Jim Breithaupt
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel James Roos Breithaupt KStJ, CD, OM(Pol), QC, MA, LLB (born September 7, 1934) 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
. He won a total of five elections, and is the longest serving former Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Kitchener
since Canadian Confederation
in 1867.
, and was educated at the University of Western Ontario
, the University of Toronto
and Osgoode Hall Law School
. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1962, and worked as a barrister and solicitor. He was named a Queen's Counsel
in 1975. Breithaupt was also active in the Canadian Army. An artillery and infantry officer, he was the Commanding Officer of the Highland Fusiliers of Canada from 1971-1973 and then was the Senior Staff Officer to the Major General Reserves for Canada, completing 24 years of militia service.
He was the vice-chairman of the Board of Governors of Waterloo Lutheran University, and suggested the new name of "Wilfrid Laurier University
" in 1973. He was then vice-chairman of the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
Board for a further six years. Between 1952 to 1982, he spent a total of thirty years on campus as a student, lecturer, Board Member and Vice-Chairman.
, defeating New Democratic Party candidate Morley Rosenberg by sixty-one votes. He was re-elected with increased majorities in the elections of 1971
, 1975
, 1977
and 1981
. Breithaupt served as financial and justice critic in the Liberal shadow cabinet
for a number of years, and was Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee from 1968 to 1975, when he became the House Leader for the Liberal Opposition.
Liberal leader Stuart Smith
resigned following the 1981 election, and Breithaupt entered the campaign to succeed him at the 1982 Ontario Liberal leadership convention
. He was initially seen as one of the front-runners in a field of five candidates, but was kept off the campaign trail by a car accident. His wife, Jane Adamson Breithaupt, represented him at campaign meetings and rallies. Breithaupt placed fourth on the first ballot, and withdrew from the race. The winner was David Peterson
.
Breithaupt resigned from the legislature on November 1, 1984, and was appointed chairman of the Ontario Law Reform Commission. From 1989 to 1993, he was chairman of the Commercial Registration Appeal Tribunal.
Breithaupt is a life member of the Waterloo Historical Society and was its President from 1996 to 1998. He was the Chairman of the Peace Monument 1871 Committee in Kitchener, and Chairman of the World Horseshoe Tournament in 1997. He organized and wrote the Memorial Plaques at the Waterloo Cenotaph in 1994 and 1995 and gathered the photos of those killed for the memorial displays, and he wrote the text for the plaque at the Kitchener Cenotaph.
Actively involved for the past 40 years with St. John's Ambulance, he was Chairman of the Kitchener-Waterloo Branch (1967-1971) and went on to become President of the Ontario Council of the Order of St. John (1989-1991). He is a Knight of Justice for the Order of St. John
and has his own grant of personal arms.
The Government of Poland
has made him a Knight of Merit. He is a member of Branch 412 (Polish) and 165 (Fort York) of the Royal Canadian Legion, the Toronto Artillery Officers Association and the Royal Canadian Military Institute
.
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. His surname is pronounced as "bright-up". 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 1967 to 1984 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...
. He won a total of five elections, and is the longest serving former Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Kitchener
Kitchener (electoral district)
Kitchener was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario...
since Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
in 1867.
Background
Breithaupt was born in KitchenerKitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, and was educated at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and 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 was called to the Ontario Bar in 1962, and worked as a barrister and solicitor. He was named a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1975. Breithaupt was also active in the Canadian Army. An artillery and infantry officer, he was the Commanding Officer of the Highland Fusiliers of Canada from 1971-1973 and then was the Senior Staff Officer to the Major General Reserves for Canada, completing 24 years of militia service.
He was the vice-chairman of the Board of Governors of Waterloo Lutheran University, and suggested the new name of "Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
" in 1973. He was then vice-chairman of the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary is a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada affiliated with the nondenominational Wilfrid Laurier University, located in Waterloo, Ontario.-History:...
Board for a further six years. Between 1952 to 1982, he spent a total of thirty years on campus as a student, lecturer, Board Member and Vice-Chairman.
Political career
Breithaupt was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1967 provincial electionOntario 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....
, defeating New Democratic Party candidate Morley Rosenberg by sixty-one votes. He was re-elected with increased majorities in the elections of 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....
. Breithaupt served as financial and justice critic in the Liberal shadow cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
for a number of years, and was Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee from 1968 to 1975, when he became the House Leader for the Liberal Opposition.
Liberal leader Stuart Smith
Stuart Lyon Smith
Stuart Lyon Smith is a politician, psychiatrist, academic and public servant in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1982, and led the Ontario Liberal Party for most of this period....
resigned following the 1981 election, and Breithaupt entered the campaign to succeed him at the 1982 Ontario Liberal leadership convention
Ontario Liberal leadership conventions
Ballot-by-ballot results of leadership elections in the Ontario Liberal Party, a political party in the Province of Ontario, Canada.Note: Before 1919, the leaders of the Ontario Liberal Party were chosen by the party's elected Members of the Legislative Assembly...
. He was initially seen as one of the front-runners in a field of five candidates, but was kept off the campaign trail by a car accident. His wife, Jane Adamson Breithaupt, represented him at campaign meetings and rallies. Breithaupt placed fourth on the first ballot, and withdrew from the race. The winner was 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....
.
Breithaupt resigned from the legislature on November 1, 1984, and was appointed chairman of the Ontario Law Reform Commission. From 1989 to 1993, he was chairman of the Commercial Registration Appeal Tribunal.
Memberships
As of 2005, he is the chairman of the Corps of Commissionaires(Great Lakes Division), which employs some 1,200 former Service personnel. He is also the vice-chairman of the Last Post Fund (Ontario Branch) which attends to the funerals and burial of veterans without financial resources. He was the chairman of the German Pioneer's Day Committee locally in Kitchener-Waterloo for four years, and has been a Deputy Judge in the Small Claims Courts of Kitchener, Cambridge, Woodstock, Stratford and Hamilton since 1993.Breithaupt is a life member of the Waterloo Historical Society and was its President from 1996 to 1998. He was the Chairman of the Peace Monument 1871 Committee in Kitchener, and Chairman of the World Horseshoe Tournament in 1997. He organized and wrote the Memorial Plaques at the Waterloo Cenotaph in 1994 and 1995 and gathered the photos of those killed for the memorial displays, and he wrote the text for the plaque at the Kitchener Cenotaph.
Actively involved for the past 40 years with St. John's Ambulance, he was Chairman of the Kitchener-Waterloo Branch (1967-1971) and went on to become President of the Ontario Council of the Order of St. John (1989-1991). He is a Knight of Justice for the Order of St. John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
and has his own grant of personal arms.
The Government of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
has made him a Knight of Merit. He is a member of Branch 412 (Polish) and 165 (Fort York) of the Royal Canadian Legion, the Toronto Artillery Officers Association and the Royal Canadian Military Institute
Royal Canadian Military Institute
The Royal Canadian Military Institute , located in Toronto, Ontario, is Canada's premier independent institute for the study of military strategy, arts, military science and literature....
.