1975 | 3 June 1979 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| | Don Mazankowski | 4 June 1979 | 2 March 1980 | Progressive Conservative | 21 (Clark) |
| | Jean-Luc Pépin | 3 March 1980 | 11 August 1983 | Liberal | 22 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| | Lloyd Axworthy | 12 August 1983 | 29 June 1984 | Liberal | 22 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| | Lloyd Axworthy | 30 June 1984 | 16 September 1984 | Liberal | 23 (Turner) |
| | Don Mazankowski (2nd time) | 17 September 1984 | 29 June 1986 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| | John Crosbie | 30 June 1986 | 30 March 1988 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| | Benoît Bouchard | 31 March 1988 | 22 February 1990 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| | Doug Lewis | 23 February 1990 | 20 April 1991 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| | Jean Corbeil | 21 April 1991 | 24 June 1993 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| | Jean Corbeil | 25 June 1993 | 3 November 1993 | Progressive Conservative | 25 (Campbell) |
| | Doug Young | 4 November 1993 | 24 January 1996 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| | David Anderson | 25 January 1996 | 10 June 1997 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| | David Collenette | 11 June 1997 | 11 December 2003 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| | Tony Valeri | 12 December 2003 | 19 July 2004 | Liberal | 27 (Martin) |
| | Jean Lapierre | 20 July 2004 | 5 February 2006 | Liberal | 27 (Martin) |
| Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities |||||||
| | Lawrence Cannon | 6 February 2006 | 30 October 2008 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| | John Baird | 30 October 2008 | 6 August 2010 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| | Chuck Strahl | 6 August 2010 | 18 May 2011 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| | Denis Lebel | 18 May 2011 | 15 July 2013 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| Minister of Transport |||||||
| | Lisa Raitt | 15 July 2013 | 4 November 2015 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| | Marc Garneau | 4 November 2015 | 12 January 2021 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| | Omar Alghabra | 12 January 2021 | 26 July 2023 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| | Pablo Rodriguez | 26 July 2023 | 19 September 2024 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| | Anita Anand | 19 September 2024 | 20 December 2024 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| Minister of Transport and Internal Trade |||||||
| | Anita Anand | 20 December 2024 | 14 March 2025 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| | Chrystia Freeland | 14 March 2025 | Incumbent | Liberal | 30 (Carney) |