Ontario. Treasury Board (1886-1971)

• Treasury Board

The Treasury Board was originally established in 1886 as a Committee of the Executive Council. The provincial Treasurer served as the chair of the committee.

During the period prior to 1950, the Board had little power, met infrequently and had no permanent staff. Its primary role during this period was to review and approve Special Warrants and Treasury Board Orders to meet shortfalls in departmental estimates.

The development of the government in the wake of the depression and war, however, quickly overwhelmed the ability of the existing system to deal with demands on government revenues. A private firm of auditors, Woods, Gordon and Company, recommended a complete revision of the act and the functions of the Treasury Board to deal with the new situation. This revision took the form of the "Financial Administration Act" of 1954, which stipulated that the Board would consist of the Treasurer as Chair, along with four to seven members of the Executive Council, and that this body would serve as the Committee of the Executive Council on all matters relating to finance, revenues, estimates, expenditures and any other matter concerning general administrative policy of the Government of Ontario. The Board was also given the power to call witnesses and compel the production of documents from the public service relating to financial administration and to make regulations relating to the administration of public money and the efficient administration of the public service.

In 1962, a permanent Treasury Board Secretariat was established in order to provide advice and analysis to the Treasury Board on government programs and expenditures.

In 1971, the Treasury Board was renamed the Management Board of Cabinet with expanded responsibilities for personnel management.

The Treasury Board of Cabinet was responsible for reviewing government expenditures and ensuring effective use of public money.

Act to Provide for the Better Auditing of the Public Accounts of the Province, Statutes of Ontario 1886, Chap. 4

The Audit Act, Statutes of Ontario 1908, Chap. 9

Financial Administration Act, Statutes of Ontario 1954, Chap. 30

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

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

MacTaggart, Hazel. Publications of the Government of Ontario, 1956-1971 (1975)

Inv. 27 - Management Board

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

Archivist(s):
R. Anger