Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Department of Environment executive records
General material designation
- textual record
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the series.
Level of description
Series
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1958-1981 (predominantly 1970-1977) (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
6.1 m of textual records, maps and photos
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Dept. of Environment was established in 1975 by an order in council (OIC 3838/75). The original functions of the Dept. of Environment were transferred from the Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources, whose functions had been split between the Department of Environment and Department of Forests. The department was responsible for the management and protection of land, air and water resources including Crown lands (except for matters under the jurisdiction of the Dept. of Forests), water rights and pollution control. The department was divided into three branches: land and water management, environmental and engineering services, and environmental protection. In 1976, the Dept. of Environment was renamed the Ministry of the Environment (OIC: 3199/76).
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Ministry of Environment was renamed in 1976 from the Dept. of Environment (OIC: 3199/76). Its original organizational structure was based on that of the Dept. of Environment which was created in 1975. The original functions of the Dept. of Environment were transferred from the Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources, whose functions had been split between the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Forests. The department was responsible for the management and protection of land, air and water resources including Crown lands (except for matters under the jurisdiction of the Dept. of Forests), water rights and pollution control. The department was divided into three branches: land and water management, environmental and engineering services, and environmental protection.
In 1978, a major government reorganization transferred functions relating to lands and parks from the Ministry of the Environment to the newly established Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing. At the same time, the functions of marine resources, fish and wildlife were acquired from the disestablished Ministry of Recreation and Conservation. Environmental health engineering were also acquired from the reorganized Ministry of Health and emergency programming from the reorganized Ministry of Provincial Secretary and Travel Industry. The reorganized Ministry of the Environment was divided into four branches: Land and Water Management, Environmental and Engineering Services, Environmental Protection, and Environment and Land Use Secretariat. In 1978 the Ministry of the Environment was renamed the Ministry of Environment (OIC 3018/78, see also RSBC 1979, c. 271).
Custodial history
Scope and content
This series consists of records created by the Ministry of the Environment, the Department of Environment and their predecessors departments, such as the Department of Lands, Forests and Water Resources. The majority of the records were created from 1970-1977.
Records relate to department administration, organization charts, reorganization, pollution control, water resources services and the agricultural land reserve.
The records relate to all functions of the Department of Environment. This includes, but is not limited to, the creation and management of the Department of the Environment; managing protected areas; hunting; trapping and traplines; guide outfitters; fishing; Indigenous hunting and land rights; wildlife management, including wolf control; game farming; fish farms and aquaculture; water rights and management; Ministry centralization and reorganization; the establishment of the Environmental Lab; conservation and habitat management; water rights and water licences; flood prevention and mitigation; the creation and management of dams and dykes; land use; pollution, including air, chemical, solid waste and sewage; waste management, including landfills and sewage systems; coal mining; pesticides and herbicides; conservation officers, including enforcement and prosecutions; the drafting of legislation and orders-in-council; flood claims, control and prevention; and surveys and mapping.
Records include correspondence from the public and within government, briefing notes, meeting minutes, minister's speeches, Cabinet submissions, Treasury Board submissions, reports, agreements, legislation, agreements, policies, procedures, maps and photos.
The records were created by the following executive:
Ray Gillis Williston, Minister of Lands, Forests and Water Resources, 1962-1972
Robert Arthur Williams, Minister of Lands, Forests and Water Resources, 1972-1975
James Arthur Nielson, Minister of Environment, 1975-1978
Kenneth Rafe Mair, Minister, 1978-1979
Charles Stephen Rogers, Minister, 1979-1983
Ben E Marr, Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), Water Resources, 1973-1975
Ben E Marr, Deputy Minister, 1974-1987
Allan Murray, ADM Conservation, 1978-1979
V Raudsepp, DM, Water Resources, 1970-1973
GE Simmons, ADM, Water Resources, 1975
GE Simmons, ADM, Water and Air, 1976
GE Simmons, ADM, Environmental and Engineering, 1977-1978
GE Simmons, ADM, Environmental Management, 1979-1981
WN Venables, ADM Environmental Protection, 1979
Ed H Vernon, ADM, Conservation, 1974-1978
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Records transferred from the Ministry of Environment at various dates.
Arrangement
Records are arranged by accession number. The primary file numbering system was used up to approximately 1989. The numerical system is denoted with a decimal point to indicate subcategories within a broader topic. For example, 1.01561, 5.0029 and 10.001. The digits preceding the decimal point represent the following categories:
- administration
- legislation, regulation and policies
- committees, boards and commissions
- correspondence
- studies and projects
- conferences
- technical
The series includes several other filing systems, including some files with "O" numbers. These other codes were likely inherited from other departments when the Department of the Environment was initially created and relevant files from other areas were transferred to them.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
These records are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or other acts and access may be restricted. Please contact the BC Archives to determine the access status of these records.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
See GR-4189, Ministry of Environment executive records, for related records from 1978 onwards
Accruals
General note
Accession number(s): 89-1578, 91-6510, 92-6832
General note
Location note: These records are kept in offsite storage and must be specially ordered. If they have no access restrictions or our Privacy Office has given you permission to view them, please write to request that they be ordered in at least five business days prior to your visit.