Chris Ward (politician)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Campbell Ward (born June 21, 1949 in Birmingham
, England
) is a former politician in Ontario
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
as a Liberal
from 1985 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson
.
The son of Albert Charles Ward and Daniella Joy Griffiths, Ward was raised in Ontario and educated in Dundas
. In 1971, he was married to Carol Suzanne Hunter. He was elected a ward councillor in Flamborough
in 1978, a regional councillor in 1980 and mayor
in 1982.
Ward first ran for the Ontario legislature in a by-election
for the constituency of Wentworth North, held on December 31, 1984. He lost to Progressive Conservative
Ann Sloat
by 169 votes, but a few months later defeated Sloat by 5,168 votes in the 1985 provincial election
amid a general surge in support for the Liberal Party. He was re-elected handily in the 1987 election
.
Ward served as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health from June 26, 1985 to January 9, 1987, and as the assistant to Attorney General Ian Scott from January to September 1987. He was promoted to cabinet as Minister of Education on September 29, 1987. Following a cabinet shuffle on August 2, 1989, he was named Minister of Government Services and Government House Leader
.
Going into the 1990 provincial election
, Ward's Wentworth North constituency was seen as the safest Liberal constituency in the province. The Liberals unexpectedly lost power by the New Democratic Party
, however, and Ward lost his seat to NDP candidate Don Abel by a mere 88 votes. During the campaign, Ward was targeted by a group of local lawyers who opposed the Peterson government's no-fault auto insurance program.
He attempted to return to the legislature in the 1995 election
, but lost to Progressive Conservative candidate Toni Skarica
by over 10,000 votes.
He supported Gerard Kennedy
for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1996.
After leaving politics, Ward became Vice-President of Strategic Planning and Communications for Canada's Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies. He now runs Ward Health Strategies, a consulting firm based in Toronto
and Washington, D.C.
He has provided briefings to legislators in several American states on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a former politician in Ontario
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...
as a Liberal
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...
from 1985 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the government of 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....
.
The son of Albert Charles Ward and Daniella Joy Griffiths, Ward was raised in Ontario and educated in Dundas
Dundas, Ontario
Dundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley...
. In 1971, he was married to Carol Suzanne Hunter. He was elected a ward councillor in Flamborough
Flamborough, Ontario
Flamborough is a former town near, and a current community in, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada....
in 1978, a regional councillor in 1980 and mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
in 1982.
Ward first ran for the Ontario legislature in 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....
for the constituency of Wentworth North, held on December 31, 1984. He 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...
Ann Sloat
Ann Sloat
Frances Ann Sloat is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1984 to 1985, although she never actually sat in the assembly. Sloat was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.She was born in Stratford, Ontario, and was educated...
by 169 votes, but a few months later defeated Sloat by 5,168 votes in the 1985 provincial 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...
amid a general surge in support for the Liberal Party. He was re-elected handily in the 1987 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...
.
Ward served as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health from June 26, 1985 to January 9, 1987, and as the assistant to Attorney General Ian Scott from January to September 1987. He was promoted to cabinet as Minister of Education on September 29, 1987. Following a cabinet shuffle on August 2, 1989, he was named Minister of Government Services and Government House Leader
Government House Leader (Ontario)
The Ontario Government House Leader is the provincial cabinet minister responsible for planning and managing the government's legislative program in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
.
Going into the 1990 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, Ward's Wentworth North constituency was seen as the safest Liberal constituency in the province. The Liberals unexpectedly lost power by the New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
, however, and Ward lost his seat to NDP candidate Don Abel by a mere 88 votes. During the campaign, Ward was targeted by a group of local lawyers who opposed the Peterson government's no-fault auto insurance program.
He attempted to return to the legislature in the 1995 election
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
, but lost to Progressive Conservative candidate Toni Skarica
Toni Skarica
Antonio 'Toni' Skarica is a lawyer and former politician in Ontario, Canada. From 1995 to 2000, he was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario....
by over 10,000 votes.
He supported Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1996.
After leaving politics, Ward became Vice-President of Strategic Planning and Communications for Canada's Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies. He now runs Ward Health Strategies, a consulting firm based in 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...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He has provided briefings to legislators in several American states on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America , founded in 1958, is a trade group representing the pharmaceutical research and biopharmaceutical companies in the United States. PhRMA's stated mission is advocacy for public policies that encourage the discovery of new medicines for patients...
.