Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Department of Railways and Canals was created in 1879 by extracting from the Department of Public Works its Railway Branch and the operational responsibilities for canals administered by the Office of the Chief Engineer, and combining them to form a new ministry composed of the two branches (the Railway Branch and the Canal Branch). The Railway Branch was responsible for the construction, operation, and maintenance of government-owned railways, and administered a program of financial assistance designed to encourage railway companies to construct new lines. The Canal Branch supervised the operation, maintenance, and enlargement of the Canadian Canal System and undertook the construction of new canals when required. In 1936, the Department of Railways and Canals was amalgamated with the Department of Marine and the Civil Aviation Branch of the Department of National Defence to form the Department of Transport. (Taken from: Canada. "National Archives General Guide Series: Government Archives Division." Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada, 1991.)