Ontario. Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation. Culture Division

• Culture Division

The Culture and Regional Services Division of the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Culture became the Culture Division in 1984 after the division's Regional Services Branch was transferred to the Finance and Administration Division.

Initially, the Culture Division was administered by an Executive Director, along with an Assistant Deputy Minister, External Liaison, who was responsible for external liaison with provincial cultural organizations, other government representatives across Canada, and internationally. However, in June 1984 the position of Assistant Deputy Minister, Culture Division, was created to head the division.

The Office of the Assistant Deputy Minister, Culture Division, oversaw a Division that initially consisted of three branches: Arts Branch, Heritage Branch, and Libraries and Community Information Branch. The Culture Division also provided the administrative staff of the Ontario Heritage Foundation. In mid-1985 Cultural Agencies and Enterprises was formed as part of the Division. As well, the Culture Division assumed responsibility for international and intergovernmental liaison on cultural matters, the management of federal/provincial economic regional development cultural sub-agreements, and liaison with the Ministry's cultural agencies.

In October 1987, the Culture Division became part of the new Ontario Ministry of Culture and Communications. In May 1990, the Field Services Branch was added to the Division, while the Libraries and Community Information Branch was moved to the new Information Resource Management Division.

In 1991, the Heritage Branch was disbanded and staff not moving to the Ontario Heritage Foundation or Field Services Branch formed the Heritage Policy Branch within the Culture Division.

In February 1993, the Culture Division became part of the new Ontario Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation. The Division now consisted of the Libraries and Community Information Branch, Cultural Programs Branch, Cultural Liaison Branch and Heritage, Arts, and Cultural Industries Policy Branch. In June 1995, the Division was incorporated into the new Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation.

The Culture Division develops policies and programs that support the arts, heritage conservation, cultural industries, libraries and community information services in Ontario. It also maintains program and financial liaison with the cultural agencies of the various Ministries that have been responsible for culture within the Ontario government. The Division is also responsible for international and intergovernmental liaison on cultural matters.

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

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Inventory 47 - Culture (July 1996)

Ontario Government Telephone Directories, 1984-1998

Agency not found in Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24

Archivist(s):
R. Anger, G. Brown