List of Canadian royal commissions

This is a list of Canadian royal commissions or commissions of inquiry since Confederation.

In Canada, royal commissions and commissions of inquiry are official inquiries into matters of national concern, either in order to look into an important general issue or to fully investigate a specific incident. They are appointed by the governor-in-Council (Cabinet), according to the Inquiries Act, by an order-in-Council that includes the names of the commissioners, the terms of reference, and the body's powers; commissions are often referred to informally by the name of the chairperson or commissioner(s), such as the "Gomery Inquiry", a commission headed by John Gomery. The findings are reported to Cabinet for appopriate action; while these are non-binding, many have a significant impact on public opinion and the shape of public policy.

The Crown in right of each province can also appoint a royal commission. Federal inquiries are limited to matters within the constitutional jurisdiction of the Parliament of Canada; they can only look at issues within provincial jurisdiction that are connected to federal jurisdiction, such as policing on-reserve, child welfare on-reserve, etcetera. Other types of federal public inquiries include task forces and departmental investigations.

Since the 1960s, royal commissions have tended to be reserved for broad topics, whereas commissions of inquiry have more focused. From 1867 to 2013, there have been almost 450 federal commissions of inquiry, with and without the royal title; more than 1,500 departmental investigations; and an undetermined number of task forces. ^[1]

Overview

An inquiry called by the federal government into matters of national concern are known in Canada as royal commissions or commissions of inquiry. These consist of a panel of distinguished individuals, experts, or judges convened by the governor-in-Council (the governor general acting on the advice of Cabinet) to look into and secure advice for an issue of general importance or to fully investigate a specific contentious incident. ^[1] The same order-in-Council forming the commission will also set out the terms of reference for, and powers of, the commission. ^{[2] [3]} This is done according to the Inquiries Act, which was first passed by the Parliament of Canada in 1868 and provides royal commissions, commissions of inquiry, task forces, and departmental investigations the power to conduct investigations by subpoenaing witnesses, taking evidence under oath, requisitioning documents, and hiring expert staff. ^[1]

Once the commission's task is complete, its findings are reported to Cabinet for appropriate action. ^{[2] [3]} While a commission's findings and recommendations are non-binding, many have a significant impact on public opinion and the shape of public policy. ^{[3] [4]}

Members of the Royal Commission on Dominion–Provincial Relations, 1938

In practice, royal commissions can be seen as commissions of inquiry under the Great Seal of Canada that carry a royal title; ^[1] though, apart from this distinction, there is no effective difference between the two. Royal commissions tend to be thought of as broader in scope than other public inquiries, often holding nationwide public hearings and publishing associated research reports, as well as their formal findings and recommendations. ^{[3] [5]}

There are several different kinds of commissions of inquiry, which can be established under either Part I or Part II of the Inquiries Act, or any one of 87 or more federal statutes. The mandate of a commission of inquiry depends on the nature of the issue to be considered. ^[4] Advisory commissions usually have a broad mandate in order to ensure that commissioners consider all options and consult all parties with an interest in the matter, ^[4] whereas investigative commissions typically have a more specific, focused mandate. ^[4] Commissions of inquiry created under Part I of the Inquiries Act are considered to government departments for the purposes of the Financial Administration Act (FAA). Oftentimes, the prime minister is given responsibility for the commission for the purposes of the FAA, thus enabling the commission to receive administrative support from the Privy Council Office. ^[3]

Other types of public inquiry in Canada that are closely related to royal commissions include ^[1] task forces, which are normally composed of knowledgeable practitioners appointed by government departments to conduct concentrated investigations into specific practical matters. In the past, they have been assigned to look into such matters as privacy and computers, immigration procedures, retirement income policy, labour market development, fisheries policy, and sports. Though usually not as wide-ranging as royal commissions, some task forces have dealt with broad issues, such as housing and urban development, government information, and the structure and foreign ownership of Canadian industry. ^{[1] [6]} There are also departmental investigations, which can be established by departments and other agencies under statutory powers of the Inquiries Act. ^[1]

Federal inquiries are limited to matters within the constitutional jurisdiction of the Parliament of Canada. They can only look at issues within provincial jurisdiction that are connected to federal jurisdiction, such as policing on-reserve, child welfare on-reserve, etcetera. ^[7] The Crown in right of each province can also appoint a royal commission, although, they are not included in this list.

