John Aimers
Encyclopedia
John Lathrop Aimers is founder and former long-time Dominion
Chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada
. He is an educator by profession and taught at a succession of private school
s until 2006. He is a dual citizen of Canada
and the United States
.
and is a graduate of Selwyn House School
and Lower Canada College
and earned his Bachelor of Arts
from Sir George Williams University in 1972. He earned a diploma in education from McGill University
in 1974.
in Winnipeg
(1980–1983) and Appleby College
in Oakville, Ontario
(1983–1991). In the U.S., he taught at the Allen-Stevenson School
in Manhattan
(1992–1993) and the Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut
(1993–1994). Most recently, he was a debating coach and part-time teacher of English at Toronto French School
(1998-2006).
's youth wing and became personally close to former Prime Minister
John Diefenbaker
, serving as his administrative assistant from 1969 to 1970. The two shared a conviction that the government of Pierre Trudeau
was undermining the status of the monarchy in Canada
. In 1970 Aimers and others founded the Monarchist League of Canada in an attempt to galvanize monarchist
s and shore up support for the institution.
Aimers served as its Dominion Chairman from 1970 to 1972 when he left to take a job on Parliament Hill
. He resumed his duties as Dominion Chairman in 1975, and led the League until 2006. On February 4, 2006, Aimers announced that he would be stepping aside from public activities on behalf of the Monarchist League and on February 23, 2007, Robert Finch officially succeeded Aimers as Dominion Chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada.
Members of Parliament
Robert Coates
in 1972 and Stanley Schumacher
in 1973. He served as national president of the Progressive Conservative Youth Federation in 1977. Aimers resigned from the Progressive Conservative Party in 1978, joining the Liberals
, to protest what he called "the shafting of Stan Schumacher" by the party. Schumacher, a 10-year veteran Member of Parliament
lost his bid for renomination after he refused to give up his Bow River
riding in favour of Tory leader Joe Clark
who was losing his own riding due to redistribution
. Aimers accused the party's national executive of directing a campaign against Schumacher's renomination bid in order to punish him. Aimers subsequently served as special assistant to Liberal MP Donald Johnston
from 1979 to 1980.
Aimers has run for public office once, as an independent candidate in the 1973 Quebec provincial election
, but was unsuccessful.
and the Prayer Book Society of Canada
, Aimers spoke regularly at services and was long the newsletter editor at St. Thomas Anglican Church
, an Anglo-Catholic parish in Toronto
, until he resigned in 2006.
Dominion
A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
Chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada
Monarchist League of Canada
The Monarchist League of Canada is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization whose mission is "to promote the full expression and a better understanding of the history and real benefits of a uniquely Canadian constitutional monarchy"....
. He is an educator by profession and taught at a succession of private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s until 2006. He is a dual citizen of 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...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Education
Aimers was educated in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and is a graduate of Selwyn House School
Selwyn House School
Selwyn House School is a private independent boys' school located in Westmount, Quebec. Boys can attend from Kindergarten through to Grade 11. The school was founded in 1908 by Englishman Captain Algernon Lucas...
and Lower Canada College
Lower Canada College
Lower Canada College of Montreal is an elementary and secondary level private school.The college was founded by the Church of St John the Evangelist in 1861 as St. John's School and changed its name to Lower Canada College in 1909, replacing an older school by that name that was founded in...
and earned his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Sir George Williams University in 1972. He earned a diploma in education from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in 1974.
Teaching career
Aimers taught at Selwyn House in Montreal (1974-1978), St. John's-Ravenscourt SchoolSt. John's-Ravenscourt School
St. John's-Ravenscourt School is an independent, co-educational, university-preparatory school founded in 1820. Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the school delivers an enriched curriculum from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, is the royal patron of the...
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
(1980–1983) and Appleby College
Appleby College
Appleby College is an international independent school located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1911 by John Guest, a former Headmaster of the Preparatory School at Upper Canada College...
in Oakville, Ontario
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
(1983–1991). In the U.S., he taught at the Allen-Stevenson School
Allen-Stevenson School
Allen-Stevenson is a private boys elementary school located at 132 East 78th Street in New York City, New York.- History :The Allen School was founded in 1883 by Francis Bellows Allen at a home on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. Its first class enrolled only three boys. In 1885, the school moved to...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
(1992–1993) and the Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
(1993–1994). Most recently, he was a debating coach and part-time teacher of English at Toronto French School
Toronto French School
The Toronto French School , founded in 1962 , is an independent, bilingual, co-educational, non-denominational school in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, is the royal patron of the school....
