Ministry of Municipal Affairs (Manitoba)

Manitoba Municipal and Northern Relations (formerly Department of Municipal Affairs until 1978) is a department of the Government of Manitoba that deals with local administrations and bodies, including municipalities, planning districts, and non-governmental organizations. This includes the provision of training, ongoing consultation, technical analysis, and funding related to land management, community renewal, infrastructure, and the building of capacity of local governments to provide services.

The department is organized into two functional areas: Community Planning and Development; and Infrastructure and Municipal Services. There are also two areas of special focus:"Annual Report 2019-2020 Municipal Government." Government of Manitoba. Retrieved 2021 May 9.

The Manitoba Water Services Board is a Crown Corporation of the department that helps deliver technical advice/information in order to develop and upgrade sewer and water infrastructure The Office of the Fire Commissioner is a special operating agency of the department, with a mandate to "safeguard both persons and property from fire and life safety hazards through education, investigations, inspections, emergency response and code application."

History From 1886 to 1953, responsibility for overseeing municipal affairs throughout the province of Manitoba belong to the Department of the Municipal Commissioner, which was established by The Manitoba Municipal Act. The Municipal Commissioner replaced the existing system of municipal councils, county councils, and judicial boards which was established in the 1870s. This system was maintained by municipal taxation, and was soon found to be too costly and difficult to manage. County councils were abolished in 1884, followed by the judicial boards two years later; the Department of Municipal Commissioner was created thereafter."Manitoba. Department of the Municipal Commissioner."

In 1953, the office of Municipal Commissioner was restructured and the provincial government assumed new responsibilities for municipal supervision. The result was the creation of the Department of Municipal Affairs by The Department of Municipal Affairs Act on 20 April 1953.Manitoba. Department of Municipal Affairs

From around 1966 to 1969, the department was known as the Department of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs. However, in 1971, the enactment of the new City of Winnipeg Act saw the creation a new Department of Urban Affairs, which was responsible for advising and assisting the new City of Winnipeg. The Department of Municipal Affairs continued to advise and assist rural municipalities in Manitoba.

In 1978, the Municipal Affairs and Urban Affairs departments briefly merged to create the Department of Municipal and Urban Affairs. In 1979, a Minister of Urban Affairs was appointed but the departments did not formally separate again until 1981.

In 1989, under the government of Gary Filmon, Municipal Affairs was combined with parts of the Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Natural Resources to form the Department of Rural Development."Manitoba. Department of Rural Development" It provided advisory and program services to municipalities, local economic and environmental organizations, and citizens in rural Manitoba. In 1992, the Department was organized into two divisions—Local Government Services and Rural Economic Development—which oversaw branches and programs including the Food Development Centre, Rural Development Institute, Conservation Districts Program, and Assessment Branch.

In 1999, Rural Development merged with the Department of Urban Affairs to create the Department of Intergovernmental Affairs. All of the programs of the former Department of Rural Development were absorbed into the new department, except for the Food Development Centre, which became part of the Department of Agriculture and Food.

In 2003, the Department's Rural and Northern Community Economic Development division was transferred to the newly-created Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) department. At the same time, the Trade and Federal-Provincial and International Relations division was created in the department through programming transfers from five departments; as result, the department was renamed the Department of Intergovernmental Affairs and Trade."Manitoba. Department of Intergovernmental Affairs (1999-2003)." In September 2006, the Trade and Federal-Provincial and International Relations division, the Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure Agreement and the Economic Partnership Agreement were transferred out of the department and it was again renamed the Department of Intergovernmental Affairs."Department of Intergovernmental Affairs and Trade."

In November 2009, the various divisions were transferred out of the Department of Intergovernmental Affairs and it was subsequently renamed the Department of Local Government."Department of Intergovernmental Affairs (2006-2009)." In October 2013, a government reorganization added the Energy Division, along with responsibilities for Manitoba Hydro, to the department which was then renamed the Department of Municipal Government. A new position of Minister Responsible for Relations with the City of Winnipeg was created under this new department."Department of Municipal Government."

On 3 May 2016, the responsibilities of the former departments of Municipal Government and Aboriginal and Northern Affairs were combined into a single unit, the department of Indigenous and Municipal Relations, created by the newly-elected government led by Brian Pallister. The following year, the portfolios were again split, establishing the departments of Municipal Relations and Indigenous and Northern Relations.