Royal commissions

Period	Commission name [3]	Nickname	Commissioner/chair
1868-1870	Commission to Inquire into the Present State and Probable Requirements of the Civil Service [8]	Civil Service Commission	John Langton
1869-1870	Royal Commission to Inquire into the Cause and Nature of the Obstruction Offered in the North-West Territories to the Peaceable Ingress of the Honourable William McDougall		Donald Alexander Smith
1870	Commission to Inquire into the State of the Laws Connected with the Administration of Justice in Rupert's Land and the North-West Territories		Francis Godschall Johnson
	Royal Commission to Inquire into the Best Means for the Improvement of the Water Communications of the Dominion and the Development of the Trade with the North-Eastern Portion of North America	Canal Commission	Hugh Allan
1873	Royal Commission Relating to Canadian Pacific Railway		Charles Dewey Day, Antoine Polette and James Robert Gowan
	Royal Commission to Inquire Into and Report Upon Claims to Rights of Cutting Hay and Common in the Province of Manitoba		John Farquhar Bain and Joseph Dubuc
1873-1874	Royal Commission to Inquire Into the Cause of the High Springs Floods Which Occur in the St. Lawrence River between the Cities of Quebec and Montreal		John Dickinson
1874-1875	Royal Commission on Prohibitory Liquor Law		F. Davis
1876-1878	Royal Commission to Inquire Into Conflicting Claims of Lands of Occupants in Manitoba		Alexander Morris
1879-1880	Royal Commission to Inquire Into Changes Affecting the Administration of Justice in the North-West Territories		Edgar Dewdney
1880-1882	Royal Commission to Inquire Into Matters Connected with the Canadian Pacific Railway	Canadian Pacific Railway Royal Commission	George McKenzie Clark
	Royal Commission to Inquire into the Organization of the Civil Service Commission		Donald McInnes
1882-1884	Royal Commission to Inquire Into Certain Claims Connected with the Construction of the Intercolonial Railway		George McKenzie Clark
1885	Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration		Joseph Adolphe Chapleau and John Hamilton Gray
	Royal Commission to Inquire Into the Enumeration of Half-Breeds in the North-West Territories		William Purvis Rochfort Street
1886-1887	Royal Commission into Claims for Compensation for Loss or Damage Arising Out of the Late Half-breed and Indian Insurrection in the North-West Territories		J. Alphonse Ouimet
	Royal Commission on the Leasing of Water-Power on the Lachine Canal		Etienne H. Parent
	Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon the Enumeration of Half-Breeds in the North-West Territories Outside of Manitoba		Roger Goulet
1886-1888	Royal Commission on Railways		Alexander Tilloch Galt
1886-1889	Royal Commission on the Relations of Labour and Capital		James S. Armstrong (1886–88) and Augustus Toplady Freed (1888–89)
1891-1892	Royal Commission on Civil Service		George Hague
1892	Royal Commission in Reference to Certain Charges Made Against the Honourable Sir. A.P. Caron, K.C.M.G.		Adolphe Basile Routhier and Melbourne McTaggart Tait
1895	Royal Commission on the Liquor Traffic in Canada		Joseph Hickson
1898-1899	Royal Commission on Lobster Industry		Edward Ernest Prince
1899-1900	Royal Commission on the Shipment and Transportation of Grain		Albert Elswood Richards and Edmund John Senkler
1900-1902	Royal Commission on Chinese and Japanese Immigration		Roger Conger Clute
1901	Royal Commission to Investigate Charges Made Against Grain Inspectors at Montreal		David Horn
1902-1903	Royal Commission on the Tobacco Trade		Duncan Byron MacTavish
1903	Royal Commission to Investigate Industrial Disputes in the Province of British Columbia		Gordon Hunter
1903-1906	Royal Commission on Transportation		Robert Redford
1904-1905	Royal Commission on Italian Immigration		John Winchester
	Royal Commission to Investigate Alleged Employment of Aliens in Connection with the Surveys of the Proposed Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
1905	Royal Commission to Investigate Alleged Employment of Aliens by the Père Marquette Railway Company in Canada
1906-1907	Royal Commission on Life Insurance		Duncan Byron MacTavish
1906-1908	Royal Commission on the Grain Trade of Canada		John Millar
1907	Royal Commission on a Dispute Respecting Hours of Employment Between the Bell Telephone Company of Canada, Ltd., and Operators at Toronto, Ont.		William Lyon Mackenzie King
1907-1908	Royal Commission Appointed to Investigate Methods by Which Oriental Labourers Have Been Induced to Come to Canada
	Royal Commission on the Civil Service		John Mortimer Courtney
	Royal Commission on the Quebec Bridge Inquiry		Henry Holgate
