Robert Sommers
Robert Sommers | |
|---|---|
| MLA for Rossland-Trail | |
| In office 1952–1958 | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Douglas Turnbull |
| Succeeded by | Donald Leslie Brothers |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 3, 1911 Leduc, Alberta, Canada |
| Died | October 28, 2000 (aged 89) Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada |
| Political party | Social Credit |
| Occupation | Teacher, Politician, Piano tuner |
Robert Edward Sommers (January 3, 1911 – October 28, 2000) was a
Early life
Born in Leduc, Alberta in 1911,[1] Sommers was the son of J. L. Sommers and Elsie Armonies, both natives of Germany who came to Canada in 1889.[1]
Before entering politics, Sommers was an elementary school principal in Castlegar, BC. He was a trumpet player, a local band leader, a part-time insurance broker, a Kiwanis club president and a volunteer firefighter.[2]: 7
He was married twice: first to Marion Henry in 1930 and then to Nona Samson in 1940.[1]
Political career
He was first elected as an MLA under the banner of the
Sommers resigned his seat automatically upon his conviction on November 7, 1958, for bribery and conspiracy.[3]: 273
Scandal and trial
Sommers downfall began when the Liberal opposition, particularly MLA
These licences were a new form of tenure in the forests of British Columbia introduced in 1948 based on the 1944 recommendations of the
A commission led by Justice Arthur Lord found no basis for the charges and Sommers responded to the accusations by suing Vancouver lawyer David Sturdy for libel. The Bennett government stonewalled in the legislature on the basis that the matter was before the courts until Sommers was dropped from cabinet in 1956. In November 1957 he was arrested and charged with bribery. The next year, he and Wick Gray were convicted. BCFP was acquitted. Sommers was sentenced to 5 years in prison but was released after 28 months. While imprisoned, he learned the piano tuning trade. He established a piano business on Vancouver Island after his release in 1961.[5] Sommers was convicted on five of seven charges of receiving bribes. He was found to have received $607 worth of rugs, $3,000 in bonds, $1,000 in cash and $2,500 sent by telegraph making him the first person in the Commonwealth found guilty of conspiring to accept bribes while serving as a Minister.[4]
Aftermath
During his time in prison, Sommers learned the trade of piano tuning and restoration from a fellow inmate. He took up residence on Vancouver Island after his release and established a business in that field.[2]: 169 Sommers died at the age of 89 at a hospital in Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 28, 2000.[6][7]
References
- ^ a b c Normandin, P G (1965). Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1965.
- ^ ISBN 1-895811-96-1
- ^ ISBN 0-7718-8677-2, retrieved 2009-08-20
- ^ a b c Baroud, Aline; Gibbs, Andrew, Improper use of public office (Bribery ed.), Department of Justice, Canada, retrieved 2009-08-29
- )
- ^ Lone B.C. minister to be jailed dies at 89: Robert Sommers, who gained notoriety for taking bribes and paying a price, wound up as a piano tuner: [Final Edition] Watts, Richard. Times - Colonist; Victoria, B.C. [Victoria, B.C]30 Oct 2000: A1 / FRONT.
- ^ Socred cabinet minister jailed for corruption, dies at 89, CBCNews.ca, October 30, 2000, retrieved 2009-08-20
Further reading
- Sommers and Gray v. The Queen. - Decision of the Supreme Court of Canada, 25 June 1959 - [1959] Supreme Court Reports, pages 678–690.
- Paddy Sherman, Bennett, Toronto, McClelland and Stewart, 1966
- Internet Archive Donald Gutstein, Vancouver Ltd. mentions the Sommers defence in an article about Vancouver lawyer Jack Nicholson
- The Baroud Gibbs paper of The International Cooperation Group is also available at the Department of Justice website.
- The Sommers scandal was the subject of a play by David Ross
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