Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Canada

The department was created in December 2003 during a reorganization of the federal government, although as of 2005, specific legislation to legally establish the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is pending but not yet in effect.

The department was created to have a single entity with responsibility for ensuring public safety in Canada and is a direct result of lessons learned from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. The department is in many ways similar to the U. S. Department of Homeland Security though it does not cover immigration and and protection of maritime sovereignty.

Most of the department is comprised of organizations that were previously placed under the Department of Solicitor General, as well as the addition of the customs service from the now-former Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, and the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness from the Department of National Defence.

The first Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness minister is Anne McLellan, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister.

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