	Royal Commission Regarding Losses Sustained by the Japanese Population of Vancouver, British Columbia, on the Occasion of the Riots in that City in September, 1907		William Lyon Mackenzie King
1908	Royal Commission to Investigate Losses by the Chinese Population of Vancouver, British Columbia, on the Occasion of the Riots in That City in September, 1907
1908-1909	Royal Commission on Cotton Factories Industrial Disputes
1910-1913	Royal Commission on Industrial Training and Technical Education		James Wilson Robertson
1912	Royal Commission of Inquiry in the Matter of the Farmers' Bank of Canada		William Ralph Meredith
1912-1913	Royal Commission on Weighing of Butter and Cheese		Robert Alexander Pringle
1912-1914	Royal Commission on the Records of the Public Departments		Joseph Pope
1913	Royal Commission to Investigate Coal-Mining Disputes on Vancouver Island		Samuel Price
1913-1914	Royal Commission to Investigate the State and Management of the Kingston Penitentiary		George Milnes Macdonnell
1913-1916	Royal Commission on Indian Affairs	The McKenna–McBride Commission	Nathaniel Whitworth White
1914-18	Royal Commission on Georgian Bay Canal		William Sanford Evans
1915-1917	Royal Commission to Inquire into the Purchase by and on Behalf of the Government of the Dominion of Canada, of Arms, Munitions, Implements, Materials, Horses, Supplies, and other things for the Purchase of the Present Warmission Concerning Purchase of War Supplies and Sale of Small Arms Ammunition		Charles Peers Davidson
1916	Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire Into Certain Contracts Made by the Shell Committee		William Ralph Meredith
	Royal Commission re Parliament Buildings Fire at Ottawa, February 3, 1916		Duncan Byron MacTavish and Robert Abercrombie Pringle
	Royal Commission to Inquire Into and Report Upon the Conditions in Regard to the Delivery of Cargoes of Coal to Coasting Vessels in the Maritime Provinces		Wilfred Eddy Tupper
1916-1917	Royal Commission to Inquire into Railways and Transportation in Canada		Alfred Holland Smith
1917-1918	Royal Commission on Newsprint		Robert Abercrombie Pringle
1918	Royal Commission Appointed to Enquire into Differences Between Metal Contract Shops and Automobile Repair Shops at Winnipeg, and Certain of Their Employees		Thomas Graham Mathers
	Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Shipyards in Vancouver		Edward Burns
	Royal Commission to Inquire into the Alleged Unrest Existing in the Shipbuilding Industry in the Province of Quebec		Farquhar Stuart MacLennan
1918-1919	Royal Commission on Conditions in the Pilotage Districts of Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and New Westminster		Thomas Robb
	Royal Commission on the Pilotage Districts of Miramichi, Sydney, Louisbourg, Halifax, St. John, Montreal and Quebec
1919	Royal Commission on Industrial Relations	The Mathers Commission	Thomas Graham Mathers
1919-1920	Royal Commission in Racing Inquiry		John Gunion Rutherford
1919-1922	Royal Commission on the Possibilities of the Reindeer and Musk-ox Industries in the Arctic and Subarctic Regions
1920	Royal Commission to Investigate the Dispute Between Members of the General Cartage and Warehousemen's Association of British Columbia and Certain of Their Employees		William H. Vance
1921-1928	Royal Commission on Reparation Claims		James Friel
1922	Royal Commission on British Columbia Fisheries		William Duff
1922-1924	Royal Commission on Pensions and Re-establishment		James Layton Ralston
1923	Royal Commission on Great Lakes Grain Rates		Simon James McLean
	Royal Commission to Inquire Into Industrial Unrest Among the Steel Workers at Sydney, N.S.		James Wilson Robertson
1923-1924	Royal Commission on Pulpwood		Joseph Picard
1923-1925	Royal Grain Inquiry Commission		William Ferdinand Alphonse Turgeon
1924	Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon Affairs of the Home Bank of Canada and in the Matter of the Petition of the Depositors in the said Home Bank of Canada	Royal Commission re Home Bank	Harrison Andrew McKeown
1926	Royal Commission on Maritime Claims	The Duncan Commission	Andrew Rae Duncan
1926-1928	Royal Commission on Customs and Excise inquiry		James Thomas Brown and Francois Xavier Lemieux
1927-1928	Royal Commission on Reconveyance of Land to British Columbia		William Melville Martin
	Royal Commission to Investigate Charges of Political Partisanship in the Department of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment		Alfred Taylour Hunter
	Royal Commission to Investigate the Fisheries of the Maritime Provinces and the Magdalen Islands		Alexander Kenneth Maclean
