Jack Stokes (politician)
Jack Stokes | |
|---|---|
Thunder Bay | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 17, 1923 Schreiber, Ontario |
| Died | January 8, 2000 (aged 76) |
| Political party | New Democrat |
| Occupation | Railway conductor |
John Edward (Jack) Stokes (February 17, 1923
Background
Stokes was born in
Politics
He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the
Stokes was returned by a much greater majority in the 1971 election.[4] He is one of the first MPPs to regularly raise issues regarding First Nations people, and was also committed to issues of the environment, forestry renewal and northern affairs.[5]
He was re-elected for the redistributed constituency of Lake Nipigon in the 1975 provincial election.[6] Bill Davis's Progressive Conservatives were reduced to a minority government in this election, and Stokes served as Deputy Speaker in the parliament that followed.
Davis's party won a second consecutive minority government in the 1977 election, and the premier appointed Stokes to become Speaker of the Legislature on October 17, 1977.[7] He was the first CCF or NDP member to serve as Speaker, and the first non-government member to hold the position since the United Farmers of Ontario government of the 1920s. Stokes was considered a tough, no-nonsense Speaker who would expel even members of his own party from the house if they were being unruly.[5]
He returned to the NDP caucus following the 1981 Ontario election, in which the Progressive Conservatives were returned with a majority government.[8] He supported Jim Foulds for the party leadership in 1982, and did not seek re-election in 1985. By the time of his retirement, Stokes had turned Lake Nipigon into one of the safest NDP seats in the province.
Parliamentary positions
Later life
After leaving the legislature, Stokes was active with Lakehead University and Confederation College and also worked on forestry issues.[5] Stokes died of lung cancer at the age of 76.[2]
References
- ^ ISBN 9780772993434.
- ^ a b "Ex-railway conductor became political giant in N. Ontario". Globe and Mail. January 10, 2000. p. A15.
- ^ Canadian Press (October 18, 1967). "Tories win, but..." The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario. p. B2. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
- ^ "Riding-by-riding returns in provincial election". The Globe and Mail. October 23, 1971. p. 10.
- ^ a b c "Hansard". Legislative Assembly of Ontario. June 19, 2000.
- ^ "Table of vote results for all Ontario ridings". The Globe and Mail. September 19, 1975. p. C12.
- ^ "Stokes assumes Speaker's role abandons traditional party bias". The Globe and Mail. October 18, 1977. p. 2.
- ^ Canadian Press (March 20, 1981). "Winds of change, sea of security". The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario. p. 22. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
