Lewis Duncan
Encyclopedia
James Lewis Duncan (1885–1960) was a Canadian
politician and lawyer.
Duncan was the son of a physician and grandson of a Presbyterian minister. He studied at the University of Toronto and in Paris and won a silver medal as a student at Osgoode Hall Law School
.
He fought in World War I
at the Somme, Vimy Ridge and Paschendale. Was appointed military administrator of occupied Bonn, Germany and ended the war with the rank of Major
.
Returning to Canada he was appointed chair of a Fair Price Commission on milk, wrote a book on bankruptcy law and sat on a royal commission
investigating farm fraud in British Columbia
and helped write Canada's Combines Investigations Act.
In the 1930s, Ontario Hydro
retained Duncan for a two year investigation leading him to be criticized by the Ontario Premier Mitchell Hepburn
for charging $17,000 in legal fees. Duncan was expelled from the ruling Ontario Liberal Party and responded by comparing Hepburn to Adolf Hitler
and Hepburn called Duncan "a rat."
He was elected to Toronto
City Council in the 1930s and ran for Mayor of Toronto in 1939 but was defeated by Ralph C. Day by a margin of 39,000 votes and again in 1940 by only 4,000 votes. He returned to city council as a member of the Board of Control in 1941 topping the polls in the election for the four person executive body (the Mayor sat ex-officio as the Chairman) and sat on the body until 1944. As Vice-Chairman of the Board of Control, Duncan charged the city with being run as a family compact
and accused the Toronto Transit Commission of not disclosing its books. Duncan also started a major investigation in 1942 when he charged that a child receiving relief
had died of malnutrition.
Duncan ran as a federal Liberal
candidate for the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1940 election
in the riding
of Danforth, but was defeated in a two-way race against Conservative John Henry Harris.
Duncan then joined the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)
, and ran again for Mayor of Toronto in 1944 but was defeated by Frederick J. Conboy
by 20,000 votes. He also ran in the 1945 Ontario election
as the CCF's candidate in the riding
of High Park against George Drew, accusing him of being financed by "beer barons", but was defeated.
He then challenged Ontario CCF
Ted Jolliffe
for the leadership of the party, but was defeated by Jolliffe at the 1946 leadership convention
.
Duncan had a colourful reputation as a lawyer. He once challenged a Supreme Court justice to step out of his courtroom and repeat his statements in the hallway and was fined $2,000 in 1957 for "scandalizing the court" when he asked a Supreme Court justice to withdraw himself from a hearing without giving a reason. He never paid the fine but was barred thereafter from arguing cases before the Supreme Court.
Duncan died on April 8, 1960, when he shot himself to death in the washroom of downtown Toronto department store.
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...
politician and lawyer.
Duncan was the son of a physician and grandson of a Presbyterian minister. He studied at the University of Toronto and in Paris and won a silver medal as a student at Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School is a Canadian law school, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and affiliated with York University. Named after the first Chief Justice of Ontario, William Osgoode, the law school was established by The Law Society of Upper Canada in 1889 and was the only accredited law...
.
He fought in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
at the Somme, Vimy Ridge and Paschendale. Was appointed military administrator of occupied Bonn, Germany and ended the war with the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
Returning to Canada he was appointed chair of a Fair Price Commission on milk, wrote a book on bankruptcy law and sat on a royal commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
investigating farm fraud in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and helped write Canada's Combines Investigations Act.
In the 1930s, Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
retained Duncan for a two year investigation leading him to be criticized by the Ontario Premier Mitchell Hepburn
Mitchell Hepburn
Mitchell Frederick Hepburn was the 11th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest Premier in Ontario history, appointed at age 37....
for charging $17,000 in legal fees. Duncan was expelled from the ruling Ontario Liberal Party and responded by comparing Hepburn to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and Hepburn called Duncan "a rat."
He was elected to 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...
City Council in the 1930s and ran for Mayor of Toronto in 1939 but was defeated by Ralph C. Day by a margin of 39,000 votes and again in 1940 by only 4,000 votes. He returned to city council as a member of the Board of Control in 1941 topping the polls in the election for the four person executive body (the Mayor sat ex-officio as the Chairman) and sat on the body until 1944. As Vice-Chairman of the Board of Control, Duncan charged the city with being run as a family compact
Family Compact
Fully developed after the War of 1812, the Compact lasted until Upper and Lower Canada were united in 1841. In Lower Canada, its equivalent was the Château Clique. The influence of the Family Compact on the government administration at different levels lasted to the 1880s...
and accused the Toronto Transit Commission of not disclosing its books. Duncan also started a major investigation in 1942 when he charged that a child receiving relief
Welfare
Welfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...
had died of malnutrition.
Duncan ran as a federal 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...
candidate 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...
in the 1940 election
Canadian federal election, 1940
The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada...
in the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Danforth, but was defeated in a two-way race against Conservative John Henry Harris.
Duncan then joined the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation – The Farmer-Labor Party of Ontario, or more informally and commonly known as The Ontario CCF, was a democratic socialist political party that existed from 1932 to 1961. It was the provincial wing of the National CCF. The party officially had no leader in...
, and ran again for Mayor of Toronto in 1944 but was defeated by Frederick J. Conboy
Frederick J. Conboy
Frederick Joseph Conboy was a Canadian politician, who served as mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1941 to 1944....
by 20,000 votes. He also ran in the 1945 Ontario election
Ontario general election, 1945
The Ontario general election of 1945 was held on June 4, 1945, to elect the 90 members of the 22nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
as the CCF's candidate in the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of High Park against George Drew, accusing him of being financed by "beer barons", but was defeated.
He then challenged Ontario CCF
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation – The Farmer-Labor Party of Ontario, or more informally and commonly known as The Ontario CCF, was a democratic socialist political party that existed from 1932 to 1961. It was the provincial wing of the National CCF. The party officially had no leader in...
Ted Jolliffe
Ted Jolliffe
Edward Bigelow "Ted" Jolliffe, QC was a Canadian social democratic politician and lawyer from Ontario. He was the first leader of the Ontario section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and leader of the Official Opposition in the Ontario Legislature during the 1940s and 1950s...
for the leadership of the party, but was defeated by Jolliffe at the 1946 leadership convention
Ontario CCF/NDP leadership conventions
The Ontario New Democratic Party elects its leaders by secret ballot of the party members and/or their delegates at leadership elections, as did its predecessor, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation . The party leader can be challenged for the leadership at the party's biennial convention...
.
Duncan had a colourful reputation as a lawyer. He once challenged a Supreme Court justice to step out of his courtroom and repeat his statements in the hallway and was fined $2,000 in 1957 for "scandalizing the court" when he asked a Supreme Court justice to withdraw himself from a hearing without giving a reason. He never paid the fine but was barred thereafter from arguing cases before the Supreme Court.
Duncan died on April 8, 1960, when he shot himself to death in the washroom of downtown Toronto department store.