1928-1929	Royal Commission on Radio Broadcasting	The Aird Commission	John Aird
	Royal Commission on the Transfer of the Natural Resources of Manitoba		William Ferdinand Alphonse Turgeon
1929-1930	Royal Commission on Technical and Professional Services		Edward Wentworth Beatty
1930-1933	Royal Commission on Reparations		Errol Malcolm William McDougall
1931	Royal Commission to Inquire into Trading in Grain Futures		Josiah Stamp
1931-1932	Royal Commission to Inquire into Railways and Transportation in Canada		Lyman Poore Duff
1933	Royal Commission on Banking and Currency	The Macmillan Commission	Hugh Pattison Macmillan
1933-1935	Royal Commission on the Natural Resources of Saskatchewan		Andrew Knox Dysart
1934-1935	Royal Commission on Financial Arrangements Between the Dominion and the Maritime Provinces		Thomas White
	Royal Commission on Price Spreads		William Walker Kennedy
	Royal Commission on the Natural Resources of Alberta		Andrew Knox Dysart
1935	Royal Commission Appointed to Investigate the Activities of the Canadian Performing Rights Society, Limited, and Similar Societies		James Parker
	Royal Commission on Certain Allegations Made by Honourable P.J. Veniot, M.P.		John Babinton Macaulay Baxter
	Royal Commission on Relief Camps, British Columbia		William Alexander Macdonald
1936-1937	Royal Commission on Anthracite Coal		Henry Marshall Tory
1936-1938	Royal Commission on the Textile Industry		William Ferdinand Alphonse Turgeon
	Royal Commission to Investigate the Penal System of Canada	The Archambault Commission	Joseph Archambault
	Royal Grain Inquiry Commission		William Ferdinand Alphonse Turgeon
1937–1940	Royal Commission on Dominion-Provincial Relations	The Rowell-Sirois Commission	Joseph Sirois (1938–40) and Newton Rowell (1937–38)
1938-1939	Royal Commission on the Bren Machine Gun Contract		Henry Hague Davis
1939-1940	Royal Commission on Salmon Fishing in British Columbia		Gordon McGregor Sloan
1941	Royal Commission to Inquire Into the Events Which Occurred at Arvida, Quebec, in July, 1941		William Langley Bond and Séverin Létourneau
1941-1942	Royal Commission on Shipbuilding in the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec		Léon Mercier Gouin
1942	Royal Commission on Wage Rates in Steel Plants at Sault Ste Marie, Ontario and Sydney, N.S.		F. H. Barlow
	Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon the Organization, Authorization and Dispatch of the Canadian Expeditionary Force to the Crown Colony of Hong Kong		Lyman Poore Duff
	Royal Commission to Inquire into the Most Effective Methods to Secure Maximum Production in the Shipyards of British Columbia		Stephen Ellswood Richards
1943	Royal Commission to Investigate the Demands of the Coal Miners of Western Canada		G. B. O'Connor
1944-1945	Royal Commission on Co-operatives		Errol Malcolm William McDougall
	Royal Commission on Taxation of Annuities and Family Corporations		William Carlos Ives
1944-1946	Royal Commission on Coal		W. F. Carroll
1945	Royal Commission on the Halifax Disorders, May 7th-8th, 1945		Roy Lindsay Kellock
	Royal Commission on Veterans' Qualifications		Wilfred Bovey
1946	Royal Commission on Administrative Classifications in the Public Service		Walter Lockhart Gordon
	Royal Commission to Investigate the Facts Relating to and the Circumstances Surrounding the Communication by the Public Officials and Other Persons in Positions of Trust of Secret and Confidential Information to Agents of Foreign Power		Robert Taschereau
	Royal Commission to Investigate the Facts Relating to and the Circumstances Surrounding the Communication, by Public Officials and Other Persons in Positions of Trust, of Secret and Confidential Information to Agents of a Foreign Power	The Kellock-Taschereau Commission	Roy Kellock and Robert Taschereau
1947-1950	Royal Commission to Investigate Property Claims of Canadian Citizens of Japanese Origin Evacuated from Coast Areas of British Columbia in 1942		Henry Irvine Bird
1948-1949	Royal Commission on Prices		Clifford Austin Curtis
1948–1951	Royal Commission on Transportation		William Ferdinand Alphonse Turgeon
1949–1951	Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences	The Massey Commission	Vincent Massey
1949-1953	Royal Commission on the Revision of the Criminal Code		William Melville Martin
1950	Royal Commission to Inquire Into the Nature and Extent of the Damage Caused by the 1950 Floods in the Red River Valley in Manitoba		John B. Carswell and Donald B. Shaw
	Royal Commission to Inquire Into, Review and Report Upon the Rentals Payable Under the Leases in the Townsites and Subdivisions of Banff and Jasper		Harry O. Patriquin