List of Municipal Relations ministers

The longest-serving Minister of Municipal Affairs in Manitoba was Howard Pawley, who served from 1969 to 1976 and played a significant role in the amalgamation of Winnipeg. Pawley later served as Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988. NamePartyTook officeLeft officeNotesMinister of Municipal AffairsEdmond PrefontaineLib-ProgApril 20, 1953June 30, 1958John ThompsonPCJune 30, 1958December 21, 1969Maurice RidleyPCDecember 21, 1959September 30, 1960Sterling LyonPCDecember 30, 1960October 25, 1961Walter C. WeirPCOctober 25, 1961February 27, 1963Robert SmelliePCFebruary 27, 1963July 22, 1966Thelma ForbesPCJuly 22, 1966September 24, 1968as the Minister of Urban Development and Municipal AffairsObie BaizleyPCSeptember 24, 1968July 15, 1969concurrently the Commissioner of Northern AffairsHoward PawleyNDPJuly 15, 1969September 22, 1976Bill UruskiNDPSeptember 22, 1976October 24, 1977Gerald MercierPCOctober 24, 1977November 15, 1979Douglas GourlayPCNovember 15, 1979November 30, 1981Aime AdamNDPNovember 30, 1981November 4, 1983Andy AnstettNDPNovember 4, 1983April 17, 1986John BucklaschukNDPApril 17, 1986September 21, 1987Bill UruskiNDPSeptember 21, 1987May 9, 1988Glen CummingsPCMay 9, 1988April 21, 1989Minister of Rural DevelopmentJack PennerPCApril 21, 1989February 5, 1991Jim DowneyPCFebruary 5, 1991January 14, 1992concurrently the Deputy Premier, Minister of Northern Affairs, and the Minister responsible for Communities Economic Development FundLeonard DerkachPCJanuary 14, 1992October 5, 1999Minister of Intergovernmental AffairsJean FriesenNDPOctober 5, 1999June 25, 2003Rosann WowchukNDPJune 25, 2003November 4, 2003as Minister responsible for Intergovernmental AffairsMaryAnn MihychukNDPNovember 4, 2003May 18, 2004as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and TradeScott SmithNDPOctober 12, 2004September 21, 2006as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and TradeSteve AshtonNDPSeptember 21, 2006September 14, 2009Minister of Municipal GovernmentRon LemieuxNDPNovember 3, 2009October 18, 2013as the Minister of Local Government (Portfolio name change)Stan StruthersNDPOctober 18, 2013November 3, 2014(Kevin Chief was the "Minister responsible for the City of Winnipeg within the Department of Municipal Government")Drew CaldwellNDPNovember 3, 2014May 3, 2016Minister of Indigenous and Municipal RelationsEileen ClarkePCMay 3, 2016August 17, 2017After August 17, Clarke's portfolio was renamed Minister of Indigenous and Northern Relations.Minister of Municipal RelationsJeff WhartonPCAugust 17, 2017October 23, 2019Rochelle SquiresPCOctober 23, 2019January 5, 2021Derek JohnsonPCJanuary 5, 2021January 18, 2022Eileen Clarke PCJanuary 18, 2022January 30, 2023Andrew SmithPCJanuary 30, 2023October 18, 2023Minister of Municipal and Northern RelationsIan BushieNDPOctober 18, 2023November 13, 2024Also the Minister of Indigenous Economic DevelopmentGlen SimardNDPNovember 13, 2024 incumbent

+MinistersNamePartyTitleTook officeLeft officeDarren PraznikPCMinister responsible for French Language ServicesFebruary 5, 1991May 9, 1995Darren PraznikPCMinister responsible for French Language ServicesJanuary 6, 1997October 5, 1999Gary FilmonPCMinister of French Language ServicesFebruary 5, 1991October 5, 1999Greg SelingerNDPMinister responsible for Francophone AffairsOctober 5, 1999September 14, 2009Minister responsible for French Language ServicesNovember 3, 2009May 3, 2016Rochelle SquiresPCMinister responsible for Francophone AffairsMay 3, 2016October 18, 2023Glen SimardNDPMinister responsible for Francophone AffairsOctober 18, 2023incumbent

Statutory responsibilities

The Buildings and Mobile Homes Act City of Winnipeg Charter (S.M. 2002, c. 39) The Capital Region Partnership Act The Community Renewal Act The Convention Centre Corporation Act (S.M. 1988-89, c. 39) The Electricians' Licence Act The Elevator Act The Fires Prevention and Emergency Response Act The Gas and Oil Burner Act The Local Government Districts Act The Municipal Act The Municipal Assessment Act The Municipal Affairs Administration Act The Municipal Amalgamations Act The Municipal Board Act The Municipal Councils and School Boards Elections Act An Act respecting Debts Owing by Municipalities to School Districts The Official Time Act The Planning Act [except Part 10] The Power Engineers Act The Regional Waste Management Authorities Act The Soldiers' Taxation Relief Act The Steam and Pressure Plants Act The Technical Safety Act The Unconditional Grants Act The Manitoba Water Services Board Act The Bilingual Service Centres Act, C.C.S.M. c. B37 The Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act, C.C.S.M. c. F157 The Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Act [Section 9 "insofar as it relates to Rural Opportunities 4 Growth, Infrastructure Grants or Rural Economic Development Initiatives"] The Amusements Act [Part II] The Labour Administration Act ["insofar as it relates to the administration of The Fires Prevention and Emergency Response Act"] The Municipal Taxation and Funding Act [Part 2]

Ministry of Municipal Affairs (Manitoba)

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