The Department of Economic Development is a department in the

Government of New Brunswick The Government of New Brunswick () is the provincial government of the province of New Brunswick. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867. The Provinces and territories of Canada, Province of New Brunswick has a unicam ...

. It is charged with stimulating economic prosperity and global competitiveness in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

. Created in 1944 during

war time On November 18, 1883, United States and Canada, Canadian railroads instituted standard time in time zones. Before then, Civil time, time of day was a local matter, and most cities and towns used some form of local solar time, maintained by s ...

as the Department of Industry and Reconstruction, the Department has since had several name changes and has been known as the Department of Industry, Department of Economic Growth, and Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Culture. The department was renamed Business New Brunswick on March 23, 2000 when

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

Bernard Lord Bernard Lord (born September 27, 1965) is a Canadian lawyer, business executive and former politician. He served as the 30th premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006. Lord was appointed as board chair of Ontario Power Generation in 2014. Ear ...

restructured the New Brunswick Cabinet. It was created by subdividing the then Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Culture. It was enlarged on October 9, 2001 when it absorbed the Department of Investment and Exports which has also been originally created from Economic Development, Tourism and Culture. On October 12, 2010, then premier

David Alward David Nathan Alward (born December 2, 1959) is a Canadian politician, who served as the 32nd premier of New Brunswick, 2010 to 2014. Alward has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 1999 and has been the leader of the ...

named a Minister of Economic Development with responsibility for Business New Brunswick. The name of the department was officially changed to the Department of Economic Development on December 17, 2010. Since April 1, 2015, provincial Crown corporation Opportunities NB (ONB) has served as New Brunswick’s lead economic development agency mandated with fostering economic and business growth.

Ministers

{, class="wikitable" , - !Minister !Term !Administration , - ! colspan="3" , Minister of Industry and Reconstruction , - , J. André Doucet* , September 27, 1944 - October 8, 1952 , under John B. McNair , - ! colspan="3" , Minister of Industry and Development , - , J. Roger Pichette , October 8, 1952 - July 12, 1960 , under

Hugh John Flemming Hugh John Flemming (January 5, 1899 – October 16, 1982) was a politician and the 24th premier of New Brunswick from 1952 to 1960. He is always known as "Hugh John". Born in Peel, New Brunswick, Canada, the son of James Kidd Flemming, Premi ...

, - , J. Michel Fournier , July 12, 1960 - April 22, 1963 , under

Louis Robichaud Louis Joseph Robichaud (October 21, 1925 – January 6, 2005), popularly known as "Little Louis" or "P'tit-Louis", was the second (but first elected) Acadian premier of New Brunswick, serving from 1960 to 1970. With the Equal Opportunity ...

, - ! colspan="3" , Minister of Finance and Industry , - , ''see

Minister of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

'' , July 8, 1963 - April 1, 1968 , under Louis Robichaud , - ! colspan="3" , Minister of Economic Growth , - ,

Robert J. Higgins Robert J. Higgins (born January 13, 1934) is a supernumerary justice on the Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick and a former member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick who served as the leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Associat ...

, April 1, 1968 - February 11, 1970 , rowspan=2, under Louis Robichaud , - ,

H. H. Williamson Harry Havelock Williamson (August 19, 1916 – August 24, 1972) was a prospector and political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Gloucester County and then Bathurst (electoral district), Bathurst in the Legislative Assembly of ...

, February 11, 1970 - November 12, 1970 , - , A. Edison Stairs , November 12, 1970 - July 18, 1972 , rowspan=3, under

Richard Hatfield Richard Bennett Hatfield (April 9, 1931 – April 26, 1991) was a New Brunswick politician and the longest serving premier of New Brunswick from 1970 to 1987.Richard Starr, ''Richard Hatfield, The Seventeen Year Saga,'' 1987, Early life ...

, - ,

Paul Creaghan Paul S. Creaghan (born March 27, 1937) was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick () is the deliberative assembly of the New Brunswick Legislature, in the provi ...

, July 18, 1972 - December 3, 1974 , - ,

Lawrence Garvie Lawrence R. Garvie (June 23, 1933 – March 11, 2011) was a lawyer and former politician in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented the City of Fredericton and then Fredericton North in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1968 to 197 ...

, December 3, 1974 - December 20, 1976 , - ! colspan="3" , Minister of Commerce and Development , - ,

Gerald Merrithew Gerald Stairs "Gerry" Merrithew (23 September 1931 – 5 September 2004), born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, was an educator, provincial and federal politician, and statesman. Merrithew graduated from the New Brunswick Teachers' Colle ...

, December 20, 1976 - October 30, 1982 , rowspan=2, under Richard Hatfield , - , Paul Dawson , October 30, 1982 - October 3, 1985 , - ! colspan="3" , Minister of Commerce and Technology , - , Fernand Dubé , October 3, 1985 - October 27, 1987 , under Richard Hatfield , - , A. W. Lacey , October 27, 1987 - December 19, 1990 , rowspan=2, under

Frank McKenna Francis Joseph McKenna (born January 19, 1948) is a Canadian businessman and former politician and diplomat. He is currently Chair of Brookfield Corporation and Deputy Chairman of the Toronto-Dominion Bank. He served as Canadian Ambassador ...

, - , Allan Maher (acting) , January 21, 1991 - October 9, 1991 , - ! colspan="3" , Minister of Economic Development and Tourism , - ,

Denis Losier Denis Losier (born June 14, 1952) is a businessman, economist and former public servant and politician. He was appointed to the Security Intelligence Review Committee on September 3, 2008 and by virtue of that position has been sworn in as a me ...