(1998-2006).
Founding the Monarchist League
Aimers had been an activist in the Progressive Conservative Party of CanadaProgressive 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....
's youth wing and became personally close to former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
, serving as his administrative assistant from 1969 to 1970. The two shared a conviction that the government of Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
was undermining the status of the monarchy in Canada
Monarchy in Canada
The monarchy of Canada is the core of both Canada's federalism and its Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, being the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Canadian government and each provincial government...
. In 1970 Aimers and others founded the Monarchist League of Canada in an attempt to galvanize monarchist
Monarchism in Canada
Canadian monarchism is the appreciation amongst Canadians for, and thus also advocacy for the retention of, their distinct system of constitutional monarchy, countering anti-monarchical reform as being generally revisionist, idealistic, and ultimately impracticable...
s and shore up support for the institution.
Aimers served as its Dominion Chairman from 1970 to 1972 when he left to take a job on Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
. He resumed his duties as Dominion Chairman in 1975, and led the League until 2006. On February 4, 2006, Aimers announced that he would be stepping aside from public activities on behalf of the Monarchist League and on February 23, 2007, Robert Finch officially succeeded Aimers as Dominion Chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada.
Political activities
Politically, following his service to Diefenbaker, Aimers worked as administrative assistant to Progressive ConservativeProgressive 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....
Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Robert Coates
Robert Coates (politician)
Robert Carman Coates, PC, QC is a former Canadian politician and Cabinet minister.Coates was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1957 election as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Cumberland, Nova Scotia. Coates was a backbencher during the John Diefenbaker...
in 1972 and Stanley Schumacher
Stanley Schumacher
Stanley Stanford Schumacher was speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and a member of the Canadian House of Commons from Alberta, Canada-Early life:He was born in Hanna, Alberta to parents Louis and Gladys Schumacher...
in 1973. He served as national president of the Progressive Conservative Youth Federation in 1977. Aimers resigned from the Progressive Conservative Party in 1978, joining the Liberals
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...
, to protest what he called "the shafting of Stan Schumacher" by the party. Schumacher, a 10-year veteran Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
lost his bid for renomination after he refused to give up his Bow River
Bow River (electoral district)
Bow River was a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1968 and from 1979 to 1988.This riding was created in 1914 from Macleod riding...
riding in favour of Tory leader Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
who was losing his own riding due to redistribution
Redistribution (election)
Redistribution , called redistricting in the United States, is the process of changing of political borders. This is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral district boundaries, usually in response to periodic census results that cause malportionment of representation...
. Aimers accused the party's national executive of directing a campaign against Schumacher's renomination bid in order to punish him. Aimers subsequently served as special assistant to Liberal MP Donald Johnston
Don Johnston
The Honourable Donald James Johnston, PC, OC, QC is a former Canadian politician, lawyer, and was Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development from 1996 to 2006.-Early life:...
from 1979 to 1980.
Aimers has run for public office once, as an independent candidate in the 1973 Quebec provincial election
Quebec general election, 1973
The Quebec general election of 1973 was held on October 29, 1973 to elect members to National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Robert Bourassa, won re-election, defeating the Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, and the Union Nationale .The Liberals won a...
, but was unsuccessful.
Anglicanism
An active member of the Anglican Church of CanadaAnglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
and the Prayer Book Society of Canada
Prayer Book Society of Canada
The Prayer Book Society of Canada or PBS is an organization within the Anglican Church of Canada which "promotes the understanding and use of the Book of Common Prayer as a spiritual system of nurture for life in Christ"...
, Aimers spoke regularly at services and was long the newsletter editor at St. Thomas Anglican Church
St. Thomas Anglican Church
St. Thomas's Anglican Church also known as St. Thomas's, Huron Street is a parish of the Anglican Church of Canada located at 383 Huron Street in Toronto, Ontario. It was one of the earliest Anglo-Catholic congregations in Canada...
, an Anglo-Catholic parish 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...
, until he resigned in 2006.
External links
- Canadian Who's Who profile of Aimers
- CTV: Quebec boys' school hit with legal bombshell
- Toronto Star: Lawsuit claims teacher sexually abused student
- Globe and Mail: Sex-abuse claims hit elite school
- National Post: Sex suit names Monarchist League chief
- McPhadden, Samac, Merner, Barry Barristers and Solicitors