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LAC Forum on Canadian Democracy

Civil Service

The Civil Service is made up of administrative bodies dedicated to specific federal programs, services, or policy areas. Each department is overseen by a Cabinet minister and operated by public servants. Various boards, standing commissions, councils, and agencies of the Canadian Government also are responsible for carrying out directives passed by legislation or order-in-Ccuncil. Library and Archives Canada collects and preserves the records of a vast number of active and defunct government institutions.

1. Published Materials

As a national catalogue, AMICUS not only shows the published materials held at Library and Archives Canada but also those located in over 1300 libraries across Canada. AMICUS contains over 30 million records for books, magazines, newspapers, government documents, theses, sound recordings, maps, electronic texts, as well as items in braille and large print.

Using the Advanced Search option in AMICUS and selecting "Publication Type", you can limit your search to "Government publications – Federal/national" or "Government publications – State, prov., terr. etc." You can also narrow your search by language and date, as well as format. Specifying "Web documents" in the latter will limit the search to full-text electronic publications.

Here are some sample Subject Keyword searches:

Canada National Defence
Canada Fisheries Oceans
Civil service – Canada
Canada – Officials and employees
Public administration – Canada
Executive departments – Canada
Administrative agencies – Canada
Bureacracy – Canada

2. Canadian Ministries

The following list is an alphabetic roster of all of the Canadian portfolios that have been assigned to members of Parliament or the Senate since Confederation. After 1867, certain government offices of the British North American colonies were incorporated into new federal departments or continued to function at the national level; consequently, researchers should be aware that the fonds of a ministry may contain the records of its pre-Confederation predecessor.

The Library of Parliament has tabulated each ministry's evolution as well as the individuals appointed to manage that particular portfolio. Researchers can view these tables by going to the History of Departments page: www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Legacy/pages/DepHist.asp?
Language=E&Dept=INDEX&SubDept=INDEX

