Bill Grummett
Encyclopedia
William John Grummett (1891–1967) was a Canadian
politician. He represented the electoral district of Cochrane South
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1943 to 1955 as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(CCF).
Grummett was the only CCF MPP to survive both the 1945 and the 1951 provincial elections, which saw most CCFers defeated, including party leader Ted Jolliffe
.
He was the CCF's House Leader
and led the two person caucus in the legislature from 1951, following Jolliffe's defeat, until new leader Donald C. Macdonald
entered the legislature in the 1955
.
Grummett was defeated in the 1955 general election
by Ontario Progressive Conservative Party candidate Wilf Spooner
, who was mayor of Timmins, Ontario
, when the Liberals failed to field a candidate allowing "old party votes" to coalesce around Spooner.
The son of a farmer in Maxwell, Ontario, just south of Collingwood, Grummett was the first lawyer in Iroquois Falls-Ansonville, having attended law school in Toronto, Ontario. He and his wife Marie raised their five children in Iroquois Falls, Ontario
.
He had fought in World War I as an officer in the British Army
where he saw action in the Mesopotamian campaign
. While there he contracted malaria
which affected him for the rest of his life. He died in 1967.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician. He represented the electoral district of Cochrane South
Cochrane South
Cochrane South was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999...
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 1943 to 1955 as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation – The Farmer-Labor Party of Ontario, or more informally and commonly known as The Ontario CCF, was a democratic socialist political party that existed from 1932 to 1961. It was the provincial wing of the National CCF. The party officially had no leader in...
(CCF).
Grummett was the only CCF MPP to survive both the 1945 and the 1951 provincial elections, which saw most CCFers defeated, including party leader Ted Jolliffe
Ted Jolliffe
Edward Bigelow "Ted" Jolliffe, QC was a Canadian social democratic politician and lawyer from Ontario. He was the first leader of the Ontario section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and leader of the Official Opposition in the Ontario Legislature during the 1940s and 1950s...
.
He was the CCF's House Leader
House Leader
In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a front bench Member of Parliament and an expert in parliamentary procedure...
and led the two person caucus in the legislature from 1951, following Jolliffe's defeat, until new leader Donald C. Macdonald
Donald C. MacDonald
Donald Cameron MacDonald, CM, O.Ont was a long time Canadian politician and political party leader and had been referred to as the "Best premier Ontario never had." He represented the provincial riding of York South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1955 to 1982...
entered the legislature in the 1955
Ontario general election, 1955
The Ontario general election of 1955 was held on June 9, 1955, to elect the 98 members of the 25th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
.
Grummett was defeated in the 1955 general election
Ontario general election, 1955
The Ontario general election of 1955 was held on June 9, 1955, to elect the 98 members of the 25th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
by Ontario Progressive Conservative Party candidate Wilf Spooner
Wilf Spooner
Joseph Wilfred Spooner was a Canadian politician. He served as mayor of Timmins, Ontario from 1952 to 1955, and then represented the electoral district of Cochrane South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1955 to 1967 as a member of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.-External...
, who was mayor of Timmins, Ontario
Timmins, Ontario
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
, when the Liberals failed to field a candidate allowing "old party votes" to coalesce around Spooner.
The son of a farmer in Maxwell, Ontario, just south of Collingwood, Grummett was the first lawyer in Iroquois Falls-Ansonville, having attended law school in Toronto, Ontario. He and his wife Marie raised their five children in Iroquois Falls, Ontario
Iroquois Falls, Ontario
Iroquois Falls is a small town in Northern Ontario, Canada, with a population of 4,729 in the Canada 2006 Census.The town centre lies just off of Hwy 11 on the banks the Abitibi River, west of Lake Abitibi. Timmins, one of the largest cities in northern Ontario is approximately to the west...
.
He had fought in World War I as an officer in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
where he saw action in the Mesopotamian campaign
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
. While there he contracted malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
which affected him for the rest of his life. He died in 1967.