1950-1951	Royal Commission to Inquire into the Nature and Extent of the Damage Caused by the Recent Fires in the Towns of Rimouski and Cabano in the Province of Quebec		Edouard Laurent
1951-1952	Royal Commission on the South Saskatchewan River Project		Thomas Henry Hogg
1954	Royal Commission to Inquire into, Review and Report on the Administration of Quartz Mining and Placer Mining in the Yukon Territory		George Edwards Cole
1954-1955	Royal Commission on Agreed Charges		William Ferdinand Alphonse Turgeon
1954-1956	Royal Commission on the Law of Insanity as a Defence in Criminal Cases		James Chalmers McRuer
1954-1958	Royal Commission on the Criminal Law Relating to Criminal Sexual Psychopaths
1954–1960	Royal Commission on Patents, Copyright and Industrial Designs [9]	The Ilsley Commission	J. L. Ilsley
1955-1957	Royal Commission on Broadcasting	The Fowler Commission	Robert MacLaren Fowler
	Royal Commission on Canada's Economic Prospects	The Gordon Commission	Walter Lockhart Gordon
	Royal Commission on Coasting Trade		Wishart Flett Spence
1957-1958	Royal Commission on Employment of Firemen on Diesel Locomotives in Freight and Yard Service on the Canadian Pacific Railway		Roy Lindsay Kellock
	Royal Commission on Newfoundland Finances		John Babbitt McNair
1957–1959	Royal Commission on Energy	The Borden Commission	Henry Borden
1957-1960	Royal Commission on Price Spreads of Food Products		Andrew Stewart
1958-1959	Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Distribution of Railway Box Cars		John Bracken
1959	Royal Commission to Investigate the Unfulfilled Provisions of Treaties 8 and 11 as they Apply to the Indians of the Mackenzie District		Walter H. Nelson
1959-1960	Royal Commission on Coal		Ivan Cleveland Rand
	Royal Commission on the Great Slave Lake Railway		Marshall E. Manning
1959-1962	Royal Commission on Transportation	The MacPherson Commission	Murdoch Alexander MacPherson
1960	Royal Commission to Inquire Into Complaints Received Concerning Certain Activities of Station CHEK-TV, Victoria, British Columbia		Andrew Stewart
1960-1961	Royal Commission on Publications	The O'Leary Commission	Michael Grattan O'Leary
	Royal Commission on the Automotive Industry		Vincent Wheeler Bladen
1960–1963	Royal Commission on Government Organization	The Glassco Commission	J. Grant Glassco
1961-1964	Royal Commission on Banking and Finance		Dana Harris Porter
	Royal Commission on Health Services	The Hall Commission	Emmett M. Hall
1962–1966	Royal Commission on Taxation	The Carter Commission	Kenneth LeMesurier Carter
1962-1971	Royal Commission on Pilotage		Yves Bernier
1963–1970	Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism	The Laurendeau-Dunton Commission	Arnold Davidson Dunton and André Laurendeau
1965-1966	Royal Commission of Inquiry Into Working Conditions in the Post Office Department		André Montpetit
1966	Royal Commission to Inquire into the Dealings of the Honourable Mr. Justice Leo A. Landreville, with Northern Ontario Natural Gas Limited		Ivan Cleveland Rand
1966-1969	Royal Commission on Security [10]	The Mackenzie Commission	Maxwell Weir Mackenzie
1966-1971	Royal Commission on Farm Machinery		Clarence Lyle Barber
1967–1970	Royal Commission on the Status of Women	The Bird Commission	Florence Bird
1970-1971	Royal Commission Inquiry and Formal Investigation into the Circumstances Surrounding the Grounding of the Steam Tanker Arrow		Gordon L. S. Hart
1974-1976	Royal Commission on the Health and Safety of Workers in Mines [11]	The Ham Commission	James Milton Ham
1975–1978	Royal Commission on Corporate Concentration		Robert B. Bryce
1976-1979	Royal Commission on Financial Management and Accountability		Allen Thomas Lambert
1980-1981	Royal Commission on Conditions of Foreign Service		Pamela A. McDougall
	Royal Commission on Newspapers	The Kent Commission	Thomas Woralla Kent
1982–1985	Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada	The MacDonald Commission	Donald S. MacDonald
	Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster		T. Alex Hickman
1984-1986	Royal Commission on Seals and the Sealing Industry in Canada		Albert H. Malouf
1988-1992	Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront	The Crombie Commission	David Crombie
1989-1992	Royal Commission on National Passenger Transportation	The Hyndman Commission	Louis D. Hyndman
1989–1993	Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies	The Baird Commission	Patricia Baird
1991	Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing	The Lortie Commission	Pierre Lortie
1991–1996	Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples		René Dussault and Georges Erasmus

