Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Business Practices Division
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Business Practices Division was created in 1972 when the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations came into being, and replaced the former Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Financial and Commercial Affairs.
From 1972-1978, the division formed part of the Commercial Standards Program, and contained Lotteries Branch, the Consumer Protection Bureau, and had program areas responsible for real estate brokers, bailiffs, lotteries, paperback and periodical distributors, pyramid schemes and the travel industry.
In December 1978, the division was reorganized by eliminating different program areas responsible for administering different acts and consolidating functions. The division then consisted of the Consumer Advisory Services Branch, the Lotteries Branch, and the Office of the Athletics Commissioner. The division was also responsible for Central Registration and Commercial Registration.
In 1986, the structure of the division was again altered when the Business Regulation Branch, the Consumer Services Branch, and the Entertainment Standards Branch were created.
In June 1994, the Business Practices Division was replaced with a newly formed Business Division. At creation the new division consisted of the Business Affairs Branch, the Consumer Affairs Branch, and the Companies Branch.
Places
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
The Business Practices Division was responsible for the regulation of financial and commercial affairs to promote ethical business conduct and consumer safety. Early in its life, the division had program areas for the regulation of real estate dealers, business brokers, private bailiffs, paperback and periodical distributors, travel agents and wholesalers, door-to-door salesmen, motor vehicle dealers, pyramidic sales schemes and the Condominium Act. The division was also responsible for consumer complaints. Later, the division was responsible for the regulation of businesses, consumer services and entertainment.
Address
Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Relationships area
Related entity
Identifier of related entity
Category of relationship
Type of relationship
Dates of relationship
Description of relationship
Related entity
Identifier of related entity
Category of relationship
Type of relationship
Dates of relationship
Description of relationship
Related entity
Identifier of related entity
Category of relationship
Type of relationship
Dates of relationship
Description of relationship
Access points area
Subject access points
Place access points
Epithet
Control area
Authority record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
KWIC Indexes to Services of the Ontario Government.
Government of Ontario Telephone Directories.
Maintenance notes
Not found in Canadiana authorities.
Archivist(s):
Steve Billinton