Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Ontario)

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affair
Ministère de l'agriculture, de l'alimentation et des affaires rurales (French)
Government ministry overview
Formed	1994
Jurisdiction	Government of Ontario
Headquarters	Stone Road Complex, 1 Stone Road West, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Ministers responsible	Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Randy Pettapiece, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Rural Affairs); Toby Barrett, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Agriculture & Food);
Website	www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-agriculture-food-and-rural-affairs; ; omafra.gov.on.ca/english/index.html

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is an Ontario government ministry responsible for the food, agriculture and rural sectors of the Canadian province of Ontario. The Minister is currently Lisa Thompson.^[1]

The Ministry helps to build a stronger agri-food sector by investing in the development and transfer of innovative technologies, retaining and attracting investment, developing markets, providing regulatory oversight, and providing effective risk management tools.^[2]

Ministry mandate

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs works to advance government efforts to promote a competitive and productive agri-food sector and to provide economic growth and opportunities in rural Ontario.^[3] The mandate of the Ministry is set by the Premier of Ontario and conveyed to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs through a mandate letter. The mandate letter for 2014-2015 contains the following priorities:^[3]

Supporting the growth of the agri-food sector
Ensuring sustainability of agriculture
Providing business supports to farmers
Expanding agriculture in the north
Fostering vibrant rural economies

Foodland Ontario

Foodland Ontario, founded in 1977, is a consumer promotion program for the government of Ontario. Foodland Ontario currently falls under the administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs in Ontario.^[4] Through market research, advertising campaigns, working with local farmers and reaching out to retail locations, Foodland Ontario's mission is to "spread the word about the great taste, nutrition and economic benefits of buying Ontario food to all people in Ontario".^[4]

According to the Ministry, Foodland Ontario commercials such as the "Good things grow in Ontario" campaign reach more than 90% of the target audience including television, radio, billboard and print media campaigns. Food retailers such as grocery stores and farmer's markets display the logo to promote Ontario foods and capture niche markets for products such as health food. In 2011-12, over 700,000 copies of Foodland calendars and 250,000 copies of two Foodland cookbooks were distributed across the province.^[5]

Ministry agencies

The Ministry is responsible for the following agencies:^[6]^[7]

Agricorp
Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal
Board of Negotiation
Business Risk Management Review Committee
Canadian National Exhibition Association
Council of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario
Grain Financial Protection Board
Livestock Financial Protection Board
Livestock Medicines Advisory Committee
Normal Farm Practices Protection Board
Ontario Agristability Review Committee
Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission
Ontario Food Terminal Board
Rural Economic Development Advisory Panel

Organization history

Prior to confederation, the Bureau of Agriculture of the Province of Canada was responsible for collecting facts and statistics relating to the agricultural, mechanical and manufacturing interests.

Under the terms of the British North America Act of 1867, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario was empowered to appoint, as one of the executive officers of the government, a Commissioner of Agriculture and Public Works.

On March 4, 1868, the Act for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Horticulture, Arts, and Manufactures received royal assent, establishing the Department of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Public Works.^[8] The Commissioner was referred to simply as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Arts when dealing with matters relating to arts and agriculture, and as the Commissioner of Public Works, when dealing with matters relating to public works. However, a separate Department of Public Works was established in 1869, taking over the public works functions. However, one individual continued to be commissioner for both portfolios until 1874.

The agricultural and arts functions of the department were carried out by the Commissioner through the Bureau of Agriculture and Arts.^[9] "Arts", at the time, referred to the practical application of an industrial, manufacturing, or scientific pursuit, rather than to its current meaning. Additionally, a variety of both agricultural and arts-related agencies were required to report to the commissioner, and to provide statistical information to the bureau. The department also had responsibility over immigration between 1869 and 1874. In 1874, a separate Commissioner for the Department of Public Works was created.

In 1877, the Department of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Arts was formally established.^[10] The Commissioner acted as head of the Bureau of Agriculture and Arts from 1877 until 1882, as well as the Bureau of Industries, which replaced the Bureau of Agriculture and Arts, from 1882 until 1888.

In 1880, the "arts" related responsibilities of the Commissioner, and the bureau, were transferred to the Department of Education. The name of the department, however, remained the Department of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Arts until 1888.

