John Gilbert (Canadian politician)

John Gilbert (Canadian politician)

John Gilbert (September 12, 1921 – August 7, 2006) was a Canadian lawyer, politician and jurist.

Gilbert was born in Toronto and grew up in a poor working class family which he helped support during the Great Depression by selling newspapers at the corner of Yonge and Bloor for two cents each [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060913.OBGILBERT13/PPVStory/?DENIED=1 JOHN GILBERT, LAWYER AND POLITICIAN: 1921-2006] , by Allison Lawlor (September 13, 2006) Retrieved on2007-02-10] and by gathering coal that had fallen off horse-drawn coal wagons in order to help heat his family's home. The home was eventually lost when the bank foreclosed on its mortgage.web cite | url = http://www.ndp.ca/page/4030 | title = Statement by NDP Leader Jack Layton on the passing of John Gilbert, former NDP MP | date = August 8, 2006 | accessdate = 2007-02-10] He was the youngest of five children, his parents were poor Irish Protestants who had immigrated to Canada. He left school early to support his family by working in a box factory until marrying his wife, Nora, and going to university.

As an adult, Gilbert became a lawyer and worked briefly for a large firm. He left it, feeling they charged clients too much, and set up his own private practice. Once a week he went to the Salvation Army to operate a clinic where he gave free legal counsel to the poor. He vowed that every dollar he earned over $5,000 a year he would give away.

He entered federal politics in the 1963 federal election running unsuccessfully as a New Democratic Party candidate in the Toronto riding of Broadview with a third place finish. [ [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=7757 History of Federal Ridings, Parliament of Canada] ] He won the seat two years later in the 1965 election and was re-elected in 1968, 1972 and 1974 before retiring from politics. web cite | url = http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/bio.asp?Language=E&query=976&s=M | title = Federal Political Experience, GILBERT, John, B.A., LL.B. | publisher = Parliament of Canada | accessdate = 2007-02-10]

While an MP, he devoted one day a week meeting constituents at the Woodgreen Community Centre where he would help them with their legal problems.

Jack Layton said of Gilbert : "The work that John did in Parliament was exemplary. He, alongside Tommy Douglas and Ed Broadbent, believed that fundamental elements of healthy and prosperous living should not come and go with the precocity of economic times; rather, he believed that the purpose of having a government was to defend the rights and the dignity of people from every social station, and to ensure that nobody had to go without the basic necessities of life."

"He was one of the members of Parliament that I most admired in my life," said former NDP leader Ed Broadbent who served in the House of Commons with Gilbert for several years, describing him as a gentle and kind individual adding "there wasn't a tinge of self-righteousness about him," and that the MP "was always good in caucus. He knew the national issues and he made his views known."

In 1969, Gilbert criticized the Liberal government of the day accusing it of lacking the commitment to build affordable housing and instead spending money on an inquiry of the issue to discover what was already known.

He retired from Parliament in 1978 to accept an appointment as a judge on the Ontario District Court. He asked a young Bob Rae to run as the NDP candidate to succeed him in Broadview. Rae accepted and was elected in a 1978 by-election.

References

Electoral record

-
HAHN, D.G.
align="right"| 8,743
-
DAY, Glen
align="right"| 6,684
-
GILBERT, John
align="right"| 5,574
-
COMERFORD, Tom
align="right"| 166
-
GRAHAM, Fred
align="right"| 149
-
SANDERSON, Alan
align="right"| 43

-
GILBERT, John
align="right"| 8,232
-
HAHN, David G.
align="right"| 6,876
-
LYALL, Richard H.
align="right"| 5,481
-
HENDRY, William B.
align="right"| 147

-
GILBERT, John
align="right"| 10,406
-
SUTHERLAND, Bob
align="right"| 9,929
-
KNIGHT, Betty M.
align="right"| 4,752
-
HENDRY, William B.
align="right"| 202

-
GILBERT, John
align="right"|11,063
-
CLIFFORD, Tom
align="right"| 7,903
-
MURPHY, Peter
align="right"| 7,465
-
DEWHURST, Alfred
align="right"|123
-
HALL, Ron
align="right"| 54

-
GILBERT, John
align="right"| 9,392
-
YANKOU, Lou
align="right"| 8,158
-
JAMIESON, Bob
align="right"| 5,617
-
BELEJ, Walter
align="right"| 137
-
GIANNAKOPOULOS, Angelo E.
align="right"|128
-
DENNIS, Susan
align="right"| 101


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John Gilbert — may refer to:*John Gilbert (19th century MLB player), see Pittsburgh Pirates all time roster *John Gilbert (actor) (1899 ndash;1936), American actor of the silent film era *John Gilbert, Baron Gilbert (born 1927), British Labour Party politician… …   Wikipedia

  • John Gilbert Higgins — John Gilbert (Jack) Higgins (May 7 1891 ndash; July 1 1963) was a Newfoundland politician, Senator and lawyer.He was educated from the age of five at Saint Bonaventure s College and was selected one of Newfoundland s Rhodes Scholars in 1909.… …   Wikipedia

  • David Hahn (Canadian politician) — David George Hahn Member of Parliament for Broadview In office April 1963 – September 1965 Preceded by George Hees Succeeded by John Gilbert …   Wikipedia

  • John Davis — may refer to: Contents 1 People 1.1 American politicians 1.2 Other politicians …   Wikipedia

  • John Cooper — may refer to: John A. D. Cooper (1918–2002), American physician educator John B.R. Cooper (1791–1872), California pioneer John Cooper, current director of the Sundance Film Festival John Cooper, fictional character in video game Desperados:… …   Wikipedia

  • Gilbert (surname) — Family name name = Gilbert imagesize= caption= pronunciation = meaning = region = British Isles origin = Norman French, Old Germanic related names = Gilbart, Gilbertson footnotes = [ [http://www.behindthename.com/name/gilbert Meaning and origin… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Members of the Canadian House of Commons - M — pecial note for names prefixed Mac or Mc Please note that this list was created using a semi automated process. There is a known problem with names beginning with Mac or Mc all have been rendered here as (for example) Macdonald when it should… …   Wikipedia

  • John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham — John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham (also known as Radical Jack, and commonly referred to in history texts simply as Lord Durham) GCB PC (12 April 1792 ndash; 28 July 1840 Cowes), was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor …   Wikipedia

  • Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto — Gilbert John Elliot Murray Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, KG, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, PC (London July 9, 1845 ndash; March 1, 1914 Minto, Roxburghshire), known between 1859 and 1891 as Viscount Melgund, was a British politician, Governor General of… …   Wikipedia

  • John Davies — may refer to: Contents 1 Politicians 2 Sportsmen 3 Other 4 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”