Our History

The Department, founded in 1841, was instrumental in the building of our nation's canals, roads and bridges, the Houses of Parliament, post offices and federal buildings across the country.

Today, we have evolved into a sophisticated operational arm of government that employs approximately 12,100 people working in locations across Canada and headquartered in the National Capital Area.

The Department of Public Works and Government Services Act, passed in 1996, established the Department and set out the legal authorities for PWGSC's services. The Act established PWGSC as a common service organization providing government departments, boards and agencies with support services for their programs.