Provincial Secretary
Encyclopedia
The Provincial Secretary was a senior position in the executive councils
of British North America
's colonial
governments, and was retained by the Canadian provincial governments for at least a century after Canadian Confederation
was proclaimed in 1867. The position has been abolished in almost all provinces in recent decades (most recently by British Columbia
in 2000); the sole exception is Saskatchewan
, where it still exists but is no longer a senior portfolio.
The position existed prior to Confederation in the Province of Canada
(as well as in the previous provinces of Upper Canada
and Lower Canada
) and the various governments in Atlantic Canada
under British rule, though in Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island
the title was Colonial Secretary
. British Columbia also had a Colonial Secretary prior to becoming a province
of Canada in 1871. Before the granting of responsible government
and the emergence of the position of Premier
, the Provincial Secretary was the leading position in the executive councils appointed by the various governor
s and lieutenant-governors of British North America
. Frequently, Provincial Secretaries during these periods were the most powerful elected representatives in their jurisdictions.
The Provincial Secretary was the equivalent of the former Canadian Cabinet position of Secretary of State for Canada
. Like its federal counterpart it included an eclectic variety of responsibilities that were not assigned to other ministers, most of which would eventually evolve into portfolios of their own. In Nova Scotia
, where the position originated in 1720, the Provincial Secretary was also the treasurer
of the province until 1946. The provincial secretary was also responsible for official communications between the provincial government and the Colonial Office
in London
as well as with other provincial and colonial governments (and after 1867 the federal government
). As well, the position also included various duties related to ceremonial occasions, visits by dignitaries, protocol, relations between the government and the office of lieutenant-governor and commemorative events particularly in relation to the monarchy
.
Generally, the Provincial Secretary acted as a province's Registrar-General and was responsible for formal documents and records such as licences, birth and death certificates, land registries and surveys, business registrations and writs. As well, the position was generally responsible for the administration of the civil service and of elections. Provincial secretaries were usually the most senior member of the provincial cabinet outside of the Premier, and the office holder was often designated as Acting Premier when the Premier was out of province, ill or otherwise unavailable.
The position of Provincial Secretary was particularly important in Manitoba
from 1870 to 1874, as that province's institutions were being established. The province had no Premier during this period, and its Lieutenant-Governors acted as the de facto leaders of government. The early Provincial Secretaries (including Alfred Boyd
and Henry Joseph Clarke
) were the most prominent elected officials in the province, and are retroactively regarded as Premiers in many modern sources.
The Provincial Secretary continued to oversee miscellaneous government activities into the twentieth-century (Nova Scotia's Public Service Act conferred to the position responsibility for all matters not specifically assigned to any other minister). Frequently, twentieth-century Provincial Secretaries would concurrently hold other cabinet portfolios.
, for instance, has provincial secretaries in various parts of the country who are primarily responsible for the organizing the league's activities in a specific province.
In the provincial sections of the New Democratic Party
, the provincial secretary is the senior administrative officer, and may be by title or function Chief Executive Officer
, of the non-parliamentary wing of the party and is responsible for organizing provincial conventions, provincial councils and other meetings, membership drives, fundraising and other day to day operations. As well, the provincial secretary usually has a senior role in administering the party's electoral campaigns.
Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)
An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders in Council.Executive Councillors are informally...
of British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
's colonial
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
governments, and was retained by the Canadian provincial governments for at least a century after Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
was proclaimed in 1867. The position has been abolished in almost all provinces in recent decades (most recently by British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in 2000); the sole exception is Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, where it still exists but is no longer a senior portfolio.
The position existed prior to Confederation in the Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
(as well as in the previous provinces of Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
and Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
) and the various governments in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
under British rule, though in Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
the title was Colonial Secretary
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
. British Columbia also had a Colonial Secretary prior to becoming a province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Canada in 1871. Before the granting of responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
and the emergence of the position of Premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
, the Provincial Secretary was the leading position in the executive councils appointed by the various governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
s and lieutenant-governors of British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
. Frequently, Provincial Secretaries during these periods were the most powerful elected representatives in their jurisdictions.
