Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth

Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth

Ministère du Développement et de la croissance économique du Nord (French)
Arms of the Government of Ontario
Ministry headquarters in Greater Sudbury
Ministry overview
Preceding Ministry	Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines
Jurisdiction	Government of Ontario
Headquarters	159 Cedar Street and 933 Ramsey Lake Road Greater Sudbury, Ontario
Ministers responsible	Hon. Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines Dave Smith, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines
Website	ontario.ca/page/ministry-northern-economic-development-and-growth

The Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth is a ministry responsible for social and economic development in Northern Ontario.

In 2021, Premier Doug Ford separated the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines into the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, by merging the ministry (excluding Energy, which was made into its own portfolio) with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. ^[1]

The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry (MNDMNRF) in Ontario was reorganized into separate ministries on June 6, 2024. This reorganization resulted in the creation of the Ministry of Mines, the Ministry of Northern Development, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

In 2025, Premier Doug Ford again reorganized by merging the Ministry of Mines with the Ministry of Energy, forming the new Ministry of Energy and Mines.

History

• 1842 - Geological Survey of Canada formed by the Province of Canada
• 1846 - Commissioner of Crown Lands (Province of Canada) assumed control for mines and mining.
• 1867 - Responsibility for mines and mining transferred to the Ontario Commissioner of Crown Lands. The Montreal-based Geological Survey of Canada became part of the new federal government and moved to Ottawa in 1881.
• 1890 - Royal Commission on Ontario's Mineral Resources (Chairman, John M. Charlton)
• 1891 - Ontario Bureau of Mines established with Alexander Blue as its first director.
• 1905 – The first cabinet minister from Northern Ontario, Sudbury's Frank Cochrane, is appointed. Cochrane serves as minister of the new Department of Lands, Forests and Mines until 1911.
• 1912 – The Department creates a Northern Development Branch to further support growth in the North. In 1926, this branch becomes the Department of Northern Development.
• 1930s – The Department of Northern Development merges with the Department of Highways. Its purpose: to build and maintain roads and bridges in Northern Ontario.
• 1970 – The government creates a new Department of Mines and Northern Affairs in response to northerners' concerns about the lack of access to provincial government information. Twenty-four Northern Affairs offices in the region bring the Ontario government to northerners. This department changes name and responsibilities throughout the 1970s and early 1980s due to government restructuring.
• 1985 – The government creates a new Ministry of Northern Affairs and Mines. Later that year, the name becomes the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. The change emphasizes the province's commitment to greater social and economic development in the north.
• 1990 – The ministry headquarters are re-located to two new buildings in Sudbury.
• 2009 – The realignment of forestry from the Ministry of Natural Resources to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines is announced reflecting the importance of forestry to many northern and rural communities. The renamed Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry now leads the business and economic aspects of forestry, including industrial strategy, forest sector competitiveness programs, softwood lumber and wood allocation, pricing and licensing.
• 2011 – Forestry is once again allocated back to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the name shortened to its original 'Ministry of Northern Development and Mines'. Honourable Minister Rick Bartolucci, former Minister of Community Safety and Correctional services, is appointed Minister of Northern Development and Mines on October 20.
• 2013 - Premier Kathleen Wynne appoints Michael Gravelle as Minister of Northern Development and Mines, on February 11.
• 2018 - Premier Doug Ford appoints Greg Rickford as Minister of Northern Development and Mines, on June 29.
• 2019 - Premier Doug Ford renames the Ministry to Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. ^[2]
• 2021 - Premier Doug Ford separates the Ministry to Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry, Northern Development and Mines ^[3]
• 2024 - Premier Doug Ford separates the Ministries to Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry, Ministry of Northern Development and Ministry of Mines
• 2025 - Premier Doug Ford merges the Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Mines to for the Ministry of Energy and Mines

