Canada. Air Board : On June 6, 1919, Royal Assent was given to the Air Board Act (9-10 George V, chap. 11) which created a board "to supervise all matters connected with aeronautics". By an Order in Council of June 23, 1919 (P.C. 1295), the Honourable Arthur L. Sifton was named chairman of the Board and the following were appointed members: O.M. Biggar, Judge Advocate General; Hon. S.C. Newburn, Minister of Militia and Defence; Hon. C.C. Ballantyne, Minister of the Naval Service; Dr. R.M. Coulter, Deputy Minister, Department of the Naval Service; J.A. Wilson, Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of the Naval Service; and E.S. Busby, Chief Inspector, Department of Customs and Inland Revenue. The preliminary work of organization (the creation of a departmental staff, publication of civil aviation regulations and the general principles underlying the organization of the Canadian Air Force fixed) was completed by April 1920 and the Air Board was reorganized by Order-in-Council P.C. 826 of April 19, 1920. The new chairman was the Honourable Hugh Guthrie and the members were: O.M. Biggar, Sir Willoughby Gwatkin, Inspector General of the C.A.F., Lt.-Col. Robert Leckie, Director of Flying Operations, Lt.-Col. J.S. Scott, Controller of Civil Aviation, Capt. Walter Hose, Director of the Naval Service, Dr. E. Deville, Surveyor General.
The Board had three main functions: the regulation of civil aviation; the conduct of civil government operations; and the air defence of Canada, including the organization and administration of the Canadian Air Force. In addition to the Board, there was a Departmental Committee consisting of Biggar, Gwatkin, Leckie, Scott, J.A. Wilson who was the Board's secretary, the Air Officer Commanding the Canadian Air Force and the heads of the Technical and Equipment Branches. In January 1923, when the Department of National Defence was created, the Air Board ceased to exist as a separate agency and its functions were assumed by the Minister of National Defence. RG24 General Inventory
