The Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries (previously the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport until October 2019), was created on January 18, 2010 when the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) *Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

and the

Ministry of Tourism The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that specializes in tourism, recreation and/or culture. The position exists in many different countries under several names: *Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Albania) *Ministry ...

were combined under one ministry. Sport was added to the portfolio in 2011. It is responsible for the development of policies and programs and the operation of programs related to tourism,

arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...

cultural industries The term culture industry (german: Kulturindustrie) was coined by the critical theorists Theodor Adorno (1903–1969) and Max Horkheimer (1895–1973), and was presented as critical vocabulary in the chapter "The Culture Industry: Enlightenment ...

, heritage sectors and

libraries A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

, in Ontario. The Ministry works in partnership with its agencies, attractions, boards and commissions and the private sector to maximize the economic, cultural and social contributions of its agencies and attractions, while promoting the tourism industry and preserving Ontario's culture and heritage.

Organizational history

In the early years of

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

, a Commissioner of Agriculture and Arts and a Bureau of Agriculture and Arts existed. "Arts", at the time however, referred to the practical application of an industrial, manufacturing, or scientific pursuit, rather than to its current meaning. A Tourist and Publicity Bureau was set up in 1924 to promote Ontario’s attractions, especially those associated with nature and the outdoors. The bureau was initially a part of the Highways Department. In 1935, the bureau was renamed the Travel and Publicity Bureau, and was moved to Department of the Prime Minister. In 1944, the bureau moved to the Treasury Department. In 1946, the bureau was upgrade to the Department of Travel and Publicity. At establishment, the department consisted of only approximately fifteen employees in four branches: publicity, the information, winter promotion, and development branches. In 1958, the department began taking on responsibilities for the cultural area, with the establishment of the historical branch and the transfer of the theatres branch from the Treasury Department. In March 1964, the department restructured and renamed the Department of Tourism and Information. In April 1972 the department merged with the Department of Trade and Development to become the Ministry of Industry and Tourism. In 1975, a standalone Ministry of Culture and Recreation was established, taking on responsibilities for cultural (transferred from the

Ministry of Colleges and Universities The Ministry of Colleges and Universities is the ministry of the Government of Ontario responsible for administration of laws relating to post-secondary education. This ministry is one of two education ministries, the other being the Ministry of E ...

), recreational and citizenship (transferred from the

Ministry of Community and Social Services The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services is the ministry in Ontario, Canada responsible for services to children and youth, social services such as welfare, the Ontario Disability Support Program, and community service programs to ad ...

). It took on oversight functions for key institutions such as

Ontario Arts Council The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is a publicly-funded Canadian organization in the province of Ontario whose purpose is to foster the creation and production of art for the benefit of all Ontarians. Based in Toronto, OAC was founded in 1963 by On ...

Ontario Heritage Foundation The Ontario Heritage Trust (french: link=no, Fiducie du patrimoine ontarien) is a non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. It is responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural herita ...

Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; french: Musée des beaux-arts de l'Ontario) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located in the Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, on Dundas Street West between McCaul and Beve ...

, and

Ontario Science Centre The Ontario Science Centre, formally the Centennial Museum of Science and Technology, is a science museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located near the Don Valley Parkway about northeast of downtown on Don Mills Road just south of Eglint ...

. In the government restructuring in 1982, the various tourism and culture related responsibilities were distributed to the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation and the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture. In 1987, the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture was further divided into Ministry of Citizenship and the Ministry of Culture and Communications (taking on responsibilities for communications and broadcasting from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications). In 1993 the responsibilities for tourism and culture were united under the newly amalgamated Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation. (Communications functions were transferred to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.) However, those two responsibilities would be divided and re-united numerous time over the next two decades. When the Progressive Conservatives under

Mike Harris Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945) is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 22nd premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC Party) from 1990 to 2002. During his time ...

came to power in 1995, it again separated the tourism functions and culture functions, to Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism and Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation. The Ministry of Tourism again became a standalone ministry in 1999, and was reunited with the cultural functions in 2001 as Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. The two functions were divided again in 2002, and were merged again in 2010. Sport was added to the ministry's name at the cabinet reshuffle following the 2011 provincial election. The ministry was renamed to its current name of Ministry Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries in 2019.

