Canada. Observatories Branch : With the dissolution of the Department of the Interior and the merger of the departments of Mines, Indian Affairs, Immigration, and Colonization in 1936, a new Department of Mines and Resources was created. Within this new department, the Dominion Observatory, Ottawa (R.M. Stewart, Dominion Astronomer) and the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Victoria (W.E. Harper, Head Astronomer) comprised the Dominion Observatories, which reported through the Surveys and Engineering Branch to the Minister of Mines and Resources. The change in structure allowed work in seismology and terrestrial magnetism to be consolidated in the Observatories, whereas previously it had been carried out by the both the Department of the Interior and the Department of Marine.
The 1938 Mines and Resources Annual Report defined the work of the Observatories as: "(The) conduct (of) scientific research in astrophysical and allied sciences, comprising such subjects as radial velocities of stars and orbits of spectroscopic binary stars, studies of stellar spectra and problems connected with variable stars, the physical nature of novas, the rotation of the galaxy and the distribution of matter in interstellar space. ... In problems of everyday application, investigations and services include the furnishing of basic time within a small fraction of a second for the whole of Canada, the correlation of cycles of variation in solar radiation with weather conditions and with fluctuations in vegetable life, studies of the effects of Canadian earthquakes and their relation to quake-resistant construction in seismic areas, accumulation of data on the variation of the compass across Canada for surveys, navigation etc, and determinations of the applicability of several of the newer methods of prospecting to conditions in Canada. Many of the problems are international in character, and are carried on as co-operative investigations with other observatories and scientific institutions, or through various scientific unions and societies."
A 28 August 1941 Order-in-Council designated the time established at the Dominion Observatory "as official time for Dominion official purposes". Previous to this, the only regulations in force were those of the various provinces and territories, which designated zones of standard time as times corresponding to certain degrees of longitude. No specific agency had been designated as the official source from which this time should be derived.
In 1947, a major re-organization of the Department of Mines and Resources resulted in the Dominion Observatories becoming one of eight bureaus of the Mines, Forests, and Scientific Services Branch. C.S. Beals, Dominion Astronomer, was head of both the Observatories bureau and the Dominion Observatory, Ottawa. The Ottawa Observatory consisted of five divisions: Positional Astronomy, Stellar Physics, Terrestrial Magnetism, Seismology and Gravity. The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, maintained a large degree of autonomy, despite being under the control of the Dominion Astronomer. J.A. Plaskett served as the Director of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.
In January, 1950, the Department of Mines and Resources was dissolved and three new departments created: Resources and Development; Citizenship and Immigration; and, Mines and Technical Surveys. The latter department was composed of five branches - Mines, Geological Survey, Dominion Observatories, Geographical, and Surveys and Mapping. The Mines and Resources Annual Report for that year offers a summary of the Dominion Observatories function's: "The Dominion Observatory at Ottawa and the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory ... are responsible for all research in astronomy carried out by the federal government. In addition to studies of purely scientific interest, data and services of practical application are regularly maintained, notably in the Time Service of Canada, which is an activity of the Ottawa Observatory."
C.S. Beals served as Director of the new Branch and Dominion Astronomer. The functions of the Dominion Observatory were divided into Stellar Physics, Positional Astronomy, Terrestrial Magnetism (which in 1955 became Geomagnetism), Gravity and Seismology. The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, RM Petrie Dominion Astrophysicist, was also part of the branch. When work on the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory near Penticton, British Columbia, was completed in 1960, it became part of the Stellar Physics Unit.
During the 1963-64 fiscal year, the Dominion Observatories became known as the Observatories Branch. The new branch consisted of six divisions, each of which had a considerable degree of autonomy: the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, which operated as an independent scientific institution under the direction of the Dominion Astronomer; the Division of Positional Astronomy; the Division of Stellar Physics, responsible for the semi-independent Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory; the Division of Seismology, which operated seismological observing stations; the Division of Geomagnetism, which conducted an extensive field program and maintained a network of magnetic observatories and the Division of Gravity. J.H. Hodgson became the Director of the new branch, with Dr Petrie serving as Dominion Astronomer.
With the creation of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (EMR) in 1966, the Dominion Observatories became part of the Mines and Geosciences Group. The 1966-67 Annual Report for EMR, describes the Observatories Branch as concerned with two major disciplines - astronomy and geophysics. A new division - Astronomy, Ottawa - was created, which comprised the former divisions of positional astronomy and stellar physics. There were also three divisions concerned with geophysics - Seismology, Geomagnetism and Gravity. The Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory and the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory reported to the Director, Dr Petrie.
In 1970, the Observatories Branch was dissolved with the transfer of astronomy to the National Research Council. The three geophysical divisions (Gravity, Seismology and Geomagnetism) were re-organized under the name Earth Sciences Branch, Science and Technology Sector, Energy, Mines and Resources. Positional astronomy remained part of EMR. RG48 General Inventory
