Fonds consists of records created and/or maintained by the National Museums of Canada and its predecessors. Researchers are cautioned that unprocessed textual records and records in other media are not reflected in this description.
National Museums of Canada : The National Museum Corporation was established in 1968 under the National Museums Act (16 Elizabeth II, chap. 21) in order to bring together in one administrative unit and under a single Board of Trustees the four federal museums located in Ottawa. The museums involved are the National Gallery of Canada, established in 1880, the Museum of Man (now the Canadian Museum of Civilization) and the National Museum of Natural Sciences, the last two established in 1912 and whose origins go back to the creation in 1842 of the Museum of the Geological Survey of Canada, and finally the National Museum of Science and Technology, established in 1964. Set up as a departmental corporation, the National Museums of Canada (NMC) had as mandate to "present the products of nature and the works of man, referring more particularly but not exclusively to Canada, in a way that would create throughout Canada an interest in these products and works and spread knowledge about them" (National Museums Act, 1968). The NMC reported to Parliament through a minister. The Secretary of State handled the task from 1968 to 1979, and the Minister of Communications from 1980. The NMC contained the seven following activities: corporate management, management of the four national museums, corporation services and national programs. In 1987, the NMC were dismantled and each national museum was established as an autonomous organization with the passing of the Museums Act on July 1, 1990.
