The minister of Science is a vacant office that was in the

Cabinet of Canada The Cabinet of Canada (french: Cabinet du Canada) is a body of Minister of the Crown, ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada. Chaired by the ...

and existed under various forms from 1971 to 2019, when the portfolio's responsibilities were absorbed into the innovation, science and industry portfolio.

History

The portfolio was called the Minister of State for Science and Technology from 1971 until 1990, when a

cabinet reshuffle A cabinet reshuffle or shuffle occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet, or when the Head of State changes the head of government and a number of ministers. They are more common in parlia ...

saw the creation of two new science-related full cabinet positions: the

Minister of Industry, Science and Technology The minister of innovation, science, and industry (french: ministre de l'Innovation, des Sciences et de l'Industrie) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the economic development and corporat ...

, and the Minister for Science. The former combined aspects of the now-defunct post of

Minister of Regional Industrial Expansion Minister of Regional Economic Expansion was an office in the Cabinet of Canada The Cabinet of Canada (french: Cabinet du Canada) is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westmin ...

and the Minister of State for Science and Technology. While it was active, two of the three full ministers for science were simultaneously Minister of State for Small Business. When

Jean Chrétien Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien (; born January 11, 1934) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 20th prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. Born and raised in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, Chrétien is a law graduate from Uni ...

came to power in 1993, he did not nominate a full minister for science. Instead, he created the position of Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development), which was assigned by

Order-in-Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...

to assist the

Minister of Industry The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government. The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mini ...

. While this position subsequently changed name in 2008 to Minister of State (Science and Technology), its role did not change much until 2015. In 2015 under the first Trudeau government,

Kirsty Duncan Kirsty Ellen Duncan (born October 31, 1966) is a Canadian politician and medical geographer from Ontario, Canada. Duncan is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Toronto riding of Etobicoke North and Duncan serves as deputy leader of the govern ...

was appointed to the newly-created position of Minister of Science. However, this position remained under the same legal framework as its predecessor, responsible for assisting the senior portfolio of

Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development The minister of innovation, science, and industry (french: ministre de l'Innovation, des Sciences et de l'Industrie) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the economic development and corporate ...

(the restyled Minister of Industry). Duncan's portfolio was expected to oversee

basic research Basic research, also called pure research or fundamental research, is a type of scientific research with the aim of improving scientific theories for better understanding and prediction of natural or other phenomena. In contrast, applied resear ...

, while

Navdeep Bains Navdeep Singh Bains (born June 16, 1977) is a Canadian politician who served as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, he represented the riding of Mississauga—Malton in the House of Com ...

would oversee

applied science Applied science is the use of the scientific method and knowledge obtained via conclusions from the method to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted ...

. In July 2018, the office's portfolio was expanded to include responsibility for

Sport Canada Sport Canada is a branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage that develops federal sport policy in Canada, provides funding programs in support of sport, and administers special projects related to sport. Its mission "to enhance opportunities ...

and was renamed to Minister of Science and Sport. Following the 2019 federal election, the portfolio became vacant and Bains' portfolio was expanded—he was appointed as the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (previously called, Innovation, Science and Economic Development).

Ministers

Key:

References

External links

Minister of Science - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minister Of Science (Canada)

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...