Commissions of inquiry

Period	Commission name [3]	Nickname	Commissioner/chair
1964-1966	Commission of Inquiry as to the Future of the Air Canada Overhaul Base at Winnipeg International Airport, and Related Matters		Donald Alexander Thompson
1965-1966	Commission of Inquiry into Freshwater Fish Marketing		George H. McIvo
1966	Commission of Inquiry Into Complaints Made by George Victor Spencer		Dalton Courtwright Wells
	Commission of Inquiry into Matters Relating to One Gerda Munsinger		Wishart Flett Spence
1967-1968	Commission of Inquiry re Administration of Justice in the Hay River of the Northwest Territories		William George Morrow
1969–1973	Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs [12]	The Le Dain Commission	Gerald Le Dain
1970	Commission of Inquiry into Mail Transport in Montreal		Hyman Carl Goldenberg
1975-1976	Commission of Inquiry into the Marketing of Beef		Maxwell Weir Mackenzie
	Commission of Inquiry Into the Matter of a Crash of a Panarctic Electra Aircraft at Rea Point, Northwest Territories		William A. Stevenson
1976-1979	Commission of Inquiry into Bilingual Air Traffic Services in Quebec		W. R. Sinclair
1977-1978	Commission of Inquiry Into Newfoundland Transportation		Arthur M. Sullivan
1977–1981	Commission of Inquiry Concerning Certain Activities of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police	The McDonald Commission	D.C. McDonald
1979-1981	Commission of Inquiry into Certain Allegations Concerning Commercial Practices of the Canadian Dairy Commission		Hugh F. Gibson
1984-1985	Commission of Inquiry on the Pharmaceutical Industry		Harry C. Eastman
1985-1986	Commission of Inquiry into the Collapse of the Canadian Commercial Bank (CCB) and the Northland Bank		Willard Z. Estey
	Commission of Inquiry on Unemployment Insurance		Claude Forget
	Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals	Deschênes Commission	Jules Deschênes
1986	Commission of Inquiry, Hinton Train Collision		René P. Foisy
1986-1987	Commission of Inquiry Into the Facts of Allegations of Conflict of Interest Concerning the Honourable Sinclair M. Stevens		W.D. Parker
1986-1988	Commission of Inquiry Concerning Certain Matters Associated with the Westbank Indian Band		John E. Hall
1988-1990	Commission of Inquiry into the Use of Drugs and Banned Practices Intended to Increase Athletic Performance		Charles L. Dubin
1989-1992	Commission of Inquiry into the Air Ontario Crash at Dryden, Ontario	The Moshansky Commission	Virgil P. Moshansky
1993–1997	Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada	The Krever Commission	Horace Krever
1995-1997	Commission of Inquiry Into the Deployment of Canadian Forces to Somalia		Gilles Létourneau
2001–2002	Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada	The Romanow Commission	Roy Romanow
2001-2006	Commission of Inquiry Into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar		Dennis O'Connor
2004–2006	Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities [13]	The Gomery Commission	John Gomery
2006-2010	Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182	The Major Commission	John C. Major
2008-2010	Commission of Inquiry Into Certain allegations Respecting Business and Financial Dealings Between Karlheinz Schreiber and the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney		Jeffrey James Oliphant
2009-2012	Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River	The Cohen Commission	Bruce Cohen
2020-2022	Joint Federal/Provincial Commission into the April 2020 Nova Scotia Mass Casualty [14] Joint inquiry with the Government of Nova Scotia	Mass Casualty Commission	Michael MacDonald, Leanne J. Fitch, and Kim Stanton
2022-2023	Public Order Emergency Commission		Paul Rouleau

Task forces

Task forces

Period	Commission name [3]	Commissioner/chair
1969	Federal Task Force on Agriculture [15]	Douglas Ross Campbell
1970-1972	Task Force on Foreign Ownership (The Gray Report) [16]	Herb Gray
1977-1979	The Task Force on Canadian Unity [17]	Jean-Luc Pepin and John Robarts
2001	National Broadband Task Force	David Johnston

Other public inquiries

Many of these are task forces in miniature.

Others

Period	Commission name [3]	Commissioner/chair
1916	Munitions Industry Inquiry Department of Labour	Colin George Snider
1875	Commission Appointed to Investigate the Nature and Extent of the Commercial Advantages to be Derived from the Construction of the Baie Verte Canal	John Young
1875-1876	Commission to Ascertain Persons Entitled to Grants of Land and Scrip in Manitoba	John Maule Machar and Matthew Ryan
1876-1877	Commission for Investigating the Books, Accounts, and Vouchers of the Northern Railway Company of Canada	Larratt William Smith
1879	Commission to Investigate Charges Against Certain Employees of the Welland Canal	David Stark
1885-1886	Commission to Investigate all Claims Arising out of the Late Rebellion in the Northwest Territories	William Hayes Jackson
1886	Commission to Investigate Alleged Irregularities Regarding a Fuel Wood Contract at the Citadel	Jules Ernest LaRue
1894-1895	Commission on Cattle Freight Rates	William Loftus Magee
1905-1907	British Columbia Fisheries Commission	Edward Ernest Prince
1912-1913	Shell-fish Fishery Commission
1912-1914	National Transcontinental Railway Investigating Commission	George Lynch-Staunton
1913-1916	Pelagic Sealing Commission	Louis Arthur Audette
1915-1920	Munition Resources Commission	Thomas Cantley
1928	Tobacco Inquiry Commission in the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec	Edgar S. Archibald
1964-1965	Special Public Inquiry 1964	Frédéric Dorion
1974-1977	The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry (The Berger Inquiry)	Thomas R. Berger
1990-1991	Citizens' Forum on Canada's Future	Keith Spicer
1993-1994	Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act Review Commission	Louis D. Hyndman
2009-2015	Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada	Murray Sinclair, Marie Wilson, and Wilton Littlechild
2016-2019	National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG)	Marion Buller

