British Columbia. Dept. of Mines

Identity area

Type of entity

Government

Authorized form of name

British Columbia. Dept. of Mines

Parallel form(s) of name

Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

Other form(s) of name

  • Dept. of Mines
  • British Columbia. Dept. of Mines

Identifiers for corporate bodies

Description area

Dates of existence

1899-1960

History

The Dept. of Mines was established in 1899 in accordance with the Department of Mines Act (SBC 1899, c. 48). Prior to that, the earliest regulation of mining in the province was implemented under the Gold Fields Proclamation of 1859 with the appointment of two gold commissioners by Governor James Douglas for the Colony of British Columbia. A gold commissioner was first appointed in 1864 for the Colony of Vancouver Island. The commissioners registered claims, issued licenses and adjudicated disputes with the advice and aid of elected district mining boards.

The establishment of a provincial government with British Columbia’s entry into Confederation ultimately led to a Minister of Mines Act (SBC 1874, c. 16) in 1874. The Provincial Secretary also served as the Minister of Mines. In 1895, the Bureau of Mines Act 1895 (SBC 1895, c. 3) brought together all government offices connected with the mining industry. A provincial mineralogist was appointed who reported to the Provincial Secretary and Minister of Mines.

In 1899, the Department of Mines Act created a separate department and minister. The Bureau of Mines remained in place as the technical division of the department and was also responsible for the certification for assayists. Revisions to the Department of Mines Act in 1934 and 1937 abolished the bureau and completely reorganized and centralized the department, dividing the functions into four branches: Administration Branch under the chief gold commissioner; Assay Branch under the chief analyst and assayer; Mineralogical Branch under the chief mining engineer; and Mines Inspection Branch under the chief inspector of mines. The department had responsibility for all matters affecting mining, including the collection, publication and circulation of information relating to mining, administration of all mining laws, and the operation and maintenance of the Provincial Assay Office, laboratories, sampling plants, and the maintenance of the Museum of Minerals.

The functions and responsibilities of the department remained relatively stable until 1953 when responsibility for administration of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act and the Coal Act was transferred from the Department of Lands and Forests. A Petroleum and Natural Gas Branch, headed by the Chief Petroleum Engineer, was established and the department was renamed the Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources in 1960 (SBC 1960, c. 107).

Places

Legal status

Functions, occupations and activities

Mandates/sources of authority

Internal structures/genealogy

A Government Name

General context

Relationships area

Related entity

British Columbia. Bureau of Mines (1895-1934)

Identifier of related entity

16196

Category of relationship

hierarchical

Dates of relationship

1899-1936

Description of relationship

Related entity

British Columbia. Dept. of Mines. Resident Mining Engineer

Identifier of related entity

4083

Category of relationship

hierarchical

Type of relationship

British Columbia. Dept. of Mines. Resident Mining Engineer

is the subordinate of

British Columbia. Dept. of Mines

Dates of relationship

Description of relationship

Related entity

British Columbia. Dept. of Mines and Petroleum Resources (1960-1976)

Identifier of related entity

69

Category of relationship

temporal

Type of relationship

British Columbia. Dept. of Mines and Petroleum Resources

is the successor of

British Columbia. Dept. of Mines

Dates of relationship

Description of relationship

Access points area

Subject access points

Place access points

Occupations

Control area

Authority record identifier

68

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Michael Carter 2008-07-30

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Central Name Authority File

Maintenance notes

Created by: Michael Carter

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