Harry Worton
Encyclopedia
Harry Worton was a politician in Ontario
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1955 to 1985, as a member of the Liberal Party
.
Worton was born in Guelph
, Ontario, and was educated at Guelph Collegiate. He worked as a baker in the city. Worton was an alderman
for Guelph in 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950 and 1951, and served as the city's mayor
from 1952 to 1955.
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1955 provincial election
, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative
William Hamilton
by 1,968 votes in Wellington South
. Worton's election occurred against the backdrop of a landslide victory by the Progressive Conservatives, and was a reflection of his personal popularity. He was re-elected in 1959
, 1963
, 1967
, 1971
, 1975
, 1977
and 1981
, and all of his victories after from 1971 on were by landslide margins. Worton served his entire legislative career as an opposition member, and retired in 1985. Ironically, the Liberal Party was able to form a minority government
after the 1985 election
.
He served as the Liberal Party Whip
for a time, and was known as a strong constituency worker. He supported Jim Breithaupt
for the Liberal Party leadership in 1982. Worton never operated a constituency office, and often met with local voters in his private home. In 2003, a local paper noted that Worton almost never spoke in the legislature, but was strongly respected for his constituency service.
Worton died in 2002. During his funeral service at St. George's Anglican Church, former Liberal leader Robert Nixon
made the following comments: "I found my feet and became productive, but always with Harry's guidance. [...] It was an honour to be with him. I'll never forget him. He was my best friend."
Liz Sandals
, the newly-elected Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Guelph
, addressed Worton's legacy in her first speech to the legislature in 2003:
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 1955 to 1985, as a member of 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...
.
Worton was born in Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario, and was educated at Guelph Collegiate. He worked as a baker in the city. Worton was 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...
for Guelph in 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950 and 1951, and served as the city's mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
from 1952 to 1955.
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1955 provincial 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....
, defeating incumbent 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...
William Hamilton
William Ernest Hamilton
William Ernest Hamilton was an Ontario political figure. He represented Wellington South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Progressive Conservative member from 1945 to 1955....
by 1,968 votes in Wellington South
Wellington South (provincial electoral district)
Wellington South was one of the original provincial electoral districts in Ontario,Canada created in 1867, remaining in existence through the 1985 general election. It was succeeded by the Guelph electoral district for the 1987 general election....
. Worton's election occurred against the backdrop of a landslide victory by the Progressive Conservatives, and was a reflection of his personal popularity. He was re-elected in 1959
Ontario general election, 1959
The Ontario general election of 1959 was held on June 11, 1959, to elect the 98 members of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, 1963
Ontario general election, 1963
The Ontario general election of 1963 was held on September 25, 1963, to elect the 108 members of the 27th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, 1967
Ontario general election, 1967
The Ontario general election of 1967 was held on October 17, 1967, to elect the 117 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, 1971
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....
, 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....
, and all of his victories after from 1971 on were by landslide margins. Worton served his entire legislative career as an opposition member, and retired in 1985. Ironically, the Liberal Party was able to form a minority government
Minority 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...
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...
.
He served as the Liberal Party Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
for a time, and was known as a strong constituency worker. He supported Jim Breithaupt
Jim Breithaupt
Lieutenant-Colonel James Roos Breithaupt KStJ, CD, OM, QC, MA, LLB is a former Canadian politician. His surname is pronounced as "bright-up". He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1984 as a member of the Liberal Party...
for the Liberal Party leadership in 1982. Worton never operated a constituency office, and often met with local voters in his private home. In 2003, a local paper noted that Worton almost never spoke in the legislature, but was strongly respected for his constituency service.
Worton died in 2002. During his funeral service at St. George's Anglican Church, former Liberal leader Robert Nixon
Robert Nixon
Robert Fletcher Nixon is a retired politician in the province of Ontario, Canada. The son of former Premier of Ontario Harry Nixon, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in a 1962 by-election following his father's death...
made the following comments: "I found my feet and became productive, but always with Harry's guidance. [...] It was an honour to be with him. I'll never forget him. He was my best friend."
Liz Sandals
Liz Sandals
Liz Sandals is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Guelph for the Ontario Liberal Party.-Background:...
, the newly-elected Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Guelph
Guelph (provincial electoral district)
Guelph is a provincial electoral district in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 2007 provincial election. The entire riding was created from Guelph—Wellington riding.The riding includes all of the city of Guelph....
, addressed Worton's legacy in her first speech to the legislature in 2003:
- Harry Worton served the people of Guelph and Wellington South as MPP for an astounding 30 years, from 1955 to 1985. When I was in elementary school, I learned that Harry Worton was the MPP. When my kids went to elementary school, they learned that Harry Worton was the MPP. In fact, I suspect that if Harry were still alive and still running, Harry would still be the MPP. Political party really had nothing to do with it. The people of Guelph elected as MP Alf HalesAlfred HalesAlfred Dryden Hales was a Progressive Conservative party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in Guelph, Ontario and became a butcher, meat cutter, farmer, manufacturer and merchant by career....
, who was a Conservative and a butcher, and for MPP they voted for Harry Worton, who was a Liberal and a baker. There is no record of the people of Guelph-Wellington ever voting for a candlestick maker to finish off the rhyme. However, even Harry admitted that when he was first elected as alderman in Guelph in 1944, at the age of 23, he was elected because he promised to put more raisins in his buns.http://www.oha.com/oha/qinhouse.nsf/0/286ea39aed115d5985256e0000634197?OpenDocument