Dennis Timbrell
Encyclopedia
Dennis Roy Timbrell is a politician
in Ontario
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1971 to 1987, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of William Davis
and Frank Miller
.
and educated at Woburn Collegiate Institute
in Scarborough, Ontario
and York University
in Toronto
. He worked as a teacher before entering provincial politics, and served as an alderman
in North York
from January 1970 until September 1, 1972.
as a candidate of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
, and won election in the Toronto constituency of Don Mills
. He was re-elected without difficulty in the campaigns of 1975
, 1977
, 1981
and 1985
.
in Davis's government on February 26, 1974, and was named as Minister of Energy on July 18, 1975. On February 3, 1977, he was promoted to Minister of Health. After serving in this high-profile position for five years, he became Ontario's Minister of Agriculture and Food on February 13, 1982. Many believe Timbrell was already planning a leadership bid to replace Davis, and wanted to build a support base among rural voters.
, Timbrell sought the party leadership at the January 1985 leadership convention
. He positioned himself as a centre-right candidate, further to the right of Red Tory
rivals Larry Grossman
and Roy McMurtry
, but not as far to the right as Frank Miller. Timbrell was the only candidate to favour eliminating rent controls during the campaign. His supporters included Keith Norton
, Leo Bernier
, Margaret Birch, Robert Eaton
, Gordon Dean
, Bob Welch and Norman Sterling.
Timbrell placed second on the first ballot, but was eliminated when he fell to third place on the second ballot, six votes behind Grossman who had the backing of McMurtry's campaign. Many believe that Timbrell would have defeated Miller on the final ballot, and it has been suggested that some Miller supporters voted for Grossman to prevent him from advancing. Lou Parsons, a senior Miller adviser, later acknowledged, "We wouldn't have won it against Dennis [...] Our winning strategy was always to be against Larry ... and in the end we were lucky."
Timbrell reluctantly endorsed Grossman after the results were confirmed by a recount. He however did not bring enough delegates on the third ballot and that resulted in Miller's victory. He was retained in Miller's cabinet as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing with responsibility for Women's Issues.
in the 1985 election
. Following a cabinet shuffle on May 17, 1985, Timbrell was demoted to Provincial Secretary for Resource Development, also retaining responsibility for Women's Issues. He accomplished little in this position before Miller's government was defeated in the house in June 1985. In opposition, Timbrell served as his party's critic for Education and Women's Issues.
Miller resigned as leader, and the party called another leadership convention for November 1985. This contest was an extremely divisive struggle between Timbrell and Grossman, which exposed deep divisions in the party. A third candidate, Alan Pope
, drew attention to the animosity between the candidates with his slogan, "Don't choose sides, choose Pope". Alan Eagleson
was a co-chairman of Timbrell's campaign.
In this leadership race, Timbrell announced he would not support the full funding of Catholic schools (which had previously been agreed to by all parties in the legislature) unless amendments were put forward guaranteeing entry to non-Catholic teachers and students. Norman Sterling, an inveterate opponent of Catholic school funding, derided Timbrell's position as opportunistic and crossed over to Grossman. Timbrell's change of position may have turned away other potential supporters as well.
Pope finished third on the opening ballot and some believed that he could have given Timbrell a second-ballot victory over Grossman, though Pope chose not to endorse either side. Grossman defeated Timbrell on the second ballot by nineteen votes, effectively ending Timbrell's career in provincial politics. He did not seek re-election in 1987.
from 1992 to 1995 and received $583,000 when the OHA sold its Ontario Blue Cross
subsidiary.
In 1997 and again in 2000, Timbrell campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
as a federal Progressive Conservative
candidate in the eastern Ontario riding of Prince Edward—Hastings
. In the 1997 election
, Timbrell placed second to Liberal
Lyle Vanclief
, with 21.5% of the vote. In the 2000 election
, Timbrell placed third, behind Vanclief and a Canadian Alliance
candidate, with 20.3% of the vote.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in 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....
, Canada
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...
. He served 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 1971 to 1987, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of William Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
and Frank Miller
Frank Miller (politician)
Frank Stuart Miller, was a Canadian politician, who served as the 19th Premier of Ontario for four months in 1985.-Early life and political career:...
.
Early life and career
Timbrell was born in Kingston, OntarioKingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
and educated at Woburn Collegiate Institute
Woburn Collegiate Institute
Woburn Collegiate Institute is a non-semestered secondary school on Ellesmere Road in the Scarborough district of Toronto. Its motto is Let the Zeal for Learning Flourish.- History :...
in Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
and 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....
in Toronto
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...
. He worked as a teacher before entering provincial politics, and served as an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in North York
North York, Ontario
North York is a dissolved municipality within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the central part of the northern section of Toronto. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census count was 608,288...
from January 1970 until September 1, 1972.
Provincial politics
Timbrell contested 1971 provincial electionOntario general election, 1971
The Ontario general election of 1971 was held on October 21, 1971, to elect the 117 members of the 29th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
as a candidate of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
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...
, and won election in the Toronto constituency of Don Mills
Don Mills (electoral district)
Don Mills was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 1963 provincial election, and lasted until the provincial redistribution on 1996. The riding was formally retired with the 1999 provincial election...
. He was re-elected without difficulty in the campaigns of 1975
Ontario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, 1977
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....
, 1981
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....
and 1985
Ontario general election, 1985
The Ontario general election of 1985 was held on May 2, 1985, to elect members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada...
.
Cabinet
He became a minister without portfolioMinister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
in Davis's government on February 26, 1974, and was named as Minister of Energy on July 18, 1975. On February 3, 1977, he was promoted to Minister of Health. After serving in this high-profile position for five years, he became Ontario's Minister of Agriculture and Food on February 13, 1982. Many believe Timbrell was already planning a leadership bid to replace Davis, and wanted to build a support base among rural voters.
