George Samis
Encyclopedia
George Roy Samis is a former politician in Ontario
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1974 to 1985 as a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP).
He was born in Montreal
, Quebec
, and was educated at the Université de Montréal
and the University of Waterloo
. A high school teacher, he first sought election to the Ontario legislature in the 1971 provincial election
, and lost to Progressive Conservative
Fern Guindon in Stormont
.
Guindon resigned from the legislature in 1974, and Samis contested a by-election
to succeed him. He was successful, defeating Progressive Conservative Guy Leger . Samis was re-elected for the redistributed constituency of Cornwall
in 1975
, 1977
and 1981
. He supported Bob Rae
for the party leadership in 1982.
Samis announced his retirement from the legislature in early 1985. He remains the only New Democrat to have represented the city of Cornwall
at either the provincial or federal level.
At the time of Samis's retirement, the Progressive Conservative party had governed Ontario without interruption for forty-two years. Samis argued in March 1985 that the NDP would be unable to remove to the Progressive Conservatives from office unless it formed an alliance with the Ontario Liberal Party
. After the 1985 election
, an historic two-year pact between the Liberals and NDP allowed Liberal leader David Peterson
to form government as premier. The Peterson government appointed Samis to the Ontario Highway Transport Board in 1986.
Samis later moved to the Kingston
area. In the 1999 provincial election
, he endorsed Liberal candidate John Cleary
in Stormont—Dundas—Charlottenburgh
, a successor constituency to Cornwall.
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 1974 to 1985 as a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP).
He was born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, 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....
, and was educated at the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
and the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
. A high school teacher, he first sought election to the Ontario legislature in the 1971 provincial election
Ontario 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....
, and lost to 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...
Fern Guindon in Stormont
Stormont (electoral district)
Stormont was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1882, 1904 to 1917, and 1925 to 1968. It was located in the eastern part of the province of Ontario....
.
Guindon resigned from the legislature in 1974, and Samis contested a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
to succeed him. He was successful, defeating Progressive Conservative Guy Leger . Samis was re-elected for the redistributed constituency of Cornwall
Cornwall (electoral district)
Cornwall was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1882. It was located in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867...
in 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....
and 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....
. He supported Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
for the party leadership in 1982.
Samis announced his retirement from the legislature in early 1985. He remains the only New Democrat to have represented the city of Cornwall
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
at either the provincial or federal level.
At the time of Samis's retirement, the Progressive Conservative party had governed Ontario without interruption for forty-two years. Samis argued in March 1985 that the NDP would be unable to remove to the Progressive Conservatives from office unless it formed an alliance with the Ontario 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...
. After 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...
, an historic two-year pact between the Liberals and NDP allowed Liberal leader 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....
to form government as premier. The Peterson government appointed Samis to the Ontario Highway Transport Board in 1986.
Samis later moved to the Kingston
Kingston, 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...
area. In the 1999 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, he endorsed Liberal candidate John Cleary
John Cleary
John Cleary is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 2003.Cleary was educated at St. Lawrence College...
in Stormont—Dundas—Charlottenburgh
Stormont—Dundas—Charlottenburgh
Stormont—Dundas—Charlottenburgh was a federal electoral district in eastern Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2007...
, a successor constituency to Cornwall.