In 1888, the department was renamed the Department of Agriculture. With this change, the head of the department was renamed to the Minister of Agriculture, with cabinet standing.^[11]^[12] Prior to the First World War, the department were responsible for a wide range of functions including the Office of the Registrar General (until 1891); the Clerk of Forestry (until 1895); the Inspector of Factories (until 1915); the Inspector of Mines (until 1891); and the Provincial Inspector in Road-making (until 1900). After the First World War, the department's function became increasingly more focused in the regulation and promotion of agricultural activities. The department was briefly responsible for telephone services between 1960 and 1971.

In 1966, the department was renamed the Department of Agriculture and Food. By this time, rural development has emerged distinctly as an area of focus. With the reorganization of the government in 1972, the department was renamed the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. In 1994, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food was renamed the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

List of ministers

	Name	Term of office	Tenure	Political party (Ministry)	Note
	Commissioner of Agriculture and Public Works
	John Carling	July 16, 1867	December 20, 1871	4 years, 157 days	Liberal Conservative (MacDonald)	Carling later served as federal Minister of Agriculture between 1885 and 1891 under Prime Ministers Macdonald and Abbott.
	Archibald McKellar	December 20, 1871	October 25, 1872	3 years, 215 days	Liberal (Blake)
October 25, 1872	Archibald McKellar	March 24, 1874	Liberal (Mowat)
	Commissioner of Agriculture
	Archibald McKellar	March 24, 1874	July 23, 1875		Concurrently Provincial Secretary and Registrar (April 4, 1874 – July 23, 1875)
	Samuel Casey Wood	July 23, 1875	June 2, 1883	7 years, 314 days	Concurrently Provincial Secretary and Registrar (July 23, 1875 – March 19, 1877), Treasurer (March 19, 1877 – June 2, 1883)
	James Young	June 2, 1883	November 2, 1883	153 days	Concurrently Treasurer
	Alexander McLagan Ross	November 2, 1883	May 1, 1888	4 years, 181 days	Concurrently Treasurer
	Charles Alfred Drury	May 1, 1888	September 16, 1890	2 years, 138 days	Styled as Minister of Agriculture with cabinet status
	Minister of Agriculture
	John Dryden	September 16, 1890	July 21, 1896	14 years, 145 days
July 21, 1896		October 21, 1899	Liberal (Hardy)
October 21, 1899		February 8, 1905	Liberal (Ross)
	Samuel Nelson Monteith	February 8, 1905	October 6, 1908	3 years, 241 days	Conservative (Whitney)
	James Stoddart Duff	October 6, 1908	September 25, 1914	8 years, 42 days
September 25, 1914	James Stoddart Duff	November 17, 1916	Conservative (Hearst)	8 years, 42 days	Died in office
	William Hearst	December 19, 1916	May 23, 1918	1 year, 155 days	Concurrently Premier
	George Stewart Henry	May 23, 1918	November 14, 1919	1 year, 175 days
	Manning Doherty	November 14, 1919	July 16, 1923	3 years, 244 days	United Farmers (Drury)
	John Strickler Martin	July 16, 1923	September 16, 1930	7 years, 62 days	Conservative (Ferguson)
	Thomas Laird Kennedy	September 16, 1930	December 15, 1930	3 years, 297 days (first instance)
December 15, 1930	Thomas Laird Kennedy	July 10, 1934	Conservative (Henry)	3 years, 297 days (first instance)
	Duncan Marshall	July 10, 1934	October 12, 1937	3 years, 94 days	Liberal (Hepburn)
	Patrick Michael Dewan	October 12, 1937	October 21, 1942	5 years, 309 days
October 21, 1942		May 18, 1943	Liberal (Conant)
May 18, 1943		August 17, 1943	Liberal (Nixon)
	Thomas Laird Kennedy	August 17, 1943	October 19, 1948	9 years, 156 days (second instance) 13 years, 88 days in total	PC (Drew)
October 19, 1948		May 4, 1949	PC (Kennedy)		Concurrently Premier
May 4, 1949		January 20, 1953	PC (Frost)
	Fletcher Stewart Thomas	January 20, 1953	August 1, 1956	3 years, 194 days
	William Arthur Goodfellow	August 1, 1956	November 8, 1961	5 years, 99 days
	William Atcheson Stewart	November 8, 1961	May 18, 1966	13 years, 333 days	PC (Robarts)
	Minister of Agriculture and Food
	William Atcheson Stewart	May 18, 1966	March 1, 1971
March 1, 1971	William Atcheson Stewart	October 7, 1975	PC (Davis)
	Bill Newman	October 7, 1975	August 30, 1979	3 years, 327 days
	Lorne Henderson	August 30, 1979	February 13, 1982	2 years, 167 days
	Dennis Timbrell	February 13, 1982	February 8, 1985	2 years, 361 days
	Philip Andrewes	February 8, 1985	May 17, 1985	98 days	PC (Miller)
	K. Ross Stevenson	May 17, 1985	June 26, 1985	40 days
	Jack Riddell	June 26, 1985	August 2, 1989	4 years, 37 days	Liberal (Peterson)
	David Ramsay	August 2, 1989	October 1, 1990	1 year, 60 days
	Elmer Buchanan	October 1, 1990	March 9, 1994	4 years, 268 days	NDP (Rae)
	Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
	Elmer Buchanan	March 9, 1994	June 26, 1995
	Noble Villeneuve	June 26, 1995	June 17, 1999	3 years, 356 days	PC (Harris)	Concurrently Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs
	Ernie Hardeman	June 17, 1999	February 7, 2001	1 year, 235 days (first instance)
	Brian Coburn	February 8, 2001	April 14, 2002	1 year, 65 days
	Helen Johns	April 15, 2002	October 22, 2003	1 year, 190 days	PC (Eves)
	Steve Peters	October 23, 2003	June 29, 2005	1 year, 249 days	Liberal (McGuinty)
	Leona Dombrowsky	June 29, 2005	January 18, 2010	4 years, 203 days
	Carol Mitchell	January 18, 2010	October 20, 2011	1 year, 275 days
	Ted McMeekin	October 20, 2011	February 11, 2013	1 year, 114 days
	Minister of Agriculture and Food				Liberal (Wynne)
	Kathleen Wynne	February 11, 2013	June 24, 2014	1 year, 133 days	Concurrently Premier. Jeff Leal held the office of Minister of Rural Affairs.
	Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
	Jeff Leal	June 24, 2014	June 29, 2018	4 years, 5 days	Total tenure 5 years, 138 days including time as Minister of Rural Affairs.
	Ernie Hardeman	June 29, 2018	June 17, 2021	2 years, 354 days (second instance)	PC (Ford)
	Lisa Thompson	June 18, 2021	June 4, 2024	3 years, 193 days	PC (Ford)