Provincial commissions and inquiries

Period	Province	Name	Issue	Commissioner/chair
1903	Manitoba	Royal Commission re Charges Against the Chief Clerk of the Department of Agriculture and Immigration [18]	Charges and statements made by department clerk Melvin Bartlett against deputy minister Hugh McKellar	D. M. Walker and R. H. Myers
1916-1917	Manitoba	Royal Commission Constituted to Inquire into all Matters Pertaining to the Manitoba Agricultural College [19]	The development of the Manitoba Agricultural College in the 1910s	A. C. Galt
1916-1917	Manitoba	Royal Commission Constituted to Inquire into and Report on all Expenditures for Road Work during the Year 1914 [20]	Road work expenditures in Emerson, Roblin, Russell, Rockwood, and Gimli	G. Paterson
1919	Manitoba	Royal Commission to Enquire into and Report upon the Causes and Effects of the General Strike which Recently Existed in the City of Winnipeg for a Period of Six Weeks, Including the Methods of Calling and Carrying on Such Strike [21] [22] [23]	Winnipeg general strike	Hugh Amos Robson
1945-1947	Manitoba	Royal Commission on Adult Education [24]	Adult education in Manitoba	A. W. Trueman
1958	British Columbia	Royal Commission, Second Narrows Bridge Inquiry	Collapse of the Second Narrows Bridge on June 17, 1958	Sherwood Lett
1957-1959	Manitoba	Royal Commission on Education [25]	Education in Manitoba, including higher education	R. O. MacFarlane
1958	Alberta	Royal Commission on the Development of Northern Alberta [26]	Development of Northern Alberta	J. G. MacGregory
1959	Alberta	Royal Commission on Education in Alberta [27]	Education in Alberta, including higher education	Donald Cameron
1963	Alberta	Royal Commission on Prearranged Funeral Services [28]	Prearranged Funeral Services	C.C. McLaurin
1967	Alberta	Royal Commission on Juvenile Delinquency [29]	Juvenile Delinquency in Alberta	Frank H. Quigley
1968	Quebec	Commission of Inquiry on the Situation of the French Language and Linguistic Rights in Quebec	Linguistic rights in Quebec	Jean-Denis Gendron
1980-1984	Ontario	Royal Commission on Matters of Health and Safety Arising from the Use of Asbestos in Ontario [30]	Usage of asbestos in Ontario	J. Stefan Dupré
1988-1991	Manitoba	Aboriginal Justice Inquiry	1971 murder of Helen Betty Osborne and 1988 death of J.J. Harper	Alvin Hamilton and Murray Sinclair
1996-1998	Ontario	Commission on Proceedings Involving Guy Paul Morin (Kaufman Commission or Morin Inquiry)	Wrongful conviction in 1992 of Guy Paul Morin for the 1988 murder of Christine Jessop	Fred Kaufman
1999-2001	Manitoba	Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission	Implementing recommendations of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry	Wendy Whitecloud and Paul Chartrand
2003-2007	Ontario	Ipperwash Inquiry	1995 death of Dudley George	Sidney B. Linden
2004	Ontario	Rae Report	Higher education in Ontario	Bob Rae
2005	Ontario	Cornwall Inquiry	Allegations of abuse of young people in Cornwall, Ontario, by adults in positions of trust	G. Normand Glaude
2005-2006	Nova Scotia	Nunn Commission	The youth criminal justice system and the death of Theresa McEvoy	Merlin Nunn
2005-2008	Ontario	Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology in Ontario (Goudge Inquiry)	Errors in several criminal investigations into suspicious deaths involving children	Stephen Goudge
2006-2007	Manitoba	Commission of Inquiry Into Certain Aspects of the Trial and Conviction of James Driskell	Wrongful conviction of James Driskell	Patrick LeSage
2007	Alberta	Alberta Royalty Review	Resource royalties collected from petroleum and natural gas companies	William M. Hunter
2008	Manitoba	Taman Inquiry into the Investigation and Prosecution of Derek Harvey-Zenk [31]	Case of Derek Harvey-Zenk	Roger Salhany
2009-2010	British Columbia	Braidwood Inquiry	Killing of Robert Dziekański	Thomas R. Braidwood
2010-2012	British Columbia	Missing Women Commission of Inquiry	Response of law enforcement to reports of missing and murdered women	Wally Oppal
2011	Quebec	Commission of Inquiry on the Awarding and Management of Public Contracts in the Construction Industry (Charbonneau Commission)	Potential corruption in the management of public construction contracts	France Charbonneau
2012-2013	Manitoba	Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Death of Phoenix Sinclair	Death of Phoenix Sinclair	Ted Hughes
2017	Ontario	Public Inquiry into the Safety and Security of Residents in the Long-Term Care Homes System	Case of Elizabeth Wettlaufer
2020-2021	Ontario	Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission [32]	How COVID-19 spread in long-term care and what was done to prevent it.	Frank N. Marrocco [33]

