Series consists of the minutes of meetings of the Ship Licensing Board, 1939; the Canadian Shipping Board, 1939-1943, 1945-1946; and a sub-committee of the Licensing Committee responsible for war risks insurance and bombardment compensation. The records also consist of registry files arranged by name of ship and consist of correspondence, license documentation and other wartime documentation. There is also a run of wartime ships' licenses issued by the Ship Licensing Committee of the Canadian Shipping Board (Series 9006).
Canadian Shipping Board : The Canadian Shipping Board was established with P.C. 4251 (20 December 1939) and superseded the functions previously assigned to the Ship Licensing Board (established on 5 September 1939). The Board consisted of a Chairman, the Director of Marine Services, the Transport Controller, and one member from the Departments of Trade and Commerce, External Affairs, National Defence, National Revenue, and Transport, and liaised with the United Kingdom Ministry of Shipping. The Shipping Board was tasked to arrange with United Kingdom authorities in order to release tonnage for the carriage of Canadian exports; secure more effective control of Canadian registered ships; and to engage neutral ships in the carriage of goods from Canadian ports. The Shipping Board was the liaison with military authorities and government departments to ensure that the Canadian shipping industry met all the essential requirements demanded of it. All applications for transportation and movement of supplies and materials by sea between ports in Canada, or between ports in Canada and foreign ports, had to first be authorized by the Shipping Board. From December 1939 to December 1946, the Shipping Board issued 12,189 licenses and 5,436 charters. On 1 January 1947 (P.C. 5178, 17 December 1946), the Canadian Shipping Board was disbanded.
