John O. Burghardt (19 September 1929 - 28 September 2002) was a Canadian television news broadcaster, politician and church minister.

Born in Port Colborne, Ontario

Port Colborne, Ontario

Port Colborne is a city on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of southern Ontario, Canada...

, Burghardt became one of the first on-air personalities on CHCH-TV

CHCH-TV

CHCH-DT, channel 11, is a television station originating in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with transmitters located throughout Ontario. CHCH currently operates as an independent station, having previously served as a CBC Television affiliate, and more recently as the flagship station of the...

 in Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

. He moved to London

London, Ontario

London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...

's CFPL-TV

CFPL-TV

CFPL-DT is a television station based in London, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Part of the CTV Two television system, the station serves London, Sarnia and much of southwestern Ontario north of London, including Wingham since its former sister station, CKNX-TV which ceased operations and...

 in 1971 and became that station's news anchor. He remained at CFPL until 1980, apart from a break in 1972 to seek a seat in federal Parliament.

His first attempt to gain a seat in 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...

 was unsuccessful. He campaigned as the Liberal Party

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...

 candidate in the Hamilton West electoral district during the 1972 federal election

Canadian federal election, 1972

The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...

.

His second attempt was in a 1981 by-election in the London West

London West

London West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. Its population in 2006 was 118,335.-Geography:The district includes the northwest part of the City of London....

 electoral district. He served in the remainder of the 32nd Canadian Parliament

32nd Canadian Parliament

The 32nd Canadian Parliament was in session from April 14, 1980 until July 9, 1984. The membership was set by the 1980 federal election on February 18, 1980, and it only changed slightly due to resignations and by-elections prior to being dissolved before the 1984 election.It was controlled by a...

, replacing Judd Buchanan

Judd Buchanan

Judd Buchanan, PC, OC is a former Canadian politician and businessman.After a career in the life insurance industry working for London Life, Buchanan, born in Edmonton, Alberta, was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1968 election as the Liberal Member of Parliament for London West.He...

 who resigned his seat. Burghardt was defeated in the 1984 federal election

Canadian federal election, 1984

The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...

 by 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 Tom Hockin

Tom Hockin

Thomas A. "Tom" Hockin, PC is an academic, businessman and former Canadian politician.Hockin was born and went to public school in London, Ontario. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in business, and later attended Harvard University where he graduated with a...

.

After leaving federal politics, Burghardt entered London city politics and attained the position of Deputy Mayor. A long-time lay preacher, he was ordained a minister of the United Church of Canada

United Church of Canada

The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...

in later life.

Burghardt died in London aged 73 following surgery.

External links

• ObituariesOnTheNet.com: Jack Burghardt, accessed 12 September 2006
• Bill Dulmage: CFPL-TV history, accessed 12 September 2006