Postmaster General of Canada

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. It now reports to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

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

Postmasters general

Alexander Campbell

under MacDonald (July 1, 1867 – June 30, 1873)

John O'Connor

under Macdonald (July 1, 1873 – November 5, 1873)

Donald Alexander Macdonald

under MacKenzie (November 7, 1873 – May 17, 1875)

Télesphore Fournier

under Mackenzie (May 19, 1875 – October 7, 1875)

Lucius Seth Huntington

under Mackenzie (October 9, 1875 – October 8, 1878)

Hector Louis Langevin

under Macdonald (October 19, 1878 – May 19, 1879)

Sir Alexander Campbell

under Macdonald (May 20, 1879 – January 15, 1880) (second time)

John O'Connor

under Macdonald (January 16, 1880 – November 7, 1880) (second time)

Sir Alexander Campbell

under Macdonald (November 8, 1880 – May 18, 1881) (third time)

John O'Connor

under Macdonald (May 20, 1881 – May 22, 1882) (third time)

John Carling

under Macdonald (May 23, 1882 – September 24, 1885)

Sir Alexander Campbell

under Macdonald (September 25, 1885 – January 26, 1887) (fourth time)

Archibald McLelan

under Macdonald (January 27, 1887 – July 9, 1888)

John Carling

under Macdonald (July 11, 1888 – August 5, 1888) (second time)

John Graham Haggart

under Macdonald (August 6, 1888 – June 6, 1891)

under Abbott (June 16, 1891 – January 24, 1892)

Sir Joseph Philippe René Adolphe Caron

under Abbott (January 25, 1892 – November 24, 1892)

under Thompson (December 5, 1892 – December 12, 1894)

Louis-Olivier Taillon

under Mackenzie Bowell (December 21, 1894 – July 8, 1896)

Sir William Mulock

under Laurier (July 13, 1896 – October 15, 1905)

Allen Bristol Aylesworth

under Laurier (October 16, 1905 – June 3, 1906)

Rodolphe Lemieux

under Laurier (June 4, 1906 – August 10, 1911)

Henri Sévérin Béland

under Laurier (August 19, 1911 – October 6, 1911)

Louis-Philippe Pelletier

under Borden (October 10, 1911 – October 19, 1914)

Thomas Chase-Casgrain

under Borden (October 20, 1914 – December 29, 1916)

Pierre Édouard Blondin

under Borden (January 8, 1917 – July 10, 1920)

under Meighen (July 10, 1920 – September 20, 1921)

Louis-de-Gonzague Belley

under Meighen (September 21, 1921 – December 29, 1921)

Charles Murphy

under King (December 29, 1921 – June 28, 1926)

Robert James Manion

under Meighen (August 23, 1926 – September 25, 1926)

Peter John Veniot

under King (September 25, 1926 – August 7, 1930)

Arthur Sauvé

under Bennett (August 7, 1930 – August 13, 1935)

Samuel Gobeil

under Bennett (August 16, 1935 – October 23, 1935)

John Campbell Elliott

under King (October 23, 1935 – January 22, 1939)

Norman Alexander McLarty

under King (January 23, 1939 – September 18, 1939)

Charles Gavan Power

under King (September 19, 1939 – May 22, 1940)

James Lorimer Ilsley

(acting)

under King (May 23, 1940 – July 7, 1940)

William Pate Mulock

under King (July 8, 1940 – June 8, 1945)

Ernest Bertrand

under King (August 29, 1945 – November 15, 1948)

under St. Laurent (November 15, 1948 – August 23, 1949)

Gabriel Édouard Rinfret

under St. Laurent (August 25, 1949 – February 12, 1952)

Alcide Côté

under St. Laurent (February 13, 1952 – August 7, 1955)

Roch Pinard

(acting)

under St. Laurent (August 16, 1955 – November 2, 1955)

Hugues Lapointe

under St. Laurent (November 3, 1955 – June 21, 1957)

William McLean Hamilton

under Diefenbaker (June 21, 1957 – July 12, 1962)

John Angus MacLean

(acting)

under Diefenbaker (July 18, 1962 – August 8, 1962)

Ellen Louks Fairclough

under Diefenbaker (August 9, 1962 – April 22, 1963)

Azellus Denis

under Pearson (April 22, 1963 – February 2, 1964)

John Robert Nicholson

under Pearson (February 2, 1964 – February 14, 1965)

René Tremblay

under Pearson (February 15, 1965 – December 17, 1965)

Joseph Julien Jean-Pierre Côté

under Pearson (December 18, 1965 – April 20, 1968)

under Trudeau (April 20, 1968 – July 5, 1968)

Eric William Kierans

under Trudeau (July 5, 1968 – April 28, 1971)

Joseph Julien Jean-Pierre Côté

under Trudeau (April 29, 1971 – November 26, 1972) (second time)

André Ouellet

under Trudeau (November 27, 1972 – August 7, 1974)

Bryce Stuart Mackasey

under Trudeau (August 8, 1974 – September 13, 1976)

Jean-Jacques Blais

under Trudeau (September 14, 1976 – February 1, 1978)

Gilles Lamontagne

under Trudeau (February 2, 1978 – June 3, 1979)

John Allen Fraser

under Clark (June 4, 1979 – March 2, 1980)

André Ouellet

under Trudeau (March 3, 1980 – October 15, 1981) (second time)

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.

See also

• List of Postmasters General for the Province of Canada

External links

• A Chronology of Canadian Postal History