Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario)
| Ministère des Richesses naturelles (French) | |
The ministry's headquarters at Robinson Place in Peterborough | |
| Ministry overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1972 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Ontario |
| Headquarters | Peterborough, Ontario |
| Ministers responsible |
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| Website | www |
The Ministry of Natural Resources is a government ministry of the Canadian province of Ontario that is responsible for Ontario's provincial parks, forests, fisheries, wildlife, mineral aggregates and the Crown lands and waters that make up 87 per cent of the province. Its offices are divided into Northwestern, Northeastern and Southern Ontario regions with the main headquarters in Peterborough, Ontario. The current minister is Graydon Smith.
Founded in its modern form in 1972, it has been associated with many other related ministries over the years, including recently the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Northern Development, the Ministry of Mines (Ontario), and the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs. Often these portfolios will be consolidated into one or two ministries, or they will remain separate portfolios but assigned to the same cabinet minister. While there has never been an independent Ministry of Forests, forestry is an area of responsibility that is often in the mix.
In 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry merged with the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines to form the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, while the Ministry of Energy became a separate ministry. Following the 2022 Ontario general election, the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry was split up into three separate ministries. In June, 2024, the Minister of Natural Resources no longer had responsibility for forestry, which was now the responsibility of an Associate Minister of Forestry under the Minister of Natural Resources. The Minister of Mines and Minister of Northern Development remained separate ministries.
The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry was Graydon Smith from the 2022 election until June 2024, when he was appointed the Minister of Natural Resources In August, 2024 Kevin Holland became the Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products under the Ministry of Natural Resources. Since the 2022 election, the Minister of Mines is George Pirie, and the Minister of Northern Development is Greg Rickford.