The Provincial Secretary was the equivalent of the former Canadian Cabinet position of Secretary of State for Canada
Secretary of State for Canada
The position of Secretary of State for Canada was a Canadian Cabinet position with a corresponding department. It was established in 1867 as the official channel of communication between the Dominion of Canada and the Imperial government in London...
. Like its federal counterpart it included an eclectic variety of responsibilities that were not assigned to other ministers, most of which would eventually evolve into portfolios of their own. In Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, where the position originated in 1720, the Provincial Secretary was also the treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of the province until 1946. The provincial secretary was also responsible for official communications between the provincial government and the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as well as with other provincial and colonial governments (and after 1867 the federal government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
). As well, the position also included various duties related to ceremonial occasions, visits by dignitaries, protocol, relations between the government and the office of lieutenant-governor and commemorative events particularly in relation to the monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
.
Generally, the Provincial Secretary acted as a province's Registrar-General and was responsible for formal documents and records such as licences, birth and death certificates, land registries and surveys, business registrations and writs. As well, the position was generally responsible for the administration of the civil service and of elections. Provincial secretaries were usually the most senior member of the provincial cabinet outside of the Premier, and the office holder was often designated as Acting Premier when the Premier was out of province, ill or otherwise unavailable.
The position of Provincial Secretary was particularly important in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
from 1870 to 1874, as that province's institutions were being established. The province had no Premier during this period, and its Lieutenant-Governors acted as the de facto leaders of government. The early Provincial Secretaries (including Alfred Boyd
Alfred Boyd
Alfred Boyd was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He is usually considered to have been the first Premier of Manitoba , but he was not recognized by that title at the time and was not the real leader of the government. He is more correctly referred to as the first Provincial Secretary of Manitoba...
and Henry Joseph Clarke
Henry Joseph Clarke
Henry Joseph Clarke , who sometimes used the middle names Hynes and O'Connell, was a lawyer and politician in Manitoba, Canada....
) were the most prominent elected officials in the province, and are retroactively regarded as Premiers in many modern sources.
The Provincial Secretary continued to oversee miscellaneous government activities into the twentieth-century (Nova Scotia's Public Service Act conferred to the position responsibility for all matters not specifically assigned to any other minister). Frequently, twentieth-century Provincial Secretaries would concurrently hold other cabinet portfolios.
Non-governmental
In many organizations in Canada the provincial secretary is also the name of a senior officer at the provincial level. The Monarchist League of CanadaMonarchist League of Canada
The Monarchist League of Canada is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization whose mission is "to promote the full expression and a better understanding of the history and real benefits of a uniquely Canadian constitutional monarchy"....
, for instance, has provincial secretaries in various parts of the country who are primarily responsible for the organizing the league's activities in a specific province.
In the provincial sections of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, the provincial secretary is the senior administrative officer, and may be by title or function Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
, of the non-parliamentary wing of the party and is responsible for organizing provincial conventions, provincial councils and other meetings, membership drives, fundraising and other day to day operations. As well, the provincial secretary usually has a senior role in administering the party's electoral campaigns.
See also
- Chief SecretaryChief SecretaryThe Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
- Provincial Secretary and Registrar of OntarioProvincial Secretary and Registrar of OntarioThe Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Ontario was a senior position in the provincial cabinet of Ontario from before Canadian Confederation until the 1960s....
- Chief Secretary for AdministrationChief Secretary for AdministrationThe Chief Secretary for Administration , commonly known as Chief Secretary and abbreviated as CS, is the second highest position of the Hong Kong Government...
- Secretary of State for CanadaSecretary of State for CanadaThe position of Secretary of State for Canada was a Canadian Cabinet position with a corresponding department. It was established in 1867 as the official channel of communication between the Dominion of Canada and the Imperial government in London...
- Deputy Premier
External links
- Ministry of Provincial Secretary and Government Services Text of the Act outlining the responsibilities of the position and department in British Columbia repealed in 2000.
- Nova Scotia. Department of Provincial Secretary Page on the Archives of Nova Scotia website describes the position of Provincial Secretary of Nova Scotia which was created in 1720 and abolished in 1993.