Douglas Kennedy (politician)

Robert Douglas Kennedy (June 15, 1916 – May 27, 2003) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1985, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Douglas Kennedy
Ontario MPP
In office
1975–1985
Preceded byNew riding
Succeeded byMargaret Marland
ConstituencyMississauga South
In office
1967–1975
Preceded byNew riding
Succeeded byRiding abolished
ConstituencyPeel South
Personal details
Born(1916-06-15)June 15, 1916
Cooksville, Ontario
DiedMay 27, 2003(2003-05-27) (aged 86)
Mississauga, Ontario
Political partyProgressive Conservative
SpouseKathleen
Children4
OccupationCivil servant
Military service
AllegianceCanadian
Branch/serviceArmy
Years of service1940-1945
RankCaptain

Background

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Kennedy was born in Cooksville, Ontario, to John Robert Kennedy (1883–1931) and Mary Evelyn Mabel Ellis (1890–1985). He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Ontario Agricultural College (later the University of Guelph) in 1940. He enlisted with the Canadian Army following his graduation, and served until the end of World War II in 1945. After he returned, he assisted other veterans through the Veterans Land Act. Kennedy was a trustee on the South Peel Board of Education from 1955 to 1963, and a commissioner on Toronto Township Hydro from 1963 to 1967.

Kennedy was the nephew of former Ontario premier Thomas Laird Kennedy, and the uncle of former legislator Ted Chudleigh. He and his wife Kathleen raised four children. He died in Mississauga, Ontario, and was buried at Saint John's Dixie Cemetery, Mississauga, Ontario.[1][2]

Politics

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He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1967 provincial election, defeating Liberal candidate Ted Glista by 3,618 votes in Peel South.[3] He was re-elected in the 1971 election, and returned for the redistributed constituency of Mississauga South in 1975, 1977 and 1981.[4][5][6][7] He was a backbench supporter of the John Robarts, William Davis and Frank Miller administrations, and served as Chief Government Whip for a period in the 1970s. He did not seek re-election in 1985.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Kennedy, Robert Douglas (Doug) (Death notice)". Mississauga News. May 28, 2003.
  2. ^ "Folksy Kennedy had old-time political touch". Mississauga News. May 28, 2003.
  3. ^ Canadian Press (October 18, 1967). "Tories win, but..." The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario. p. B2. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  4. ^ "Riding-by-riding returns in provincial election". The Globe and Mail. October 23, 1971. p. 10.
  5. ^ "Table of vote results for all Ontario ridings". The Globe and Mail. September 19, 1975. p. C12.
  6. ^ "Ontario provincial election results riding by riding". The Globe and Mail. June 10, 1977. p. D9.
  7. ^ Canadian Press (March 20, 1981). "Winds of change, sea of security". The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario. p. 22. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  8. ^ Kashmeri, Zuhair (April 12, 1985). "Former allies in Port Credit fight". The Globe and Mail. p. M5.
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