Canada. Dept. of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Technical Services Branch : The Technical Services Branch is the engineering, architectural, construction, purchasing, and general technical arm of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. It was transformed into a dedicated sector of Public Works Canada under terms of an 1 April 1987 agreement. Currently, it provides specific technical services to the department.
The Technical Services Branch of the Administration Program of Indian and Northern Affairs was created in 1968-1969. It consolidated the Engineering divisions of three branches and the Materiel Management Division (1968-1969, A.R. p.156). The Engineering and Architectural Division within this Branch had a staff which included a highway maintenance engineer, electrical engineer, other sections consisted of engineering, architectural and landscape planning. Among the duties of this Division were major construction projects for Parks and Historic Sites such as roads, campgrounds, buildings, landscaping. In 1969-1970 over 950 major capital projects were undertaken by the Division at a cost of over 9 million. Examples included the Frobisher Bay Town Centre, Indian housing at Shefferville, Quebec, the Fortress Louisbourg, and Walpole Island Bridge (A.R. 1969-1970).
Northern Administration Branch, Engineering Division had responsibility for highway and secondary road construction, water and sewer systems in Wood Buffalo National Park, also at Fort Smith and Fort Simpson, and construction of schools and hostels in northern communities such as Inuvik. The Administrator of the Arctic, Engineering Services was responsible for construction of houses, powerhouses, warehouses, apartments. There were work crews employed at Churchill, Fort Chimo, Frobisher Bay and Great Whale River. In 1969 the Government Organizations Act left the responsibility for centralized purchasing of goods destined for the Arctic District with the Northern Administration Branch, Engineering Division. All other purchasing duties were passed on to Supply and Services. An additional Technical Services assumed a safety function in 1969 which included monitoring of fire protection programs for Indian reserves and the northern areas. It also offered course on fire prevention. Additional duties also included co-operation with Restoration Services to develop protection and tourist safety schemes for national parks and historic sites.
In the 1973-1974 fiscal year Treasury Board approved a re-organization of the Engineering, Architectural and Technical Services both headquarters and regional staff. An Engineering and Architecture Branch was formed. Technical Services Branch was changed to Engineering and Architecture Branch and Technical Services units in the regions were strengthened to enable them to assume responsibility for the capital implementation program. The Engineering and Architecture Branch became responsible (functionally) for the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of all planning, procurement, development and maintenance of real property and other capital assets in the Department. The emphasis shifted from provision of design and construction management services to establishing policy and standards, providing professional advice and evaluating results. The Branch assisted in developing guidelines, procedures, information systems and standard departmental designs and design motifs. Direct service providing headquarters materiel management, construction contract administration of all departmental programs and provision of full design construction service for the Northern Administration Program and full design service in restoration for Parks Canada Program. Some examples of projects included roads in NWT and Yukon, laboratory construction, forestry complex, Indian schools, Park roads (Annual Report 1973-1974).
The joint Privy Council Office/Treasury Board Secretariat Task Force report, issued on October 8, 1974, recommended consolidation of all engineering and architectural activities under the Department of Public Works. The following year the Branch still operated under INA's Administration Program. It managed the entire Northern Design and Construction Program and also provided direct services in support of the regions. There was, however, a continuing emphasis on decentralization of project services. By 1976 the Engineering and Architecture Branch was placed under the renamed Finance and Administration Program. In 1978 a three year plan was commenced to develop technical policies and standards, and a Departmental Asset Inventory System. The branch was also given responsibility for the department's energy conservation program.
A renaming of the program area was instituted in 1980. The Annual Report referred to the new Technical Services and Contracts Branch which was made responsible for implementing Northern Roads Program.
In 1986 Technical Services and Contracts Branch agreed to transfer 310 personnel in technical services to Public Works Canada (PWC) as part of a government-wide initiative to consolidate these services and technical services to bands and territories. On 1 April 1987 Technical Services, Engineering and Architecture was integrated into PWC. It became a PWC dedicated unit which provides its services under specific services contracts. According to the Annual Report of Indian and Northern Affairs, "Technical Services is a sector of Public Works Canada providing architectural and engineering services to the department, it also gathers data on the effectiveness and recapitalization requirements of DIAND assets such as on-reserve buildings and grounds, municipal services, roads and bridges, fire protection and prevention, technology transfer and advisory services to First Nations. The office is responsible to a Director General of DIAND Technical Services (DPW)."
The origins the activity undertaken by Technical Services can be traced to the Department of the Interior. Predecessors include the Dominion Parks Branch and the Surveys and Engineering Branch within the Department of the Interior and the Department of Mines and Resources; the Engineering and Construction Service within the Department of Mines and Resources and the Department of Resources and Development; the Engineering and Architecture Division within the Department of Resources and Development and the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources; the Engineering Services Division of the National Parks Branch; the Branch Engineering Section of the Northern Administration and Lands Branch, Northern Affairs and National Resources; the Highways Division, Development Engineering Branch, Department of Public Works; the Engineering and Construction Division, Indian Affairs Branch; and the Engineering Division, Northern Administration Branch. RG22 General Inventory
