The Minister of Public Works was a position in the Cabinet of Canada who oversaw the public works portfolio of the federal government.

The office was established upon Confederation (1 July 1867) by Order-in-Council, and was given statutory basis later that year on December 21, through Statute 31 Victoria, c. 12. On 12 July 1996, as part of substantial governmental reorganization under the leadership of Jean Chrétien, the position was merged with that of the Minister of Supply and Services to create the office of Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Ministers No.NamePeriod in officeMinistry 1. William McDougall July 1, 1867 – September 27, 1869 1st (Macdonald) * Hector-Louis Langevin (acting) September 28, 1869 – December 7, 1869 2. Hector-Louis Langevin December 8, 1869 – November 5, 1873 3. Alexander Mackenzie November 7, 1873 – October 8, 1878 2nd (himself) 4 Sir Charles Tupper October 19, 1878 – May 19, 18793rd

(Macdonald)– Hector-Louis Langevin (second time) May 20, 1879 – June 6, 1891 June 16, 1891 – August 11, 1891 4th (Abbott) 5. Frank Smith August 14, 1891 – January 10, 1892 6. Joseph-Aldric Ouimet January 11, 1892 – November 24, 1892 December 5, 1892 – December 12, 1894 5th (Thompson) December 21, 1894 – April 27, 1896 6th (Bowell) 7. Alphonse Desjardins May 1, 1896 – July 8, 1896 7th (Tupper) 8. Joseph-Israël Tarte July 13, 1896 – October 21, 1902 8th (Laurier) 9. James Sutherland November 11, 1902 – May 3, 1905 10. Charles Smith Hyman May 22, 1905 – August 29, 1907 11. William Pugsley August 30, 1907 – October 6, 1911 12. Frederick Debartzch Monk October 10, 1911 – October 28, 1912 9th (Borden) 13. Robert Rogers October 29, 191 – August 22, 1917 14. Charles Colquhoun Ballantyne October 3, 1917 – October 12, 1917 15. Frank Broadstreet Carvell October 13, 1917 – August 1, 191910th

(Borden) * John Dowsley Reid (acting) August 6, 1919 – September 2, 1919 16. Arthur Lewis Sifton September 3, 1919 – December 30, 1919 * John Dowsley Reid (acting) December 31, 1919 – July 10, 1920 * July 10, 1920 – July 12, 1920 11th (Meighen) 17. Fleming Blanchard McCurdy July 13, 1920 – December 29, 1921 18. Hewitt Bostock December 29, 1921 – February 2, 1922 12th (King) 19. James Horace King February 3, 1922 – June 28, 1926 * Sir George Halsey Perley (acting) June 29, 1926 – July 12, 192613th

(Meighen) 20. Edmond Baird Ryckman July 13, 1926 – September 25, 1926 21. John Campbell Elliott September 25, 1926 – August 7, 193014th

(King) 22. Hugh Alexander Stewart August 7, 1930 – October 23, 1935 15th (Bennett) 23. Pierre Joseph Arthur Cardin October 23, 1935 – May 12, 194216th

(King) * Joseph-Enoil Michaud (acting) May 13, 1942 – October 6, 1942 25. Alphonse Fournier October 7, 1942 – November 15, 1948 November 15, 1948 – June 11, 1953 17th (St. Laurent) * Walter Edward Harris June 12, 1953 – September 16, 1953 24. Robert Henry Winters September 17, 1953 – June 21, 1957 25. Howard Charles Green June 21, 1957 – August 19, 1959 18th (Diefenbaker) 26. David James Walker August 20, 1959 – July 12, 1962 * Howard Charles Green (acting) July 18, 1962 – August 8, 1962 27. Edmund Davie Fulton August 9, 1962 – April 22, 1963 28. Jean-Paul Deschatelets April 22, 1963 – February 11, 1965 19th (Pearson) 29. Louis Joseph Lucien Cardin February 15, 1965 – July 6, 1965 32. George James McIlraith July 7, 1965 – April 20, 1968 April 20, 1968 – July 5, 1968 20th (Trudeau Sr.) 30. Arthur Laing July 5, 1968 – January 27, 1972 31. Jean-Eudes Dubé January 28, 1972 – August 7, 1974 32. Charles Mills Drury August 8, 1974 – September 13, 1976 33. J. Judd Buchanan September 14, 1976 – November 23, 1978 34. André Ouellet November 24, 1978 – June 3, 1979 35. Erik Nielsen June 4, 1979 – March 2, 1980 21st (Clark) 36. Paul James Cosgrove March 3, 1980 – September 29, 198222nd

(Trudeau Sr.) 37. Roméo LeBlanc September 30, 1982 – June 29, 1984 38. Charles Lapointe June 30, 1984 – September 16, 1984 23rd (Turner) 39. Roch La Salle September 17, 1984 – June 29, 1986 24th (Mulroney) 40. Stewart McInnes June 30, 1986 – December 7, 1988 * Otto Jelinek December 8, 1988 – January 29, 1989 41. Elmer MacIntosh MacKay January 30, 1989 – June 24, 1993 42. Paul Wyatt Dick June 24, 1993 – November 3, 1993 25th (Campbell) 43. David Charles Dingwall November 4, 1993 – January 24, 1996 26th (Chrétien) 44. Diane Marleau January 25, 1996 – July 11, 1996After 1996, see Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

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