Health and Welfare Canada

Canada's original Department of Health was created in 1919. It would merge with the Department of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment in 1928 to form the Department of Pensions and National Health. Soon after, the Department of National Health and Welfare would be established in 1944.^[3]

Following the 1992 federal budget the department was tasked with administering the newly created Child Tax Benefit and of the Children's Special Allowances programs.^[4]

In June 1993, Prime Minister Kim Campbell split the department into two separate entities: the portfolio related to health would form Health Canada,^[2] while social-development and income-security programs (i.e., the 'welfare' side) would form Human Resources and Labour Canada^[1]—which also combined Labour Canada, the employment programs of Employment and Immigration Canada, and the social-development and education programs from the Secretary of State.^[5] Within a few months, a new government was elected, after which Human Resources and Labour became known as Human Resources Development Canada.

In June 1996, a few weeks before the abolition of the department, the Food Inspection Activities under the Food and Drugs Act were transferred to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.^[a][6]

The department was tasked with the administration of laws and programs relating to the promotion of health, social security and welfare in Canada.^[7] It was notably in charge of administering the Canada Assistance Plan^[8] and the Established Programs Financing^[b] transfer programs to the provinces.

As of 31 March 1967 the department oversaw a wide variety of programs and activities, structured around multiple branches:^[9]

• Food and Drugs Branch: surveillance activities under the Food and Drugs Act, the Proprietary or Patent Medicine Act and the Narcotic Control Act;
• Health Services Branch: provision of consultant and advisory services to the provinces;
• Health Insurance and Resources Branch: administration of federal-provincials programs;
• Medical Services Branch: provision of medical services to specific populations (quarantine, immigration, civil servants, certain registered Indians);
• Welfare Branch: administration of the federal welfare programs (CPP, OAS and GIS, family and youth allowances^[10], unemployment assistance) and of the Fitness and Amateur Sport program.

The department also oversaw multiple federal agencies and boards:

• Dominion Council of Health
• Medical Research Council
• National Council of Welfare^[11]