Ministries of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Sport

The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Ministry of Sport, were created on June 6, 2024 by dividing the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport into 2 new Ministries. It is responsible for the development of policies and programs and the operation of programs related to tourism, arts, cultural industries, heritage sectors and libraries, in Ontario. The Ministry works in partnership with its agencies, attractions, boards and commissions and the private sector to maximize the economic, cultural and social contributions of its agencies and attractions, while promoting the tourism industry and preserving Ontario's culture and heritage.

Ministries of Tourism, Culture and Sport

Ministère du tourisme, de la culture et du sport (French)
Ministry overview
Formed	1946
Preceding agencies	Ministry of Culture Ministry of Tourism Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Jurisdiction	Government of Ontario
Headquarters	Hearst Block, 9th Floor, 900 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M7A 2E1
Ministers responsible	Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport Stan Cho, Minister of Toruism, Culture and Gaming
Website	www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-tourism-culture-and-gaming-and-ministry-sport

Organizational history

In the early years of Confederation, a Commissioner of Agriculture and Arts and a Bureau of Agriculture and Arts existed. "Arts", at the time however, referred to the practical application of an industrial, manufacturing, or scientific pursuit, rather than to its current meaning.

A Tourist and Publicity Bureau was set up in 1924 to promote Ontario’s attractions, especially those associated with nature and the outdoors.^[1] The bureau was initially a part of the Highways Department. In 1935, the bureau was renamed the Travel and Publicity Bureau, and was moved to Department of the Prime Minister. In 1944, the bureau moved to the Treasury Department.^[2]

In 1946, the bureau was upgrade to the Department of Travel and Publicity.^[3] At establishment, the department consisted of only approximately fifteen employees in four branches: publicity, the information, winter promotion, and development branches. In 1958, the department began taking on responsibilities for the cultural area, with the establishment of the historical branch and the transfer of the theatres branch from the Treasury Department.

In March 1964, the department restructured and renamed the Department of Tourism and Information. In April 1972 the department merged with the Department of Trade and Development to become the Ministry of Industry and Tourism.^[4]

In 1975, a standalone Ministry of Culture and Recreation was established, taking on responsibilities for cultural (transferred from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities), recreational and citizenship (transferred from the Ministry of Community and Social Services).^[5] It took on oversight functions for key institutions such as Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Heritage Foundation, Art Gallery of Ontario, and Ontario Science Centre.

In the government restructuring in 1982, the various tourism and culture related responsibilities were distributed to the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation and the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture. In 1987, the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture was further divided into Ministry of Citizenship and the Ministry of Culture and Communications (taking on responsibilities for communications and broadcasting from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications).

In 1993 the responsibilities for tourism and culture were united under the newly amalgamated Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation. (Communications functions were transferred to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.) However, those two responsibilities would be divided and re-united numerous time over the next two decades. When the Progressive Conservatives under Mike Harris came to power in 1995, it again separated the tourism functions and culture functions, to Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism and Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation. The Ministry of Tourism again became a standalone ministry in 1999, and was reunited with the cultural functions in 2001 as Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. The two functions were divided again in 2002, and were merged again in 2010. Sport was added to the ministry's name at the cabinet reshuffle following the 2011 provincial election.

The ministry was renamed to Ministry Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries in 2019. Following the appointment of Neil Lumsden as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport in 2022, the Ministry was renamed back to Tourism, Culture and Sport. Following the appointment of Stan Cho as the Minister of tourism, culture and gaming, with responsibility for OLG on June 6 2024, the Ministry was divided into the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Ministry of Sport.

Agencies

Cultural agencies overseen by the ministry include:^[6]

• Advisory Council to the Order of Ontario
• Art Gallery of Ontario
• Conservation Review Board
• McMichael Canadian Art Collection
• Ontario Arts Council
• Ontario Heritage Trust
• Ontario Honours Advisory Council
• Ontario Media Development Corporation
• Ontario Science Centre
• Ontario Trillium Foundation
• Royal Botanical Gardens
• Royal Ontario Museum
• Science North
• Trillium Book Award
• Southern Ontario Library Service (see Ontario Public Libraries)
• Ontario Library Service North (see Ontario Public Libraries)

Tourism agencies and attractions overseen by the ministry include:

• Fort William Historical Park
• Huronia Historical Parks: Sainte-Marie among the Hurons and Discovery Harbour
• Metro Toronto Convention Centre
• Niagara Parks Commission
• Ontario Place Corporation
• Destination Ontario (formerly called Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation)
• Ottawa Convention Centre
• St. Lawrence Parks Commission

