Postmaster General of Canada

Former Canadian cabinet minister

Postmasters General of Canada, 1851-1929
Credit: Agnes Macdonald, Baroness Macdonald of Earnscliffe Collection. / Library and Archives Canada / PA-066694

The Postmaster General of Canada was the Canadian cabinet minister responsible for the Post Office Department (Canada Post). In 1851, management of the post office was transferred from Britain (Royal Mail) to the provincial governments of the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The position of Postmaster General was established in each province. With Canadian Confederation in 1867, a single position was created replacing this post in all of the above provinces except Newfoundland. this position was abolished in 1981 when the post office was transformed from a government department into a crown corporation. Since 1981 Canada Post has been led by a President and CEO. From 1900 until 1909 the Postmaster General was also responsible for the Department of Labour.[1] It now reports to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

Canada Post Corporation has had its own CEO and President since 1981, who has most of the administrative responsibilities previously exercised by the Postmaster General. With the abolition of the position of Postmaster General the legislative and certain other duties previously exercised by the Postmaster General were transferred to the new position of Minister responsible for Canada Post Corporation.

## List of postmasters general

[edit]

Key:

Liberal Party of Canada

Historical conservative parties: Liberal-Conservative, Conservative (historical), Unionist, National Liberal and Conservative, Progressive Conservative

No.  | Portrait  | Name  | Term of office  | Political party  | Ministry

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1  |  | Alexander Campbell | July 1, 1867  | June 30, 1873  | Conservative | 1 (Macdonald)
2  |  | John O'Connor | July 1, 1873  | November 5, 1873  | Conservative
3  |  | Donald Alexander Macdonald | November 7, 1873  | May 17, 1875  | Liberal | 2 (Mackenzie)
4  |  | Télesphore Fournier | May 19, 1875  | October 7, 1875  | Liberal
5  |  | Lucius Seth Huntington | October 9, 1875  | October 8, 1878  | Liberal
6  |  | Hector-Louis Langevin | October 19, 1878  | May 19, 1879  | Conservative  | 3 (Macdonald)
(1) |  | Alexander Campbell  | May 20, 1879  | January 15, 1880  | Conservative
(2) |  | John O'Connor  | January 16, 1880  | November 7, 1880  | Conservative
(1) |  | Alexander Campbell  | November 8, 1880  | May 18, 1881  | Conservative
(2) |  | John O'Connor  | May 20, 1881  | May 22, 1882  | Conservative
7  |  | John Carling | May 23, 1882  | September 24, 1885  | Liberal-Conservative
(1) |  | Alexander Campbell  | September 25, 1885  | January 26, 1887  | Conservative
8  |  | Archibald McLelan | January 27, 1887  | July 9, 1888  | Conservative
–  |  | John Carling

(Acting)