, October 9, 1991 - August 3, 1994 , rowspan=3, under Frank McKenna , - ,

Leo McAdam Leo Anthony McAdam (July 3, 1929 – July 17, 2024) was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick () is the deliberative assembly of the New Brunswick Legislature ...

, August 11, 1994 - September 26, 1995 , - ,

Camille Thériault Camille Henri Thériault (born February 25, 1955) is a Canadian politician from New Brunswick. He served as the 29th premier of New Brunswick from 1998 to 1999. Early life The son of Joséphine Martin and Norbert Thériault, a former provinc ...

, September 26, 1995 - February 6, 1998 , - , James Lockyer (acting) , February 6, 1998 - May 14, 1998 , under

Ray Frenette Joseph Raymond Frenette (April 16, 1935 – July 13, 2018) was a Canadian politician in New Brunswick. He was a Liberal representative for the riding of Moncton East in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1974 until 1998 when he re ...

, - ! colspan="3" , Minister of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism , - ,

Roly MacIntyre Roly MacIntyre (born December 31, 1943) is a former civil servant and politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in 1995 and re-elected in 2003 and 2006 after having been def ...

, May 14, 1998 - June 21, 1999 , under Camille Thériault , - ,

Peter Mesheau Peter Mesheau (born in Sackville, New Brunswick) is a politician in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented the electoral district of Tantramar in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1997 to 2006. Mesheau was elected in a tight three- ...

, June 21, 1999 - March 23, 2000 , under

, - ! colspan="3" , Minister of Business New Brunswick , - , Joan MacAlpine , March 23, 2000 - October 9, 2001 , rowspan=4, under Bernard Lord , - ,

Norman Betts Norman M. Betts (born April 1, 1954 in Doaktown, New Brunswick) is a Chartered Accountant, university professor, and former provincial politician. Norman Betts graduated from the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in 1978 with a Bachelor of Busi ...

, October 9, 2001 - June 27, 2003 , - ,

, June 27, 2003 - February 14, 2006 , - , Kirk MacDonald , February 14, 2006 - October 3, 2006 , - ,

Greg Byrne Greg Byrne, King's Counsel, KC (born April 14, 1960, in Harvey, New Brunswick) is a lawyer and former Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, MLA in the Province (Canada), province of New Brunswick, Canada. Byrne was educated at Fredericton Hig ...

, October 3, 2006 - June 22, 2009 , rowspan=2, under

Shawn Graham Shawn Michael Graham (born February 22, 1968) is a Canadian politician, who served as the 31st premier of New Brunswick from 2006 to 2010. He was elected leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party in 2002 and became premier after his party captu ...

, , - ,

Victor Boudreau Victor Eric Boudreau (born May 3, 1970) is a New Brunswick politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 2004 to 2018, representing the ridings of Shediac-Cap-Pelé and Shediac-Beaubassin-Cap-Pelé for the New ...

, June 22, 2009 - October 12, 2010 , - ! colspan="3" , Minister of Economic Development , - ,

Paul Robichaud Paul Robichaud (born May 6, 1964 in Tracadie, New Brunswick) is a politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He studied at the Shippagan, New Brunswick campus of the University of Moncton. A member of the Progressive Conservative P ...

, October 12, 2010 – September 23, 2013 , rowspan=2, under

, - ,

Bruce Fitch Ralph Bruce Fitch (born 1958) is a former Canadian politician. He represented Riverview in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 2003 until 2024. Early life Born in Moncton, New Brunswick, he is the son of Dr. Ralph Fitch. In 1980, ...

, September 23, 2013 - October 7, 2014 , - ,

Rick Doucet Richard Michael Doucet (born in Sussex, New Brunswick) is a New Brunswick businessman and politician who has represented since 2003 the riding of Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. Family Doucet li ...

, October 7, 2014 - June 6, 2016 , rowspan=2, under

Brian Gallant Brian Alexander Gallant (born April 27, 1982) is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 33rd premier of New Brunswick from October 7, 2014, until November 9, 2018. Of Acadian and Dutch descent, Gallant practised as a lawyer before winn ...

, - ,

Francine Landry Francine Danielle Landry is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2014 provincial election.Mary Wilson , November 9, 2018 - September 29, 2020 , under

Blaine Higgs Blaine Myron Higgs (born March 1, 1954) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 34th premier of New Brunswick from 2018 to 2024 and leader of the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party (PC Party) from 2016 to 2024. Higgs grad ...

{{Cite news, url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/blaine-higgs-cabinet-1.4898716, title=Here's a full list of Higgs's new cabinet CBC News, date=November 9, 2018, work=CBC , - , Arlene Dunn , September 29, 2020 - June 27, 2023 , under

, - ,

Greg Turner Gregory James Turner (born 21 February 1963) is a New Zealand professional golfer. Early life and amateur career Turner was born in Dunedin and attended the University of Oklahoma in the United States on a golf scholarship. Professional ca ...

, June 27, 2023 - November 2, 2024 , under

, - ,

Luke Randall Luke Randall is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2024 New Brunswick general election. He represents the electoral district of Fredericton North as a member of the New Brunswick Liberal As ...

, November 2, 2024 - Present , under

Susan Holt Susan Holt (born April 22, 1977) is a Canadian politician, who has served as the 35th premier of New Brunswick since November 2, 2024, and has been the leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Association since August 6, 2022. She has served as th ...

*Doucet was minister of industry and reconstruction until 1948 and was thereafter minister of industry and development.

References

Opportunities NB

Government of New Brunswick, list of Department Ministers 1944-2006
(PDF file) New Brunswick government departments and agencies

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...