The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Ministry of Sport, were created on June 6, 2024 by dividing the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport into 2 new Ministries. It is responsible for the development of policies and programs and the operation of programs related to tourism,

arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creativity, creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive ...

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

, heritage sectors and

libraries A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

, 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 political union of sovereign 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, Universities, Research Excellence and Security () (the Ministry of Colleges and Universities before 2025) is the ministry of the Government of Ontario responsible for administration of laws relating to post-secondary ed ...

), recreational and citizenship (transferred from the Ministry of Community and Social Services). 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 O ...

Ontario Heritage Foundation The Ontario Heritage Trust () 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 heritage of Canada's most populous province, Ontario. ...

Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; ) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Dundas Street, Dundas Street West in the Grange Park (neighbourhood), Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, the museum complex takes up of phys ...

, and

Ontario Science Centre The Ontario Science Centre (OSC; originally the Centennial Museum of Science and Technology) is a science museum and organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its original location opened to the public in 1969 and was located near the D ...

. 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 retired Canadian 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. Taking the PC ...

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 Ministry Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries in 2019. Following the appointment of

Neil Lumsden Neil James Lumsden (born December 19, 1952) is a Canadian politician and retired professional football player. Lumsden was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2022 provincial election. He serves as Minister of Sport. Lumsden ...

as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport in 2022, the Ministry was renamed back to Tourism, Culture and Sport. Following the appointment of

Stan Cho Stan Cho (; born September 14, 1977) is a Canadian politician who is currently the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, with responsibility for OLG for the Province of Ontario. He was previously the Minister of Long-Term Care and the Ass ...

as the Minister of tourism, culture and gaming, with responsibility for OLG on June 6 2024, the Ministry was divided into the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Ministry of Sport.

Agencies

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

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the Advice (constitutional), advice of the Executive Council ...

* Conservation Review Board *

McMichael Canadian Art Collection The McMichael Canadian Art Collection (MCAC) is an art museum in Kleinburg, 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 gar ...

Ontario Heritage Trust The Ontario Heritage Trust () 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 heritage of Canada's most populous province, Ontario. ...

* Ontario Honours Advisory Council *

Ontario Media Development Corporation Ontario is the southernmost province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it is home to 38.5% of the country's population, and is the second-largest province by ...

*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 Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.Helga Loverseed, "Impressive science museum symbolizes the new Sudbury". ''The Globe and Mail'', May 9, 1987. The science centre, which is Northern Ontario's most popula ...

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

* Southern Ontario Library Service (''see

Ontario Public Libraries This is a list of public libraries in Ontario. 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 the Public L ...

'') * 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, Ontario, Fort William fur trade post as it existed in 1815. I ...

*Huronia Historical Parks:

Sainte-Marie among the Hurons Sainte-Marie among the Hurons () was a French Jesuit settlement in Huronia or 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 province of Ontario. Eigh ...

and Discovery Harbour *

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 Lan ...

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 an ...

* Ontario Place Corporation *

Destination Ontario Ontario is Canada, Canada's largest province in population and second largest province in size, covering slightly more than one million square kilometres. It borders the United States of America, United States to the south, and the provinces of ...

(formerly called Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation) *

Ottawa Convention Centre Rogers Centre Ottawa (formerly the Ottawa Convention Centre and the Shaw Centre) is a convention centre located in the downtown core of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It opened in April 2011. The award-winning architecture was designed by Ritchard Br ...

St. Lawrence Parks Commission The St. Lawrence Parks Commission () 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 Eastern Ontario (census population 1,892,332 in 20 ...

List of ministers

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ministries Of Tourism Culture And Gaming And Sport T

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Organizational history

Agencies

List of ministers

See also

References

External links