Provincial secretary
History
History
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The position existed prior to Confederation in the [Province of Canada](/wiki/Province_of_Canada "Province of Canada") (as well as in the previous provinces of [Upper Canada](/wiki/Upper_Canada "Upper Canada") and [Lower Canada](/wiki/Lower_Canada "Lower Canada")) and the various governments in [Atlantic Canada](/wiki/Atlantic_Canada "Atlantic Canada") under British rule, though in [Newfoundland](/wiki/Colony_of_Newfoundland "Colony of Newfoundland") and [Prince Edward Island](/wiki/Prince_Edward_Island "Prince Edward Island") the title was [colonial secretary](/wiki/Chief_Secretary_%28British_Empire%29 "Chief Secretary (British Empire)"). British Columbia also had a colonial secretary prior to becoming a [province](/wiki/Province "Province") of Canada in 1871\. Before the granting of [responsible government](/wiki/Responsible_government "Responsible government") and the emergence of the position of [premier](/wiki/Premier_%28Canada%29 "Premier (Canada)"), the provincial secretary was the leading position in the executive councils appointed by the various [governors](/wiki/Governor "Governor") and [lieutenant\-governors](/wiki/Lieutenant-governor "Lieutenant-governor") of [British North America](/wiki/British_North_America "British North America"). Frequently, provincial secretaries during these periods were the most powerful elected representatives in their jurisdictions.

The provincial secretary was the equivalent of the former [Canadian Cabinet](/wiki/Canadian_Cabinet "Canadian Cabinet") position of [Secretary of State for Canada](/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_Canada "Secretary of State for Canada"). Like its federal counterpart it included an eclectic variety of responsibilities that were not assigned to other ministers, most of which would eventually evolve into portfolios of their own. In [Nova Scotia](/wiki/Nova_Scotia "Nova Scotia"), where the position originated in 1720, the provincial secretary was also the [treasurer](/wiki/Treasurer "Treasurer") of the province until 1946\. The provincial secretary was also responsible for official communications between the provincial government and the [Colonial Office](/wiki/Colonial_Office "Colonial Office") in [London](/wiki/London "London") as well as with other provincial and colonial governments (and after 1867 the [federal government](/wiki/Government_of_Canada "Government of Canada")). As well, the position also included various duties related to ceremonial occasions, visits by dignitaries, protocol, relations between the government and the office of [lieutenant\-governor](/wiki/Lieutenant-governor "Lieutenant-governor") and commemorative events particularly in relation to the [monarchy](/wiki/Monarchy "Monarchy").

Generally, the provincial secretary acted as a province's registrar\-general and was responsible for formal documents and records such as licences, birth and death certificates, land registries and surveys, business registrations and writs. As well, the position was generally responsible for the administration of the civil service and of elections. Provincial secretaries were usually the most senior member of the provincial cabinet outside of the premier, and the office holder was often designated as acting premier when the premier was out of province, ill or otherwise unavailable.

The position of provincial secretary was particularly important in [Manitoba](/wiki/Manitoba "Manitoba") from 1870 to 1874, as that province's institutions were being established. The province had no premier during this period, and its [lieutenant\-governors](/wiki/Lieutenant-governor "Lieutenant-governor") acted as the de facto leaders of government. The early provincial secretaries (including [Alfred Boyd](/wiki/Alfred_Boyd "Alfred Boyd") and [Henry Joseph Clarke](/wiki/Henry_Joseph_Clarke "Henry Joseph Clarke")) were the most prominent elected officials in the province, and are retroactively regarded as premiers in many modern sources.

The provincial secretary continued to oversee miscellaneous government activities into the twentieth\-century (Nova Scotia's *Public Service Act* conferred on the position responsibility for all matters not specifically assigned to any other minister). Frequently, twentieth\-century provincial secretaries would concurrently hold other cabinet portfolios.


How can one distinguish between a provincial secretary and a premier?