The minister of Sport is a Government of Canada cabinet minister responsible for Sport Canada (and sports in Canada, more generally), who typically assists the minister of Canadian Heritage.
The specific name of the ministerial designation has changed many times since the position was introduced in 1961, typically depending on the portfolio it falls under. It was originally known as the Minister of Amateur Sport, answering to the Minister of National Health and Welfare. The position was then relegated to the Secretary of State in 1976, with various titles, only to return as a full cabinet position in 2015. That year, the title was changed to Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities following the appointment of Carla Qualtrough and the addition of the responsibility toward disability in Canada to the portfolio. In 2018, shortly after Kirsty Duncan assumed the role, the name was changed to the Minister of Science and Sport.
After the 2019 federal election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not appoint a Minister for Sport, passing on this responsibility to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Steven Guilbeault at the time. After the 2021 federal election, the position was once again spun out, and Pascale St-Onge was appointed to the office. In a 2023 cabinet shuffle Carla Qualtrough was appointed to the office again, and the name was changed to Minister of Sport and Physical Activity. Terry Duguid was appointed to the office in 2024, at which point the name was shortened back to Minister of Sport.
The position was reduced to a secretary of state position in the 30th Canadian Ministry, the Secretary of State (Sport).
Ministers NameTitleParent organizationPartyTook OfficeLeft OfficeJay Monteith"The Hon. Jay Waldo Monteith, P.C., F.C.A., M.P." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2021 April 26.Minister of Amateur SportNational Health and WelfarePCSeptember 29, 1961April 21, 1963Judy LaMarshLibApril 22, 1963December 17, 1965Allan MacEachenLibDecember 18, 1965July 5, 1968John MunroLibJuly 6, 1968November 26, 1972Marc Lalonde"The Hon. Marc Lalonde, P.C., Q.C., O.C., M.P." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2021 April 26.Minister responsible for Fitness and Amateur SportLibNovember 27, 1972September 14, 1976Iona CampagnoloMinister of State (Fitness and Amateur Sport)LibSeptember 15, 1976June 3, 1979Steve PaproskiMinister of State for Fitness and Amateur Sport and MulticulturalismSecretary of StatePCJune 4, 1979March 2, 1980Gerald ReganMinister of State (Sports)National Health and WelfareLibMarch 3, 1980March 5, 1980Minister of Amateur SportLabourMarch 6, 1980September 29, 1982Raymond PerraultMinister of State (Fitness and Amateur Sport)National Health and WelfareLibSeptember 30, 1982August 11, 1983Celine Hervieux-PayetteLibAugust 12, 1983January 9, 1984Joseph OlivierLibJanuary 10, 1984June 29, 1984Jean LapierreLibJune 30, 1984September 16, 1984Otto JelinekPCSeptember 17, 1984March 30, 1988Jean CharestPCMarch 31, 1988January 23, 1990Perrin BeattyPCJanuary 24, 1990February 22, 1990Marcel DanisPCFebruary 23, 1990April 20, 1991Pierre CadieuxPCApril 21, 1991June 24, 1993Mary Collins"The Hon. Mary Collins, P.C." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2021 April 26.Minister of Amateur SportNational Health and WelfarePCJune 25, 1993November 3, 1993Diane Marleau"The Hon. Diane Marleau, P.C., M.P." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2021 April 26.LibNovember 4, 1993January 24, 1996David DingwallLibJanuary 25, 1996July 11, 1996Sheila CoppsLibJuly 12, 1996August 2, 1999Denis Coderre"The Hon. Denis Coderre, P.C., M.P." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2021 April 26.Secretary of State (Amateur Sport)HeritageLibAugust 3, 1999January 14, 2002Paul Devillers"The Hon. Paul DeVillers, P.C., M.P." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2021 April 26.LibJanuary 15, 2002June 19, 2003Secretary of State (Physical Activity and Sport)HealthLibJune 20, 2003December 11, 2003Stan Keyes"The Hon. Stan Kazmierczak Keyes, P.C." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2021 April 26.Minister of State (Sport)HeritageLibDecember 12, 2003July 19, 2004Stephen Owen"The Hon. Stephen Owen, P.C., Q.C." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2021 April 26.LibJuly 20, 2004February 5, 2006Michael ChongMinister for SportHeritageConFebruary 6, 2006November 26, 2006Peter Van Loan"The Hon. Peter Van Loan, P.C., M.P." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2021 April 26.ConNovember 27, 2006January 3, 2007Helena GuergisSecretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport)Heritage and Foreign Affairs & International TradeConJanuary 4, 2007October 29, 2008Gary LunnMinister of State (Sport)HeritageConOctober 30, 2008May 18, 2011Bal GosalConMay 18, 2011November 4, 2015Carla QualtroughMinister of Sport and Persons with DisabilitiesHeritageLibNovember 4, 2015August 28, 2017Kent HehrHeritage and Employment & Social DevelopmentLibAugust 28, 2017January 25, 2018Kirsty Duncan"The Hon. Kirsty Duncan, P.C., M.P." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2021 April 26.Heritage, Industry, and Employment & Social DevelopmentLibJanuary 25, 2018July 18, 2018Minister of Science and SportHeritage and IndustryLibJuly 18, 2018November 21, 2019Responsibilities for Sport transferred to the Minister of Canadian HeritageNovember 21, 2019October 26, 2021Pascale St-Onge"The Hon. Pascale St-Onge, P.C., M.P." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2022 Oct 8.Minister of SportHeritageLibOctober 26, 2021July 26, 2023Carla QualtroughMinister of Sport and Physical ActivityHeritageLibJuly 26, 2023December 20, 2024Terry DuguidMinister of SportHeritageLibDecember 20, 2024March 14, 2025Adam van KoeverdenSecretary of State (Sport)LibMay 13, 2025incumbent
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