Charles Beer
Encyclopedia
John Charles McWaters Beer (born November 24, 1941 in Toronto
, Ontario
to Harry M. Beer
and Elizabeth Greenway Holmes) is a former Canadian
politician. He was a Liberal
member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1987 to 1995, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson
.
, York University
, Université Laval
and the National Defence College
. He worked as an educator after graduating, and was the Assistant Headmaster of Pickering College
from 1981 to 1986. In 1987, he served as director of the Ontario Conference of Independent Schools.
He first ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1977 provincial election
, but finished a distant third against Progressive Conservative
Frank Drea
in Scarborough Centre
. He campaigned for the legislature again in the 1981 election
, but lost to Progressive Conservative Margaret Birch in Scarborough East
.
Beer was elected to the Ontario legislature on his third attempt, in the 1987 election
in which the Liberal Party
won a landslide majority. He defeated Progressive Conservative candidate John Cole by 5,185 votes in York North
, located just north of Toronto. Beer was appointed a parliamentary assistant in 1988, and was promoted to Minister of Community and Social Services and Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs on August 2, 1989. In the former capacity, he started the Advisory Group on New Social Assistance Legislation in 1990.
The Liberals were defeated in the 1990 provincial election
but Beer retained his seat beating Progressive Conservative candidate George Timpson by only 158 votes (Ontario New Democratic Party
candidate Keith Munro was a close third). Peterson resigned as Liberal leader immediately after the election, and Beer ran to succeed him in the leadership convention
that was called in 1992. He finished fourth, withdrawing from the contest after the third ballot. There are reports that Beer was forced to mortgage his house to pay for his leadership campaign.
Beer is on the left wing of the Liberal Party, and played a significant role in developing the party's "Red Book" platform for the 1995 provincial campaign
. The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in this election, however, and Beer was among the Liberal incumbents defeated; losing to Frank Klees
, later a cabinet minister in the government of Mike Harris
, by almost 12,000 votes.
In 1996, he endorsed Gerard Kennedy
's unsuccessful bid to become leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.
In the late 1990s, Beer served as the president and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Executive Service Organization
, a not-for-profit agency that transfers Canadian technical and managerial expertise to developing countries. Today, he works for the current Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty
as executive assistant to George Smitherman
, the Minister of Health and Long Term Care. He is also honorary chair of the Stephen Lewis
Foundation.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
to Harry M. Beer
Harry M. Beer
Harry McWaters Beer was a Canadian Quaker and Headmaster of Pickering College.Beer was educated at Pickering College and served as French Master from 1938 to 1953 before becoming the school's longest-serving Headmaster from 1953 to 1978.Beer championed the abolition of corporal punishment as a...
and Elizabeth Greenway Holmes) is a former Canadian
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 was a Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
member of 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 1987 to 1995, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
.
Life and career
Beer was educated at the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
and the National Defence College
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
. He worked as an educator after graduating, and was the Assistant Headmaster of Pickering College
Pickering College
Pickering College is an independent, co-educational school for children in grades from Junior Kindergarten through grade 12. It is located in Newmarket, Ontario in Canada on a 17-hectare property on Bayview Avenue...
from 1981 to 1986. In 1987, he served as director of the Ontario Conference of Independent Schools.
He first ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1977 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1977
The Ontario general election of 1977 was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, but finished a distant third against Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
Frank Drea
Frank Drea
James Francis Drea was a Canadian journalist, broadcaster, politician and racehorse enthusiast.-Background:...
in Scarborough Centre
Scarborough Centre (provincial electoral district)
Scarborough Centre is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1963.It consists of the part of the Scarborough district of the City of Toronto bounded:...
. He campaigned for the legislature again in the 1981 election
Ontario general election, 1981
The Ontario general election of 1981 was held on March 19, 1981, to elect members of the 32nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, but lost to Progressive Conservative Margaret Birch in Scarborough East
Scarborough East
Scarborough East was a Canadian electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 2003, and was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to 2007, and on Toronto City Council....
.
Beer was elected to the Ontario legislature on his third attempt, in the 1987 election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
in which the Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
won a landslide majority. He defeated Progressive Conservative candidate John Cole by 5,185 votes in York North
York North
York North was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from Confederation in 1867 until 2004. It is also an electoral district that was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1867 to 2007...
, located just north of Toronto. Beer was appointed a parliamentary assistant in 1988, and was promoted to Minister of Community and Social Services and Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs on August 2, 1989. In the former capacity, he started the Advisory Group on New Social Assistance Legislation in 1990.
The Liberals were defeated in the 1990 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
but Beer retained his seat beating Progressive Conservative candidate George Timpson by only 158 votes (Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
candidate Keith Munro was a close third). Peterson resigned as Liberal leader immediately after the election, and Beer ran to succeed him in the leadership convention
Ontario Liberal leadership conventions
Ballot-by-ballot results of leadership elections in the Ontario Liberal Party, a political party in the Province of Ontario, Canada.Note: Before 1919, the leaders of the Ontario Liberal Party were chosen by the party's elected Members of the Legislative Assembly...
that was called in 1992. He finished fourth, withdrawing from the contest after the third ballot. There are reports that Beer was forced to mortgage his house to pay for his leadership campaign.
Beer is on the left wing of the Liberal Party, and played a significant role in developing the party's "Red Book" platform for the 1995 provincial campaign
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
. The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in this election, however, and Beer was among the Liberal incumbents defeated; losing to Frank Klees
Frank Klees
Frank Klees is a Canadian politician and the Progressive Conservative member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Newmarket—Aurora north of Toronto. He was a candidate in the 2009 Progressive Conservative leadership election placing second behind victor Tim Hudak.-Early life:Klees was born...
, later a cabinet minister in the government of Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
, by almost 12,000 votes.
In 1996, he endorsed Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
's unsuccessful bid to become leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.
In the late 1990s, Beer served as the president and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Executive Service Organization
Canadian Executive Service Organization
The Canadian Executive Service Organization is a registered national and international development charity that has operated since 1967...
, a not-for-profit agency that transfers Canadian technical and managerial expertise to developing countries. Today, he works for the current Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
as executive assistant to George Smitherman
George Smitherman
George Smitherman is a Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in the 2010 municipal election...
, the Minister of Health and Long Term Care. He is also honorary chair of the Stephen Lewis
Stephen Lewis
Stephen Henry Lewis, is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party...
Foundation.