Charles Gavan Power
Encyclopedia
Charles Gavan "Chubby" Power, MC
, PC
(18 January 1888 – 30 May 1968) was a Canadian
politician
and athlete. Power's father, William Power
, was also a Member of Parliament from Quebec, retiring in 1917. He had three brothers James
, Joe
who were also athletes and William Gerard Power
who became a member of the Legislative Council of Quebec
.
Born in Sillery
, Quebec
, Power played ice hockey
while studying law. From 1906, he played for the Quebec Bulldogs
of the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association
(ECAHA). A proficient scorer, he scored four goals in one game in 1908 and five goals in a game in 1909.
He entered politics in the 1917 federal election
, after having been wounded during the Battle of the Somme. He was awarded the Military Cross
for gallantry during military operations. He was elected as a "Laurier Liberal" during the Conscription Crisis of 1917
.
In 1935, Power was appointed minister of pensions and health in the Liberal
cabinet of William Lyon Mackenzie King
.
During World War II
, he served as minister of national defence for air, and was responsible for expanding the Royal Canadian Air Force
. His opposition to conscription
led him to resign from Cabinet during the Conscription Crisis of 1944
after the government passed an Order in Council to send conscripts overseas. Power sat as an "Independent Liberal" for the duration of the war and was re-elected as an Independent Liberal in the 1945 federal election
. He subsequently rejoined the party and ran to succeed King in the 1948 Liberal leadership convention, but came a poor third.
Charles Power retired from the House of Commons
in 1955. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada on 28 July 1955 and served until his death in 1968. His grandson Lawrence Cannon
was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 2006 as a Conservative.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, PC
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(18 January 1888 – 30 May 1968) was a 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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and athlete. Power's father, William Power
William Power (Canadian politician)
William Power was a Canadian politician.Born in the parish of Sillery, Quebec City, Canada East, the son of William Power and Bridgit Fitzgerald, both Irish, Power was educated at the Commercial Academy of Quebec...
, was also a Member of Parliament from Quebec, retiring in 1917. He had three brothers James
James Power (ice hockey)
James "Rocket" Power was an amateur, later a professional ice hockey athlete playing the defence position from 1900 to 1913. Born in Sillery, Quebec, Canada, he had two brothers Joe Power and Charles "Chubby" Power who also played ice hockey. The Rockett was his middle name, from his mother's...
, Joe
Joe Power
Joe Ignatius Power was a Canadian politician and ice hockey player, playing the left wing position for the Quebec Bulldogs from 1902 to 1911...
who were also athletes and William Gerard Power
William Gerard Power
William Gerard Power was a Canadian politician.Born in the parish of Sillery, Quebec City, the son of William Power and Susan Winifred Rockett, Power was educated at the Commercial Academy of Quebec and the College Mont-Saint-Louis in Montreal . A lumber merchant, he joined W & J Sharples in 1897,...
who became a member of the Legislative Council of Quebec
Legislative Council of Quebec
From 1867 until 1968, the Legislative Council of Quebec was the unelected upper house of the bicameral legislature in the Canadian province of Quebec...
.
Born in Sillery
Sillery, Quebec
Sillery is a former city in central Quebec, Canada. Located just west of old Quebec City, Sillery was among the many outlying municipalities amalgamated into an expanded Quebec City on January 1, 2002. Its former territory now forms part of the new Borough of Sainte-Foy—Sillery—Cap-Rouge...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Power played ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
while studying law. From 1906, he played for the Quebec Bulldogs
Quebec Bulldogs
The Quebec Bulldogs were a men's senior-level ice hockey team officially known as the Quebec Hockey Club, later as the Quebec Athletic Club. Their recorded play goes back as far as the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada in 1889, although the Quebec Hockey Club is known to have played since 1880...
of the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association
Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association
The Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association was a men's amateur, later professional ice hockey league in Canada that played four seasons. It was founded on December 11, 1905 with six clubs: four from the Canadian Amateur Hockey League and two from the Federal Amateur Hockey League, to bring...
(ECAHA). A proficient scorer, he scored four goals in one game in 1908 and five goals in a game in 1909.
He entered politics in the 1917 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
, after having been wounded during the Battle of the Somme. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for gallantry during military operations. He was elected as a "Laurier Liberal" during the Conscription Crisis of 1917
Conscription Crisis of 1917
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I.-Background:...
.
In 1935, Power was appointed minister of pensions and health in the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
cabinet of William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served as minister of national defence for air, and was responsible for expanding the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
. His opposition to conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
led him to resign from Cabinet during the Conscription Crisis of 1944
Conscription Crisis of 1944
The Conscription Crisis of 1944 was a political and military crisis following the introduction of forced military service in Canada during World War II. It was similar to the Conscription Crisis of 1917, but was not as politically damaging....
after the government passed an Order in Council to send conscripts overseas. Power sat as an "Independent Liberal" for the duration of the war and was re-elected as an Independent Liberal in the 1945 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1945
The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...
. He subsequently rejoined the party and ran to succeed King in the 1948 Liberal leadership convention, but came a poor third.
Charles Power retired from the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in 1955. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada on 28 July 1955 and served until his death in 1968. His grandson Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon, PC is a Canadian politician from Quebec and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former Quebec lieutenant. On October 30, 2008 he was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs...
was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 2006 as a Conservative.