Agencies

Cultural agencies overseen by the ministry include: * Advisory Council to the

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario () is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is adm ...

* Conservation Review Board *

McMichael Canadian Art Collection The McMichael Canadian Art Collection (MCAC) is an art museum in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located on a property in Kleinburg, an unincorporated village in Vaughan. The property includes the museum's main building, a sculpture garde ...

Ontario Heritage Trust The Ontario Heritage Trust (french: link=no, Fiducie du patrimoine ontarien) is a non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. It is responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural herita ...

* Ontario Honours Advisory Council *

Ontario Media Development Corporation Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Cana ...

*Ontario Trillium Foundation * Royal Botanical Gardens *

Royal Ontario Museum The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year ...

Science North Science North is an interactive science museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The science centre, which is Northern Ontario's most popular tourist attraction, consists of two snowflake-shaped buildings on the southwestern shore of Ramsey La ...

Trillium Book Award The Trillium Book Award (french: Prix littéraire Trillium or ''Prix Trillium'') is an annual literary award presented to writers in Ontario, Canada. It is administered by Ontario Creates, a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario, which is ov ...

* Southern Ontario Library Service (''see

Ontario Public Libraries This is a list of public libraries in Ontario. Background Ontario public libraries are created by municipal by-laws and governed by public library boards. The Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture has responsibility for the administration of ...

'') * Ontario Library Service North (''see

'') Tourism agencies and attractions overseen by the ministry include: *

Fort William Historical Park Fort William Historical Park (formerly known as Old Fort William) is a Canadian historical site located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, that contains a reconstruction of the Fort William fur trade post as it existed in 1816. It officially opened on ...

*Huronia Historical Parks:

Sainte-Marie among the Hurons Sainte-Marie among the Hurons (french: Sainte-Marie-au-pays-des-Hurons) was a French Jesuit settlement in Wendake, the land of the Wendat, near modern Midland, Ontario, from 1639 to 1649. It was the first European settlement in what is now the p ...

and

Discovery Harbour Discovery Harbour is an unincorporated community and census-designated place on the island of Hawaii in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. Its population was 1,171 as of the 2020 census. The community is located near the island's southern tip, ...

Metro Toronto Convention Centre Metro Toronto Convention Centre (originally and still colloquially Metro Convention Centre, and sometimes MTCC), is a convention complex located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada along Front Street (Toronto), Front Street West in the former Railway Land ...

Niagara Parks Commission The Niagara Parks Commission, commonly shortened to Niagara Parks, is an agency of the Government of Ontario which maintains the Ontario shoreline of the Niagara River. History The Commission was founded in 1885 and charged with preserving and ...

Ontario Place Corporation Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Destination Ontario Destination Ontario, legally the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC; french: link=no, Société du Partenariat ontarien de marketing touristique (SPOMT)), is an agency of the Government of Ontario in the province of On ...

(formerly called

Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation Destination Ontario, legally the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC; french: link=no, Société du Partenariat ontarien de marketing touristique (SPOMT)), is an agency of the Government of Ontario in the province of On ...

) *

Ottawa Convention Centre The Shaw Centre (formerly the Ottawa Convention Centre) is a convention centre located in the downtown core of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It opened in April 2011. The Centre replaces the Ottawa Congress Centre, which opened in 1983 and is built on t ...

St. Lawrence Parks Commission The St. Lawrence Parks Commission (french: Commission des parcs du Saint-Laurent) is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages parks and heritage sites along the shoreline of the St. Lawrence River in southeastern Ontario. It func ...

List of ministers

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry Of Tourism And Culture (Ontario) T

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Organizational history

Agencies

List of ministers

See also

References

External links