Jim Jordan (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
Jim Jordan was a member of the Canadian House of Commons
from 1988 to 1997. His career had been in education as a teacher and administrator.
. His father, George, was a longtime municipal politician in Hungerford Township
and ran unsuccessfully in the riding of East Hastings for the Liberals in the 1948 provincial election
.
He was educated in Marlbank, Tweed
and at Regiopolis in Kingston
, and attended teacher's college in 1949 following completion of Grade 13. He married Mary Barrett in 1953. He began his teaching career at CFB Petawawa
, eventually rising to the position of principal after eight years. He then accepted a position of school inspector in the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville area. In 1969 he became the first director of education for the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville School Board. He retired from the education field in 1985, and subsequently began to pursue a career in politics.
Jordan was an Ontario Liberal Party
candidate in the 1987 provincial election
, losing by fewer than 200 votes to Progressive Conservative incumbent Bob Runciman
.
He then chose to contest the 1988 federal election
, defeating incumbent MP Jennifer Cossitt
by over 2,000 votes. He was re-elected in the 1993 election
, and retired in 1997. His son Joe Jordan secured the Liberal nomination in Leeds and Grenville that year, and succeeded his father as MP in the 1997 election
. This marked the first time in Canadian history that a son had directly succeeded his father as MP for the same constituency.
Jordan is the grandfather of 15 grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.
superhighway between Ottawa and Highway 401
.
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...
from 1988 to 1997. His career had been in education as a teacher and administrator.
Early history
Jordan was born the youngest of seven children to George and Hannah Jordan (née Taylor) in Marlbank, OntarioMarlbank, Ontario
Marlbank is a small community located in Tweed, Ontario, Canada, a few kilometers west of Highway 41. Widely recognized as one of the greatest Ghost Towns in Ontario, this small commune plays host to several stories of horror and mischief....
. His father, George, was a longtime municipal politician in Hungerford Township
Tweed, Ontario
Tweed is a municipality and a village located in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, in Hastings County.The Municipality of Tweed is an amalgamated municipality comprising the former Village of Tweed and the former Townships of Hungerford and Elzevir & Grimsthorpe...
and ran unsuccessfully in the riding of East Hastings for the Liberals in the 1948 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1948
The Ontario general election of 1948 was held on June 7, 1948, to elect the 90 members of the 23rd Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
.
He was educated in Marlbank, Tweed
Tweed, Ontario
Tweed is a municipality and a village located in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, in Hastings County.The Municipality of Tweed is an amalgamated municipality comprising the former Village of Tweed and the former Townships of Hungerford and Elzevir & Grimsthorpe...
and at Regiopolis in 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...
, and attended teacher's college in 1949 following completion of Grade 13. He married Mary Barrett in 1953. He began his teaching career at CFB Petawawa
CFB Petawawa
Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, commonly referred to as CFB Petawawa, or simply "Pet", is a Canadian Forces Base located in Petawawa, Ontario. It is operated as an army base by Canadian Forces Land Force Command.-Base facts:...
, eventually rising to the position of principal after eight years. He then accepted a position of school inspector in the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville area. In 1969 he became the first director of education for the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville School Board. He retired from the education field in 1985, and subsequently began to pursue a career in politics.
Jordan was an 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...
candidate in the 1987 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, losing by fewer than 200 votes to Progressive Conservative incumbent Bob Runciman
Bob Runciman
Robert William "Bob" Runciman is a veteran Canadian politician and former provincial Leader of the Opposition in the Ontario Legislature. First elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1981, he held the seat continuously for Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario for the next 29 years...
.
He then chose to contest the 1988 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
, defeating incumbent MP Jennifer Cossitt
Jennifer Cossitt
Jennifer Cossitt was a Progressive Conservative party member of the Canadian House of Commons. She was a business executive by career....
by over 2,000 votes. He was re-elected in the 1993 election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, and retired in 1997. His son Joe Jordan secured the Liberal nomination in Leeds and Grenville that year, and succeeded his father as MP 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...
. This marked the first time in Canadian history that a son had directly succeeded his father as MP for the same constituency.
Family
Jim Jordan is the father of seven boys: Dr. David Jordan, Bob Jordan, Paul Jordan, Joe Jordan, Tom Jordan, Mike Jordan, and Dr. Andy Jordan.Jordan is the grandfather of 15 grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.
Additional information
Jordan campaigned for federal funding to support the construction of the Highway 416Highway 416 (Ontario)
King's Highway 416, commonly referred to as Highway 416 and as the Veterans Memorial Highway, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario which connects Highway 417 in Ottawa with Highway 401 between Brockville and Cornwall...
superhighway between Ottawa and Highway 401
Highway 401 (Ontario)
King's Highway 401, also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway and colloquially as the four-oh-one, is a 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario stretching from Windsor to the Quebec border...
.