The City of Winnipeg was incorporated November 9, 1873 by a charter granted by the legislature of Manitoba. The Charter established a committee system of government – while Council was the governing body for the City, it was in committee that civic policies were formed and executed. The initial task for the first and all subsequent elected Councils was to strike standing committees for the Council term. From 1876 onward, the City had a standing committee whose function was to consider a broad range of issues relating to public health and welfare. The name of the committee and its scope of responsibilities changed periodically over the years:

1876-1878 Board of Health
1879-1882 Heath, Relief and Cemetery Committee
1883-1886 Committee on Health and Relief
1887-1905 Health, Market and License Committee (sometimes Market, License and Health Committee)
1905-1908 Public Health Committee
1909-1957 Committee on Health
1958-1971 Committee on Public Health and Welfare.

In 1972, Chapter 105 of the Statutes of Manitoba came into force unifying twelve area municipalities and the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg into one city government. At this time, the Committee on Public Health and Welfare was discontinued and its responsibilities assigned to a new Committee on Environment (primarily licensing matters) and a new Committee on Recreation and Social Development (matters relating to libraries, health, social services, parks and recreational services).