List of ministers

	Name	Term of office		Name	Term of office		Political party (Ministry)	Note
	Minister of Travel and Publicity				PC (Drew)
	George Arthur Welsh	March 25, 1946	October 19, 1948
	Louis-Pierre Cécile	October 19, 1948	May 4, 1949		PC (Kennedy)
		May 4, 1949	August 17, 1955		PC (Frost)
	Bryan Lewis Cathcart	August 17, 1955	November 8, 1961
		November 8, 1961	August 14, 1963		PC (Robarts)
	James Auld	August 14, 1963	March 25, 1964
	Minister of Tourism and Information
	James Auld	March 25, 1964	March 1, 1971
	Fernand Guindon	March 1, 1971	February 2, 1972		PC (Davis)
	John White	February 2, 1972	April 7, 1972		White was concurrently Minister of Trade and Development
	Minister of Industry and Tourism
	John White	April 7, 1972	January 15, 1973
	Claude Bennett	January 15, 1973	January 21, 1978	Minister of Culture and Recreation
Bob Welch				January 14, 1975	August 16, 1978
		John Rhodes	January 21, 1978			September 25, 1978	Rhodes died in office, suffered a heart attack during a trade mission to the Middle East with Premier Davis.
	Larry Grossman	October 18, 1978	February 13, 1982	Reuben Baetz	August 18, 1978	February 13, 1982
	Minister of Tourism and Recreation			Minister of Citizenship and Culture
	Reuben Baetz	February 13, 1982	February 8, 1985	Bruce McCaffrey	February 13, 1982	July 6, 1983
				Susan Fish	July 6, 1983	February 8, 1985
	Claude Bennett	February 8, 1985	June 26, 1985		February 8, 1985	May 17, 1985	PC (Miller)
				Nick Leluk	May 17, 1985	June 26, 1985
	John Eakins	June 26, 1985	September 29, 1987	Lily Munro	June 26, 1985	September 29, 1987	Liberal (Peterson)
	Hugh O'Neil	September 29, 1987	August 2, 1989	Minister of Culture and Communications
				Lily Munro	September 29, 1987	August 2, 1989
	Ken Black	August 2, 1989	October 1, 1990	Christine Hart	August 2, 1989	June 5, 1990
				Hugh O'Neil	June 5, 1990	October 1, 1990
	Peter North	October 1, 1990	November 13, 1992	Rosario Marchese	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991	NDP (Rae)
				Karen Haslam	July 31, 1991	February 3, 1993
	Ed Philip	November 13, 1992	February 3, 1993				Philip was concurrently Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology
	Minister of Culture, Tourism and Recreation
	Anne Swarbrick				February 3, 1993	June 26, 1995
	Minister Economic Development, Trade and Tourism			Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation			PC (Harris)
	Bill Saunderson	June 26, 1995	October 10, 1997	Marilyn Mushinski	June 26, 1995	October 10, 1997
	Al Palladini	October 10, 1997	June 17, 1999	Isabel Bassett	October 10, 1997	June 17, 1999
	Minister of Tourism			Helen Johns	June 17, 1999	February 7, 2001
	Cam Jackson	June 17, 1999	February 7, 2001
	Minister of Culture, Tourism and Recreation
	Tim Hudak				February 8, 2001	April 14, 2002
	Minister of Tourism and Recreation			Minister of Culture			PC (Eves)
	Cam Jackson	April 15, 2002	October 2, 2002	David Tsubouchi	April 15, 2002	October 22, 2003		Tsubouchi was concurrently Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet
	Frank Klees	October 3, 2002	February 25, 2003
	Brian Coburn	February 25, 2003	October 22, 2003
	Jim Bradley	October 23, 2003	June 29, 2005	Madeleine Meilleur	October 23, 2003	April 5, 2006	Liberal (McGuinty)
	Minister of Tourism
	Jim Bradley	June 29, 2005	October 30, 2007
Caroline Di Cocco				April 5, 2006	October 30, 2007
	Peter Fonseca	October 30, 2007	September 18, 2008	Aileen Carroll	October 30, 2007	January 18, 2010
	Monique Smith	September 18, 2008	January 18, 2010
	Minister of Tourism and Culture
	Michael Chan				January 18, 2010	December 7, 2011
	Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
	Michael Chan				December 7, 2011	February 11, 2013
	February 11, 2013	June 24, 2014	Liberal (Wynne)
	Michael Coteau				June 24, 2014	June 13, 2016
	Eleanor McMahon				June 13, 2016	January 17, 2018
	Daiene Vernile				January 17, 2018	June 29, 2018
	Sylvia Jones				June 29, 2018	November 5, 2018	PC (Ford)
	Michael Tibollo				November 5, 2018	June 20, 2019
	Lisa MacLeod				June 20, 2019	October 21, 2019
	Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries
	Lisa MacLeod				October 21, 2019	June 24, 2022
	Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
	Neil Lumsden				June 24, 2022	June 6, 2024
	Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming			Minister of Sport
	Stan Cho	June 6, 2024	Present	Neil Lumsden	June 6, 2024	Present

See also

• Ontario Heritage Act
• For current organizational details, see INFO-GO (Ontario government office directory)