Department	Library and Archive Canada Fonds
Agriculture	Department of Agriculture fonds
Agriculture and Agri-Food	Department of Agriculture fonds
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency	Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency fonds
Canadian Heritage	Department of Canadian Heritage fonds
Citizenship and Immigration	Department of Citizenship and Immigration fonds Department of Employment and Immigration Canada Employment and Immigration Advisory Council fonds
Communications	Department of Communications fonds See also Department of Canadian Heritage fonds to which many functions were transferred
Consumer and Corporate Affairs	Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs See also Department of Industry fonds to which many functions were transferred
Customs	Department of National Revenue fonds
Customs and Excise	Department of National Revenue fonds
Customs and Inland Revenue	Department of National Revenue fonds
Defence Production	Department of Defence Production fonds See also Department of Public Works fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Department of Supply and Services fonds to which many functions were transferred
Employment and Immigration	Department of Employment and Immigration See also Department of Citizenship and Immigration fonds to which some functions were transferred See also Human Resources Development Canada fonds to which some functions were transferred
Energy, Mines and Resources	Natural Resources Canada fonds
Environment	Department of Environment fonds
Environment, Ministry of State	Department of Environment fonds
External Affairs	Department of External Affairs fonds
External Relations	Department of External Affairs fonds
Finance	Department of Finance fonds
Fisheries	Department of Fisheries and Oceans fonds
Fisheries, Ministry of State	Department of Fisheries and Oceans fonds
Fisheries and Environment	Department of Fisheries and Oceans fonds
Fisheries and Forestry	Department of Fisheries and Oceans fonds See also Department of Environment fonds to which some functions were transferred
Fisheries and Oceans	Department of Fisheries and Oceans fonds
Foreign Affairs	Department of External Affairs fonds
Forestry	Department of Environment fonds
Forestry and Rural Development	Department of Environment fonds
Health	Department of National Health and Welfare fonds
Human Resources Development	Human Resources Development Canada fonds
Immigration and Colonization	Department of Employment and Immigration See also Department of Citizenship and Immigration fonds to which some functions were transferred
Indian Affairs	Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development fonds
Indian Affairs and Northern Development	Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development fonds
Industry	Industry Canada fonds Department of Industry fonds See also Department of Industry, Trade, and Commerce fonds from which some functions were transferred See also Department of Industry, Science, and Technology fonds from which some functions were transferred See also Department of Regional Economic Expansion fonds from which some functions were transferred See also Department of Regional Industrial Expansion fonds from which some functions were transferred
Industry, Science and Technology	Department of Industry, Science, and Technology fonds
Industry, Trade and Commerce	Department of Industry, Trade, and Commerce fonds
Inland Revenue	Department of Inland Revenue series See also Department of National Revenue fonds to which many functions were transferred
Interior	Department of the Interior fonds See also Department of Canadian Heritage fonds to which some functions were transferred See also Department of Citizenship and Immigration fonds to which some functions were transferred See also Human Resources Development Canada fonds to which some functions were transferred See also Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development fonds to which some functions were transferred See also Natural Resources Canada fonds to which some functions were transferred
International Cooperation	Department of External Affairs fonds
International Trade	Department of External Affairs fonds
Justice	Department of Justice fonds
Labour	Department of Labour fonds See also Human Resources Development Canada fonds to which many functions were transferred
Labour and Housing	Human Resources Development Canada fonds
Manpower and Immigration	Department of Employment and Immigration MIKAN See also Department of Citizenship and Immigration fonds to which some functions were transferred See also Human Resources Development Canada fonds to which some functions were transferred
Marine	Department of Marine fonds See also Department of Transport fonds to which many functions were transferred
Marine and Fisheries	Department of Marine fonds Department of Fisheries and Oceans fonds
Militia and Defence	Department of Militia and Defence fonds See also Department of National Defence fonds to which many functions were transferred
Mines	Mines Branch sous-fonds See also Natural Resources Canada fonds to which many functions were transferred
Mines and Resources	Natural Resources Canada fonds
Mines and Technical Surveys	Natural Resources Canada fonds
Multiculturalism and Citizenship	Department of Canadian Heritage fonds
Munitions and Supply	Department of Munitions and Supply series See also Department of Reconstruction and Supply fonds to which many functions were transferred
National Defence	Department of National Defence fonds See also Department of Militia and Defence fonds from which many functions were transferred See also Department of Fisheries and Oceans fonds from which some functions were transferred
National Defence for Air	Department of National Defence fonds
National Defence for Naval Services	Department of National Defence fonds
National Health and Welfare	Department of National Health and Welfare fonds
National Revenue	Department of National Revenue fonds
National War Services	Department of National War Services fonds
Natural Resources	Natural Resources Canada fonds
Naval Service	Department of National Defence fonds
Northern Affairs and National Resources	See Natural Resources Canada fonds to which some functions were transferred See Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development fonds to which some functions were transferred
Overseas Military Forces	Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada fonds See also Department of National Defence fonds which performed similar functions subsequently
Pensions and National Health	Department of Pensions and National Health fonds See also Department of National Health and Welfare fonds to which some functions were transferred See also Department of Veterans Affairs fonds to which some functions were transferred
Post Office	Post Office Department fonds
Privy Council	Privy Council Office fonds
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness	Solicitor General Secretariat fonds See also Canadian Security Intelligence Service fonds, which reports to Solicitor General See also Correctional Service of Canada fonds which reports to Solicitor General See also Royal Canadian Mounted Police fonds, which reports to Solicitor General See also National Parole Board fonds, which reports to Solicitor General
Public Works	Department of Public Works fonds Public Works and Government Services Department of Public Works fonds See also Department of Supply and Services fonds to which many functions were transferred Railways and Canals Department of Railways and Canals fonds See also Department of Transport fonds to which many functions were transferred
Receiver General	Department of Finance fonds See also Office of the Receiver General series, which contains pre-Confederation records See also Department of Supply and Services fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Department of Public Works fonds to which many functions were transferred
Reconstruction	Department of Reconstruction and Supply fonds See also Human Resources Development Canada fonds to which many functions were transferred
Reconstruction and Supply	Department of Reconstruction and Supply fonds See also Human Resources Development Canada fonds to which many functions were transferred
Regional Economic Expansion	Department of Regional Economic Expansion fonds See also Department of Regional Industrial Expansion fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Department of Industry, Trade, and Commerce fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Department of Industry, Science, and Technology fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Department of Industry fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Industry Canada fonds to which many functions were transferred
Regional Industrial Expansion	Department of Regional Industrial Expansion fonds See also Department of Industry, Trade, and Commerce fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Department of Industry, Science, and Technology fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Department of Industry fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Industry Canada fonds to which many functions were transferred
Registrar General	Registrar General sous-fonds
Resources and Development	Human Resources Development Canada fonds
Science	Ministry of State for Science and Technology fonds See also Department of Industry fonds to which many functions were transferred
Science and Technology	Ministry of State for Science and Technology fonds See also Department of Industry fonds to which many functions were transferred
Secretary of State	Department of the Secretary of State of Canada fonds See also Department of Canadian Heritage fonds to which many functions were transferred
Secretary of State for the Provinces	Secretary of State for the Provinces fonds See also Department of the Interior fonds to which many functions were transferred
Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment	Department of Veterans Affairs fonds See also Department of Pensions and National Health fonds to which some functions were transferred
Solicitor General	Solicitor General Secretariat fonds See also Canadian Security Intelligence Service fonds, which reports to Solicitor General See also Correctional Service of Canada fonds, which reports to Solicitor General See also Royal Canadian Mounted Police fonds, which reports to Solicitor General See also National Parole Board fonds, which reports to Solicitor General
Supply and Services	Department of Supply and Services fonds See also Department Department of Defence Production fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Department of Public Works fonds to which many functions were transferred MIKAN 344
Trade	Department of Industry, Trade, and Commerce fonds See also Department of External Affairs fonds to which some functions were transferred
Trade and Commerce	Department of Trade and Commerce fonds See also Department of Industry, Trade, and Commerce fonds to which many functions were transferred See also Department of External Affairs fonds to which some functions were transferred
Transport	Department of Transport fonds See also Department of Railways and Canals fonds from which many functions were transferred See also Department of Marine fonds from which some functions were transferred
Treasury Board	Treasury Board fonds
Veterans Affairs	Department of Veterans Affairs fonds See also Department of Pensions and National Health fonds from which some functions were transferred
Western Diversification Office	Western Economic Diversification fonds
Western Economic Diversification	Western Economic Diversification fonds

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2. Canadian Agencies

The following list is a sample of the Canadian agencies that are dedicated to carrying out mandated government functions. This can include boards, standing commissions, councils, and other offices providing government services.

Boards

Commissions

Councils

Services

Canadian Crown Corporations

The following list is a sample of the Canadian Crown corporations that are dedicated to carrying out mandated government functions.