| July 11, 1888  | August 5, 1888  | Liberal-Conservative
9  |  | John Graham Haggart | August 6, 1888  | June 6, 1891  | Conservative
June 16, 1891  | January 24, 1892  | 4 (Abbott)
10  |  | Adolphe-Philippe Caron | January 25, 1892  | November 24, 1892  | Conservative
December 5, 1892  | December 12, 1894  | 5 (Thompson)
December 21, 1894  | April 27, 1896  | 6 (Bowell)
11  |  | Louis-Olivier Taillon | May 1, 1896  | July 8, 1896  | Conservative  | 7 (Tupper)
12  |  | William Mulock | July 13, 1896  | October 15, 1905  | Liberal  | 8 (Laurier)
13  |  | Allen Bristol Aylesworth | October 16, 1905  | June 3, 1906  | Liberal
14  |  | Rodolphe Lemieux | June 4, 1906  | August 10, 1911  | Liberal
15  |  | Henri Sévérin Béland | August 19, 1911  | October 6, 1911  | Liberal
16  |  | Louis-Philippe Pelletier | October 10, 1911  | October 19, 1914  | Conservative  | 9 (Borden)
17  |  | Thomas Chase-Casgrain | October 20, 1914  | December 29, 1916  | Conservative
18  |  | Pierre-Édouard Blondin | January 8, 1917  | October 12, 1917  | Conservative
October 12, 1917  | July 10, 1920  | 10 (Borden)
July 10, 1920  | September 20, 1921  | 11 (Meighen)
19  |  | Louis de Gonzague Belley | September 21, 1921  | December 28, 1921  | Conservative
20  |  | Charles Murphy | December 29, 1921  | June 28, 1926  | Liberal  | 12 (King)
21  |  | Robert James Manion | June 29, 1926  | September 24, 1926  | Conservative  | 13 (Meighen)
22  |  | Peter John Veniot | September 25, 1926  | August 6, 1930  | Liberal  | 14 (King)
23  |  | Arthur Sauvé | August 7, 1930  | August 13, 1935  | Conservative  | 15 (Bennett)
24  |  | Samuel Gobeil | August 16, 1935  | October 22, 1935  | Conservative
25  |  | John Campbell Elliott | October 23, 1935  | January 22, 1939  | Liberal  | 16 (King)
26  |  | Norman Alexander McLarty | January 23, 1939  | September 18, 1939  | Liberal
27  |  | Charles Gavan Power | September 19, 1939  | May 22, 1940  | Liberal
–  |  | James Lorimer Ilsley

(Acting)

| May 23, 1940  | July 7, 1940  | Liberal
28  |  | William Pate Mulock | July 8, 1940  | June 8, 1945  | Liberal
29  |  | Ernest Bertrand | August 29, 1945  | November 14, 1948  | Liberal
November 15, 1948  | August 23, 1949  | 17 (St. Laurent)
30  |  | Édouard Rinfret | August 25, 1949  | February 12, 1952  | Liberal
31  |  | Alcide Côté | February 13, 1952  | August 7, 1955  | Liberal
–  |  | Roch Pinard

(Acting)

| August 16, 1955  | November 2, 1955  | Liberal
32  |  | Hugues Lapointe | November 3, 1955  | June 20, 1957  | Liberal
33  |  | William McLean Hamilton | June 21, 1957  | July 12, 1962  | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker)
–  |  | Angus MacLean

(Acting)

| July 18, 1962  | August 8, 1962  | Progressive Conservative
34  |  | Ellen Fairclough | August 9, 1962  | April 21, 1963  | Progressive Conservative
35  |  | Azellus Denis | April 22, 1963  | February 2, 1964  | Liberal  | 19 (Pearson)
36  |  | John Robert Nicholson | February 3, 1964  | February 14, 1965  | Liberal
37  |  | René Tremblay | February 15, 1965  | December 17, 1965  | Liberal
38  |  | Jean-Pierre Côté | December 18, 1965  | April 19, 1968  | Liberal
April 20, 1968  | July 5, 1968  | 20 (Trudeau)
39  |  | Eric Kierans | July 6, 1968  | April 28, 1971  | Liberal
(38) |  | Jean-Pierre Côté  | April 29, 1971  | November 26, 1972  | Liberal
40  |  | André Ouellet | November 27, 1972  | August 7, 1974  | Liberal
41  |  | Bryce Mackasey | August 8, 1974  | September 13, 1976  | Liberal
42  |  | Jean-Jacques Blais | September 14, 1976  | February 1, 1978  | Liberal
43  |  | Gilles Lamontagne | February 2, 1978  | June 3, 1979  | Liberal
44  |  | John Allen Fraser | June 4, 1979  | March 2, 1980  | Progressive Conservative  | 21 (Clark)
(40) |  | André Ouellet  | March 3, 1980  | October 15, 1981  | Liberal  | 20 (Trudeau)

## See also

[edit]

* List of Postmasters General for the Province of Canada

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Profile - Post Office". lop.parl.ca. Retrieved 2025-05-14.

## External links

[edit]

* "A Chronology of Canadian Postal History". Canadian Museum of Civilization. Archived from the original on 2008-06-16.
* "Post Office: Historical Table of Roles and Responsibilities". Library of Parliament.