Richard Fletcher Ruston (August 28, 1919 – May 19, 2002) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1985, as a member of the Liberal Party.
Dick Ruston | |
|---|---|
| Ontario MPP | |
| In office 1975–1985 | |
| Preceded by | New riding |
| Succeeded by | Pat Hayes |
| Constituency | Essex North |
| In office 1967–1975 | |
| Preceded by | New riding |
| Succeeded by | Riding abolished |
| Constituency | Essex—Kent |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 28, 1919 Essex County, Ontario |
| Died | May 19, 2002 (aged 82) Essex County, Ontario |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Shirley Ruston |
| Children | 5 |
| Occupation | Co-op Manager |
Background
editRuston was born in Essex County in southwestern Ontario, and educated in the area. He was manager of the Essex County Medical Co-op. He and his wife Shirley lived in Essex where they raised five children.[1]
Politics
editRuston was a councillor in Maidstone Township from 1960 to 1962, reeve of the community from 1963 to 1968, and an Essex County councillor.[1]
He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1967 provincial election, defeating Progressive Conservative candidate Fred Cada by 991 votes.[2] He was re-elected in the 1971 election by roughly the same margin, and won with larger majorities in 1975,[3] 1977,[4] and 1981.[5] He served as Liberal Party whip for a period. The Progressive Conservative Party governed Ontario during this period, and Ruston was an opposition member for his legislative career. He was primarily a defender of farmer's interests.
Ruston announced that he would retire from the legislature in mid-1985, and was not a candidate in that year's provincial election.[6]
Later life
editHe died in 2002 after suffering from Alzheimer's disease.[7] Fellow MPP and friend Sean Conway described him as a follower of Ontario's Clear Grit tradition, and a believer that "the best government [...] is the smaller unit closest to the people".[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "Richard Ruston: Obituary". Windsor Star. May 19, 2002.
- ^ "Riding-by-riding returns in provincial election". The Globe and Mail. October 23, 1971. p. 10.
- ^ "Table of vote results for all Ontario ridings". The Globe and Mail. September 19, 1975. p. C12.
- ^ "Ontario provincial election results riding by riding". The Globe and Mail. June 10, 1977. p. D9.
- ^ Canadian Press (1981-03-20). "Winds of change, sea of security". The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario. p. 22. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
- ^ "2 more MPPs decide to quit". Toronto Star. February 15, 1985. p. F11.
- ^ Richardson, Brendan (May 22, 2002). "Rushton lived for family, electors". The Windsor Star. p. A5.
- ^ "Tribute to Richard Ruston". Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Retrieved May 15, 2014.