Ministry of Energy and Mines (Ontario)

Ministerial presence on Hydro-Electric Commission

While energy was not a formal dedicated department within the Ontario government until 1959, dedicated ministerial oversight has existed since as early as 1905 when newly elected Premier James Whitney appointed Sir Adam Beck to cabinet as a minister without portfolio to head a hydroelectric commission of inquiry. Beck was an advocate of public ownership of electricity distribution while in opposition, and was given wide latitude in the Whitney ministry to pursue rapid development of Ontario energy sources to support industrial growth. Upon the creation of the Ontario Hydro Commission in June 1906, Beck was appointed its chair and remained a member of cabinet for the entire duration of the Whitney ministry, and was routinely referred to as the power minister. While Beck was dropped from cabinet by Whitney successor's William Howard Hearst and lost his seat in 1919 when the United Farmers formed government under Ernest Drury, both premiers left Beck in his role as Hydro Commission chairman. Beck returned to the legislature in 1923 and was again invited by Premier Howard Ferguson to join cabinet as a minister without portfolio, as served until his death two years later.^[1]

Following Beck's death, John Robert Cooke, another minister without portfolio, took on ministerial responsibility for energy matters while serving as initially a commissioner and later as the chair of the hydro commission for the remainder of the Ferguson-Henry ministry.^[2] The practice was adopted by later ministries from time time. William Houck served as a hydro commissioner while serving as a minister without portfolio in the Liberal Hepburn ministry, and three ministers served in those same roles in the early years of the Frost ministry before the formal creation of a energy department. These ministers were routinely referred to as the "power minister" or "hydro minister" in press reports.

Department Formation

The Department of Energy Resources was formally established by legislation in 1959.^[3] The Ontario Fuel Board was also attached to the department until 1960. When the board was dissolved in 1960, its administrative functions were assumed by the department, while its judicial functions were taken over by the Ontario Energy Board. In 1964, the department acquired responsibility over the conservation authorities from the Department of Lands and Forests, and was renamed the Department of Energy and Resources Management.^[4]

In the throne speech delivered on March 30, 1971, the government acknowledged the competing priorities of environmental protection and of assuring adequacy of energy supply, and signaled its intention to integrate various related functions with the existing Department of Energy and Resources Management and to reconstitute it as the Department of the Environment.^[5] This plan was implemented through a number of legislations enacted in July 1971, right before that year's provincial election campaign was to start. The renamed department retained most of its existing functions including policy functions relating to energy conservation and energy supply while being given an additional mandate on environmental protection matters unrelated to energy.^[6] Functions relating to energy extractions, including the oversight of the Ontario Energy Board, were transferred to the Department of Mines and Northern Affairs,^[7] while functions relating to distribution and transmission were given to the Department of Labour.^[8] Incumbent energy and resources minister George Kerr became Ontario's inaugural Minister of environment^[a] while remaining the principal minister for energy matters during the two years period with no department named energy.

In 1973, the Ministry of Energy was re-constituted,^[9] assuming responsibilities over energy policy; energy conservation and planning; and energy technology development. Agencies which reported to the ministry included the Ontario Energy Board, the Ontario Energy Corporation, and Ontario Hydro.

Between 2008 and 2010, the ministry was merged with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal to form the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. The merger was formally effected by legislation between September 9, 2009 and June 5, 2011. ^[10]

The Ministry resumed the name Ministry of Energy in 2010 (and formally via amendments to its enabling legislation in June 2011) and had remained as such under its enabling legislation. It has however been known by other names from time to time to highlight the policy priorities of the government of the day. These changes are given temporary effect by orders-in-council without formal amendments to the ministry's or other ministries' enabling legislations. The energy portfolio had also been held by minister jointly with other portfolios:

• Between 1993 and 1997, and again in 2002, the portfolio was held jointly with the Ministry of the Environment by four different ministers styled as Minister of Environment and Energy.^[11]
• Between 1997 and 2002, the ministry took on responsibility for Science and Technology, and its minister Jim Wilson was styled as the Minister of Energy, Science and Technology ^[12]

• Between 2018 and 2021, energy minister Greg Rickford held the portfolio jointly with the Northern Development, Mines and Forestry portfolio and the Indigenous Affairs portfolio, and was styled as the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Minister of Indigenous Affairs.^[13] References to a "Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines" appeared routinely in government document, but the enabling legislations were never amended to formally effect any merger.
• For a nine month period between June 2024 and March 2025, incumbent energy minister Stephen Lecce was styled as Minister of Energy and Electrification.^[14] His title was updated to Minister of Energy and Mines in March 2025.^[15]

Chair of the Hydro0Electric Commission

The Commission was headed by a Chairman (along with two commissioners):

• Sir Adam Beck 1906–1925 (while a minister without portfolio 1905–14, 1923–25)
  • Commissioners (1919–23, appointed by the United Farmers Drury ministry): Dougall Carmichael (minister without portfolio), J. George Ramsden
• Charles Alexander Magrath 1925-1931
  • Vice Chair: John Robert Cooke (while a minister without portfolio)
• John Robert Cooke 1931–1934 (while a minister without portfolio)
• Robert H. Saunders 1948–1955 (a former mayor of Toronto, killed in a plane crash while in office)
  • Vice Chair (minister without portfolio): George Holmes Challies (while a minister without portfolio)
  • Vice Chair: Ross Strike (a former mayor of Bowmanville)
• Dr. Richard Hearn 1955–56 (incumbent general manager and chief engineer of the commission)^[16]
  • Vice Chair (minister without portfolio): George Holmes Challies (until August 1955), Bill Warrender (from August 1955)
  • Vice Chair: Ross Strike
• James S. Duncan 1956–61
  • Vice Chair (minister without portfolio): Ray Connell (until April 1958)
  • Vice Chair: Ross Strike
• George E Gathercole 1962–1974