Ontario. Dept. of Crown Lands

• Department of Crown Lands

By the terms of the British North America Act (now the Constitution Act) of 1867, both the Department of Crown Lands and the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Province of Canada, as outlined in the "Act respecting the sale and management of Public Lands" of 1860, were continued as the Department of Crown Lands and the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Province of Ontario.

Although the primary responsibility of the Department was the sale and management of public lands and the granting of land to settlers, it was also responsible for the mines, woods and forests of the province. In 1891, a Bureau of Mines, under a director, was established and attached to the Department. By 1895, a Bureau of Forestry, under the direction of the Clerk of Forestry (formerly responsible to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Arts), was also created and attached to the Department of Crown Lands.

Immigration also came under the authority of the Department of Crown Lands in 1900, when the Bureau of Colonization was established.

In 1905, legislation was passed which renamed the Commissioner of Crown Lands, the Minister of Lands and Mines. With this change, the Department of Crown Lands was also renamed the Department of Lands and Mines.

The Department of Crown Lands was responsible for the public lands, mines, woods and forests of the Province of Ontario. Activities of the Department included: issuing licenses of occupation to intending settlers; keeping a register of assignments of claims to land; issuing patents; and collecting and acquiring information concerning the mining and forestry industries of the Province. In 1900, the Department also acquired responsibility over immigration and colonization.

An Act respecting the sale and management of the Public Lands, Statutes of the Province of Canada 1860, Chap. 2

Constitution Act, Statutes of the Province of Canada 1867, Chap.3

Public Lands Act, Revised Statutes of Ontario 1877, Chap. 23

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Bishop, Olga. Publications of the Government of Ontario, 1867-1900 (1976)

Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24

The Department of Crown Lands operated under the aegis of the "Act respecting the sale and management of the Public Lands" of 1860, which was continued by the Constitution Act of 1867.

Archivist(s):
R. Anger