The Commissioner of Crown Lands was a member of the Executive Council for the Province of Canada responsible for administering the surveying and sale of Crown land, the forests, mines, and fisheries of the Province.
It assumed responsibility for mining in 1846, for fisheries in 1857, and for Indian Affairs in 1860.
It functioned on a dual basis, with each branch divided into two separate sections, one for Upper Canada and one for Lower Canada.
[1] After Canadian Confederation in 1867, responsibility for provincial crown land and for natural resources was assigned to the provinces (Ontario and Quebec) while responsibility for fisheries and Indian Affairs were transferred to the new federal government.
Holders were a mix of politicians with Bouchette and Holland with surveying experience.