See also

• Public inquiry
• List of Canadian tribunals

References

1. Fox, Paul (7 February 2006), "Royal Commissions", The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, retrieved 5 October 2023
2. Library and Archives Canada (19 March 2013), Index to Federal Royal Commissions, Queen's Printer for Canada, retrieved 12 May 2021
3. Privy Council Office (12 April 2017), Commissions of inquiry, Queen's Printer for Canada, retrieved 2021-05-12
4. Privy Council Office (21 December 2017), About commissions of inquiry, Queen's Prnter for Canada, retrieved 12 May 2021
5. Paterson, Susan, Research Guides: Government Publications: Canada: Royal Commissions, University of British Columbia, retrieved 12 May 2021
6. Franks, C.E.S. (7 February 2006), "Task Force", The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, retrieved 13 May 2021
7. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (1 April 2016), Fact sheet on inquiries, Queen's Printer for Canada, archived from the original on 13 May 2021, retrieved 13 May 2021
8. "Commission to Inquire into the Present State and Probable Requirements of the Civil Service (Civil Service Commission)". Archived from the original on Jun 10, 2021.
9. Davies, Adriana A. (December 16, 2013) [February 7, 2006]. "Royal Commission on Patents, Copyright and Industrial Designs". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
10. "Report of the Royal Commission on Security (Mackenzie Commission) (1969)". Secret Law Gazette.
11. Rebbitt, Dave (8 Mar 2016). "Safety is everyone's responsibility". Canadian Occupational Safety. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
12. "Disclaimer - Electronic Collection".
13. Azzi, Stephen (July 3, 2014) [September 21, 2006]. "Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
14. "About". Mass Casualty Commission. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
15. Skogstad, Grace (December 16, 2013) [February 6, 2006]. "Federal Task Force on Agriculture". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
16. Franks, C.E.S. (December 16, 2013) [February 7, 2006]. "Task Force on Foreign Ownership". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
17. Hudon, R. (December 16, 2013) [February 6, 2006]. "Task Force on Canadian Unity". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
18. "Royal Commission re Charges Against the Chief Clerk of the Department of Agriculture and Immigration". Archives of Manitoba. Archived from the original on Oct 7, 2023.
19. "Royal Commission Constituted to Inquire into all Matters Pertaining to the Manitoba Agricultural College". Archives of Manitoba. Archived from the original on Oct 7, 2023.
20. "Royal Commission Constituted to Inquire into and Report on all Expenditures for Road Work during the Year 1914". Archives of Manitoba. Archived from the original on Oct 7, 2023.
21. Mitchell, Tom. "Strike or Revolution? H.A. Robson's Inquiry and the Winnipeg General Strike" (PDF). Manitoba Law Journal. Archived (PDF) from the original on Oct 7, 2023.
22. "Manitoba Law School co-founder 'A labour jurist ahead of his time'". UM Today. November 12, 2019. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
23. "Royal Commission to Enquire into and Report upon the Causes and Effects of the General Strike which Recently Existed in the City of Winnipeg for a Period of Six Weeks, Including the Methods of Calling and Carrying on Such Strike". Archives of Manitoba. Archived from the original on Aug 23, 2019.
24. "Royal Commission on Adult Education". Archives of Manitoba. Archived from the original on Oct 7, 2023.
25. "Royal Commission on Education". Archives of Manitoba.
26. MacGregory, J. G.; Marler, R. C.; Patterson, J. O. (1958). Report of the Royal Commission on the Development of Northern Alberta. Edmonton: The Commission.
27. Cameron, Donald (1959). Report of the Royal Commission on Education in Alberta, 1959. Edmonton: L.S. Wall, Printer to the Queen.
28. McLaurin, C. C. (1963). Report of the Alberta Royal Commission on Prearranged Funeral Services. Edmonton: The Commission.
29. Quigley, Frank H. (1967). Report of the Alberta Royal Commission on Juvenile Delinquency. Edmonton: The Commission.
30. Ontario. Royal Commission on Matters of Health and Safety Arising from the Use of Asbestos in Ontario. "Report of the Royal Commission on Matters of Health and Safety Arising from the Use of Asbestos in Ontario". Internet Archive. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
31. "Home - Taman Inquiry into the Investigation and Prosecution of Derek Harvey-Zenk". tamaninquiry.ca. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
32. "Ontario's Long Term Care Commission" . Retrieved 24 June 2023.
33. "Commissioners". Ontario's Long Term Care COVID-19 Commissioner. Retrieved 24 June 2023.

External links

• Privy Council Office: Commissions of Inquiry