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.
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.
List of postmasters general Key:
No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistry1Alexander CampbellJuly 1, 1867June 30, 1873Conservative1 (Macdonald)2John O'ConnorJuly 1, 1873November 5, 1873Conservative3Donald Alexander MacdonaldNovember 7, 1873May 17, 1875Liberal2 (Mackenzie)4Télesphore FournierMay 19, 1875October 7, 1875Liberal5Lucius Seth HuntingtonOctober 9, 1875October 8, 1878Liberal6Hector-Louis LangevinOctober 19, 1878May 19, 1879Conservative3 (Macdonald)(1)Alexander CampbellMay 20, 1879January 15, 1880Conservative(2)John O'ConnorJanuary 16, 1880November 7, 1880Conservative(1)Alexander CampbellNovember 8, 1880May 18, 1881Conservative(2)John O'ConnorMay 20, 1881May 22, 1882Conservative7John CarlingMay 23, 1882September 24, 1885Liberal-Conservative(1)Alexander CampbellSeptember 25, 1885January 26, 1887Conservative8Archibald McLelanJanuary 27, 1887July 9, 1888Conservative–John Carling (Acting)July 11, 1888August 5, 1888Liberal-Conservative9John Graham HaggartAugust 6, 1888June 6, 1891ConservativeJune 16, 1891January 24, 18924 (Abbott)10Adolphe-Philippe CaronJanuary 25, 1892November 24, 1892ConservativeDecember 5, 1892December 12, 18945 (Thompson)December 21, 1894April 27, 18966 (Bowell)11Louis-Olivier TaillonMay 1, 1896July 8, 1896Conservative7 (Tupper)12William MulockJuly 13, 1896October 15, 1905Liberal8 (Laurier)13Allen Bristol AylesworthOctober 16, 1905June 3, 1906Liberal14Rodolphe LemieuxJune 4, 1906August 10, 1911Liberal15Henri Sévérin BélandAugust 19, 1911October 6, 1911Liberal16Louis-Philippe PelletierOctober 10, 1911October 19, 1914Conservative9 (Borden)17Thomas Chase-CasgrainOctober 20, 1914December 29, 1916Conservative18Pierre-Édouard BlondinJanuary 8, 1917October 12, 1917ConservativeOctober 12, 1917July 10, 192010 (Borden)July 10, 1920September 20, 192111 (Meighen)19Louis de Gonzague BelleySeptember 21, 1921December 28, 1921Conservative20Charles MurphyDecember 29, 1921June 28, 1926Liberal12 (King)21Robert James ManionJune 29, 1926September 24, 1926Conservative13 (Meighen)22Peter John VeniotSeptember 25, 1926August 6, 1930Liberal14 (King)23Arthur SauvéAugust 7, 1930August 13, 1935Conservative15 (Bennett)24Samuel GobeilAugust 16, 1935October 22, 1935Conservative25John Campbell ElliottOctober 23, 1935January 22, 1939Liberal16 (King)26Norman Alexander McLartyJanuary 23, 1939September 18, 1939Liberal27Charles Gavan PowerSeptember 19, 1939May 22, 1940Liberal–James Lorimer Ilsley (Acting)May 23, 1940July 7, 1940Liberal28William Pate MulockJuly 8, 1940June 8, 1945Liberal29Ernest BertrandAugust 29, 1945November 14, 1948LiberalNovember 15, 1948August 23, 194917 (St. Laurent)30Édouard RinfretAugust 25, 1949February 12, 1952Liberal31Alcide CôtéFebruary 13, 1952August 7, 1955Liberal–Roch Pinard (Acting)August 16, 1955November 2, 1955Liberal32Hugues LapointeNovember 3, 1955June 20, 1957Liberal33William McLean HamiltonJune 21, 1957July 12, 1962Progressive Conservative18 (Diefenbaker)–Angus MacLean (Acting)July 18, 1962August 8, 1962Progressive Conservative34Ellen FaircloughAugust 9, 1962April 21, 1963Progressive Conservative35Azellus DenisApril 22, 1963February 2, 1964Liberal19 (Pearson)36John Robert NicholsonFebruary 3, 1964February 14, 1965Liberal37René TremblayFebruary 15, 1965December 17, 1965Liberal38Jean-Pierre CôtéDecember 18, 1965April 19, 1968LiberalApril 20, 1968July 5, 196820 (Trudeau)39Eric KieransJuly 6, 1968April 28, 1971Liberal(38)Jean-Pierre CôtéApril 29, 1971November 26, 1972Liberal40André OuelletNovember 27, 1972August 7, 1974Liberal41Bryce MackaseyAugust 8, 1974September 13, 1976Liberal42Jean-Jacques BlaisSeptember 14, 1976February 1, 1978Liberal43Gilles LamontagneFebruary 2, 1978June 3, 1979Liberal44John Allen FraserJune 4, 1979March 2, 1980Progressive Conservative21 (Clark)(40)André OuelletMarch 3, 1980October 15, 1981Liberal20 (Trudeau)
See also List of Postmasters General for the Province of Canada
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