First leadership campaign
Following Davis's resignation as PC leader and as premierPremier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
, Timbrell sought the party leadership at the January 1985 leadership convention
Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership conventions, 1985
In 1985, the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party held two leadership elections: one in January, and one in November.-The January Convention:The January convention was held at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto to choose a replacement for William Davis, who had served as Ontario PC leader and Premier...
. He positioned himself as a centre-right candidate, further to the right of Red Tory
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
rivals Larry Grossman
Larry Grossman
Lawrence "Larry" Sheldon Grossman was a politician in Ontario, Canada.-Early years:Born in Toronto, Grossman was the son of Allan Grossman, who had represented a downtown Toronto riding in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for twenty years after defeating Ontario's last Communist Member of...
and Roy McMurtry
Roy McMurtry
Roland "Roy" McMurtry, OC, OOnt is a judge and former politician in Ontario, Canada and the current Chancellor of York University.-Early life:McMurtry was born in Toronto and educated at St. Andrew's College, graduating in 1950...
, but not as far to the right as Frank Miller. Timbrell was the only candidate to favour eliminating rent controls during the campaign. His supporters included Keith Norton
Keith Norton
Keith Calder Norton was a Canadian politician and public servant. He served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1985, and was until 2005 the chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.-Education and early career:Norton was...
, Leo Bernier
Leo Bernier
Leo Edward Bernier was a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1966 to 1987, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller. Bernier was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.Bernier was born in Sioux...
, Margaret Birch, Robert Eaton
Robert Eaton
Robert Eaton is the name of some notable people.*Robert James Eaton an auto executive*Robert Eaton a former Alberta politician...
, Gordon Dean
Gordon Dean
Gordon Evans Dean was a Seattle-born American lawyer and prosecutor who served as chairman of the US Atomic Energy Commission from 1950 to 1953....
, Bob Welch and Norman Sterling.
Timbrell placed second on the first ballot, but was eliminated when he fell to third place on the second ballot, six votes behind Grossman who had the backing of McMurtry's campaign. Many believe that Timbrell would have defeated Miller on the final ballot, and it has been suggested that some Miller supporters voted for Grossman to prevent him from advancing. Lou Parsons, a senior Miller adviser, later acknowledged, "We wouldn't have won it against Dennis [...] Our winning strategy was always to be against Larry ... and in the end we were lucky."
Timbrell reluctantly endorsed Grossman after the results were confirmed by a recount. He however did not bring enough delegates on the third ballot and that resulted in Miller's victory. He was retained in Miller's cabinet as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing with responsibility for Women's Issues.
Second leadership campaign
The Progressive Conservative Party under Miller's leadership was reduced to a narrow minority governmentMinority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
in the 1985 election
Ontario general election, 1985
The Ontario general election of 1985 was held on May 2, 1985, to elect members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada...
. Following a cabinet shuffle on May 17, 1985, Timbrell was demoted to Provincial Secretary for Resource Development, also retaining responsibility for Women's Issues. He accomplished little in this position before Miller's government was defeated in the house in June 1985. In opposition, Timbrell served as his party's critic for Education and Women's Issues.
Miller resigned as leader, and the party called another leadership convention for November 1985. This contest was an extremely divisive struggle between Timbrell and Grossman, which exposed deep divisions in the party. A third candidate, Alan Pope
Alan Pope
Alan William Pope is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 to 1990, and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller.-Early years:Pope was raised in Northern Ontario, and...
, drew attention to the animosity between the candidates with his slogan, "Don't choose sides, choose Pope". Alan Eagleson
Alan Eagleson
Robert Alan Eagleson is a disbarred Canadian lawyer, convicted felon in two countries, former politician, hockey agent and promoter...
was a co-chairman of Timbrell's campaign.
In this leadership race, Timbrell announced he would not support the full funding of Catholic schools (which had previously been agreed to by all parties in the legislature) unless amendments were put forward guaranteeing entry to non-Catholic teachers and students. Norman Sterling, an inveterate opponent of Catholic school funding, derided Timbrell's position as opportunistic and crossed over to Grossman. Timbrell's change of position may have turned away other potential supporters as well.
Pope finished third on the opening ballot and some believed that he could have given Timbrell a second-ballot victory over Grossman, though Pope chose not to endorse either side. Grossman defeated Timbrell on the second ballot by nineteen votes, effectively ending Timbrell's career in provincial politics. He did not seek re-election in 1987.
Later career
Timbrell served as president of the Ontario Hospital AssociationOntario Hospital Association
According to the Ontario Hospital Association website, the OHA is a member association that represents approximately 154 public hospitals in Ontario. The association regards itself as "the voice of Ontario's public hospitals". To find out more about the OHA, its programs and services, visit...
from 1992 to 1995 and received $583,000 when the OHA sold its Ontario Blue Cross
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a federation of 39 separate health insurance organizations and companies in the United States. Combined, they directly or indirectly provide health insurance to over 100 million Americans. The history of Blue Cross dates back to 1929, while the history of...
subsidiary.
In 1997 and again in 2000, Timbrell campaigned for the Canadian 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...
as a federal Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
candidate in the eastern Ontario riding of Prince Edward—Hastings
Prince Edward—Hastings
Prince Edward—Hastings is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
. In the 1997 election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, Timbrell placed second to 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...
Lyle Vanclief
Lyle Vanclief
Lyle Vanclief, PC was Canada's Minister of Agriculture from 1997-2003.Born in Ameliasburg, Ontario, he was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal Member of Parliament representing the rural Ontario riding of Prince Edward—Hastings in 1988...
, with 21.5% of the vote. In the 2000 election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
, Timbrell placed third, behind Vanclief and a Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
candidate, with 20.3% of the vote.