List of ministers

1867–1970

Period	Name	Minister (Commissioner before 1905)
1867–1905	Department of Crown Lands	Stephen Richards, 1867–1871 Matthew Crooks Cameron, July–December 1871 Richard William Scott, 1871–1873 Timothy Blair Pardee, 1873–1889 Arthur Sturgis Hardy, 1889–1896 John Morison Gibson, 1896–1899 Elihu Davis, 1899–1904 Alexander Grant MacKay, 1904–1905 James Joseph Foy, February–May 1905
1905–1906	Department of Lands and Mines	Francis Cochrane
1906–1920	Department of Lands, Forests and Mines	Francis Cochrane, 1906–1911 William Howard Hearst, 1911–1914 Howard Ferguson, 1914–1919
1906–1970	Department of Mines	Harry Mills, 1920–1923 Charles McCrea, 1923–1934 Paul Leduc, 1934–1940 Robert Laurier, 1940–1943 Leslie Frost, 1943–1949 Welland Gemmell, 1949–1952 Philip Kelly, 1952–1957 Wilf Spooner, 1957–1958 James Anthony Maloney, 1958–1961 George Wardrope, 1961–1967 Allan Lawrence, 1968–1970

1970 to present

Period	Name	Minister
1970–1972	Ministry of Mines and Northern Affairs	Allan Lawrence, 1970–1971 Leo Bernier, 1971–1972
1977–1985	Ministry of Northern Affairs	Leo Bernier, 1977–1985
June 1985–November 1985	Ministry of Mines and Northern Affairs	René Fontaine, June–November 1985
1985–1987	Ministry of Northern Development and Mines	René Fontaine, 1985–1986 David Peterson, 1986–1987
1987–1991	Ministry of Mines	Sean Conway, 1987–1989 Hugh O'Neil, 1989–1990 Gilles Pouliot, 1990–1991
1987–1991	Ministry of Northern Development	René Fontaine, 1987–1990 Shelley Martel, 1990–1991
1991–1995	Ministry of Northern Development and Mines	Shelley Martel, 1991–1994 Gilles Pouliot, 1994–1995
1995–1997	Ministry of Natural Resources, Northern Development and Mines	Chris Hodgson, 1995–1997
1997–2009	Ministry of Northern Development and Mines	Chris Hodgson, 1997–1999 Tim Hudak, 1999–2001 Dan Newman, 2001–2002 Jim Wilson, 2002–2003 Rick Bartolucci, October 23, 2003 – October 30, 2007 Michael Gravelle, October 30, 2007 – June 24, 2009
2009–2011	Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry	Michael Gravelle, June 24, 2009 – October 20, 2011
2011–2019	Ministry of Northern Development and Mines	Rick Bartolucci, October 20, 2011 – February 11, 2013 Michael Gravelle, 2013–2018 Hon. Greg Rickford, 2018-2019
2019–2021	Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines	Hon. Greg Rickford, 2019-2021

Ministry agencies

^[4]

• Council of The Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario
• Independent Electricity System Operator
• Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation
• Ontario Energy Board
• Ontario Power Generation

OBM Progress Medal

The OBM Progress Medal was given out by the Ontario Bureau of Mines and the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in 1991 to celebrate 100 years of progress. Featuring a Trillium grandiflorum laid over a Pickaxe, the Medal weighs 17 grams. ^[5]

References

1. "Ministries". ontario.ca. Government of Ontario . Retrieved 2021-06-20.
2. "Ministry of Energy". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
3. "Greg Rickford on X: 'It's an honour and a privilege to lead the northern portfolio as Minister of Natural Resources & Forestry, Northern Development, Mines and continue in my role as Minister of Indigenous Affairs. / X". Twitter. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
4. "Agencies and current appointees - Public Appointments Secretariat".
5. GUIDE TO TOKENS and MEDALS, Millar (1992), p.67

External links

• Ministry of Northern Development and Mines website
• History of Ontario Mining - http://www.republicofmining.com/2010/07/23/brief-history-of-ontario-mining