References

Notes

Citations

^ "Minister's Office". www.omafra.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
^ "Agriculture and Food". Government of Ontario (INFO-GO).
^ ^a ^b "Published Results-Based Plan 2014-15". www.omafra.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
^ ^a ^b "About us". 19 August 2013. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
^ "Good Things Grow in Ontario". www.omafra.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
^ "Agriculture and Food". Public Appointments Secretariat (Ontario). Retrieved 2011-06-24.
^ "Agencies and current appointees - Public Appointments Secretariat". www.pas.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
^ Ontario (1868). An Act for the encouragement of Agriculture, Horticulture, Arts and Manufactures ., S.O. 1868 (31 Vic), c. 29
^ James 1914, pp. 569–574.
^ Ontario (1877). The Agriculture and Arts Act., S.O. 1877 (40 Vic), c. 17
^ Ontario (1888). An Act respecting the Department of Agriculture and other Industries., S.O. 1888 (51 Vic), c. 8
^ James 1914, p. 574.

External links

Official website

[1] "Minister's Office". www.omafra.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-21.

[2] "Agriculture and Food". Government of Ontario (INFO-GO).

[omafra.gov.on.ca-3] "Published Results-Based Plan 2014-15". www.omafra.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-21.

[:0-4] "About us". 19 August 2013. Retrieved 2015-08-21.

[5] "Good Things Grow in Ontario". www.omafra.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-21.

[6] "Agriculture and Food". Public Appointments Secretariat (Ontario). Retrieved 2011-06-24.

[7] "Agencies and current appointees - Public Appointments Secretariat". www.pas.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-25.

[8] Ontario (1868). An Act for the encouragement of Agriculture, Horticulture, Arts and Manufactures ., S.O. 1868 (31 Vic), c. 29

[FOOTNOTEJames1914569–574-9] James 1914, pp. 569–574.

[10] Ontario (1877). The Agriculture and Arts Act., S.O. 1877 (40 Vic), c. 17

[11] Ontario (1888). An Act respecting the Department of Agriculture and other Industries., S.O. 1888 (51 Vic), c. 8

[FOOTNOTEJames1914574-12] James 1914, p. 574.

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