Ross Milne (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
William Ross Milne better known as Ross Milne (born August 28, 1932) is a retired Canadian politician.
Milne, the son of Alec Milne and Eva Renton, was raised in a political family on a farm in Grey County, Ontario. Agnes Macphail, the first woman elected to Parliament in Canada was a cousin of his father's. At age 15 he got his driver's licence, bought a Model A Ford and won a school bus contract which he maintained through his high school years in Durham and Hanover.
Milne attended the University of Guelph (OAC) graduating first in Agricultural Engineering, and later with a Master's degree in Engineering. After graduation he worked with the Extension branch of the Ontario Ministry of Food and Agriculture designing farm buildings, drainage systems and conservation measures. He led in the design of buildings that made high density livestock and poultry housing feasible. These designs continue to be used in the livestock and poultry industries today.
Milne first ran for the Liberal Party of Canada
in the 1972 federal election
in the riding of Peel—Dufferin—Simcoe
, west of Toronto. He was defeated by Progressive Conservative
Ellwood Madill
but prevailed in a rematch two years later in the 1974 federal election
. In the Canadian House of Commons
, Milne served as Parliamentary Secretary
to the Minister of Communications
from 1976 to 1977 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
from 1977 to 1978. He also served as chairman of the Ontario Liberal caucus
. Milne advocated for gun control
while an MP following a 1975 shooting rampage at Brampton Centennial High School, in Milne's riding, that left three dead and 13 injured.
As a result of redistribution
, Milne ran for re-election in the new riding of Brampton—Georgetown
in 1979, losing to John McDermid
of the Tories. He ran again in the 1980
and 1984 federal elections
but was bested by McDermid each time.
After his defeat, Milne worked with TransCanada Pipelines where he established their Environmental Affairs Department, appeared many times before the National Energy Board and represented TCPL on the Canadian Petroleum Association's Environmental and Pipeline Committees.
In 1988 he was seconded by TCPL to the building of the 600 km Iroquois Pipeline from Cornwall, Ontario, through New York State and under Long Island Sound into New York City. He was the lead in obtaining the regulatory and environmental approvals, appearing before FERC (the US Regulatory Commission) and State agencies, and later overseeing the construction of the pipeline.
After returning to Canada in 1991 Milne joined Acres International where he carried out energy related projects for the World Bank in Russia, Columbia, Peru and Viet Nam, and was a project leader for CIDA in providing institutional strengthening training for energy projects in South America.
In 1980, Milne was elected president of the Ontario wing of the federal Liberal Party of Canada. In 1982, as Ontario party president, he cautioned Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
not to interpret a vote of confidence in his leadership from Ontario party members as a message urging him to stay in office. Milne was acclaimed to a third term as president of the Ontario wing of the federal party in 1983.
After retiring Milne has returned to engineering and to Model A'ing, and has driven with his wife in their 1931 Model A across Australia and New Zealand, through the Scandinavian countries, the Maritimes and up the West Coast of Canada through Alaska and the Yukon to the Arctic Circle.
His wife, Lorna Dennison Milne
was appointed to the Canadian Senate
in 1995.
Milne, the son of Alec Milne and Eva Renton, was raised in a political family on a farm in Grey County, Ontario. Agnes Macphail, the first woman elected to Parliament in Canada was a cousin of his father's. At age 15 he got his driver's licence, bought a Model A Ford and won a school bus contract which he maintained through his high school years in Durham and Hanover.
Milne attended the University of Guelph (OAC) graduating first in Agricultural Engineering, and later with a Master's degree in Engineering. After graduation he worked with the Extension branch of the Ontario Ministry of Food and Agriculture designing farm buildings, drainage systems and conservation measures. He led in the design of buildings that made high density livestock and poultry housing feasible. These designs continue to be used in the livestock and poultry industries today.
Milne first ran for the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
in the 1972 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
in the riding of Peel—Dufferin—Simcoe
Peel—Dufferin—Simcoe
Peel—Dufferin—Simcoe was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1979. It was located in the province of Ontario...
, west of Toronto. He was defeated by Progressive Conservative
Progressive 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....
Ellwood Madill
Ellwood Madill
John Ellwood Madill was a Progressive Conservative party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in Melancthon, Ontario....
but prevailed in a rematch two years later in the 1974 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1974
The Canadian federal election of 1974 was held on July 8, 1974 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 30th Parliament of Canada. The governing Liberal Party won its first majority government since 1968, and gave Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau his third term...
. In 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...
, Milne served as Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister of Communications
Minister of Communications (Canada)
The Minister of Communications of Canada is a now-defunct cabinet post which existed from 1969 to 1996, when it was abolished. Its telecommunications policy functions were transferred to Industry Canada and its cultural role was assumed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage.The post was...
from 1976 to 1977 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Canada)
The Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who heads two different departments...
from 1977 to 1978. He also served as chairman of the Ontario Liberal caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
. Milne advocated for gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
while an MP following a 1975 shooting rampage at Brampton Centennial High School, in Milne's riding, that left three dead and 13 injured.
As a result of 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...
, Milne ran for re-election in the new riding of Brampton—Georgetown
Brampton—Georgetown
Brampton—Georgetown was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988....
in 1979, losing to John McDermid
John McDermid
John Horton McDermid, PC, FRI is a former Canadian politician.McDermid worked in marketing, public relations and broadcasting before entered politics...
of the Tories. He ran again in the 1980
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
and 1984 federal elections
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
but was bested by McDermid each time.
After his defeat, Milne worked with TransCanada Pipelines where he established their Environmental Affairs Department, appeared many times before the National Energy Board and represented TCPL on the Canadian Petroleum Association's Environmental and Pipeline Committees.
In 1988 he was seconded by TCPL to the building of the 600 km Iroquois Pipeline from Cornwall, Ontario, through New York State and under Long Island Sound into New York City. He was the lead in obtaining the regulatory and environmental approvals, appearing before FERC (the US Regulatory Commission) and State agencies, and later overseeing the construction of the pipeline.
After returning to Canada in 1991 Milne joined Acres International where he carried out energy related projects for the World Bank in Russia, Columbia, Peru and Viet Nam, and was a project leader for CIDA in providing institutional strengthening training for energy projects in South America.
In 1980, Milne was elected president of the Ontario wing of the federal Liberal Party of Canada. In 1982, as Ontario party president, he cautioned Liberal Prime Minister 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,...
not to interpret a vote of confidence in his leadership from Ontario party members as a message urging him to stay in office. Milne was acclaimed to a third term as president of the Ontario wing of the federal party in 1983.
After retiring Milne has returned to engineering and to Model A'ing, and has driven with his wife in their 1931 Model A across Australia and New Zealand, through the Scandinavian countries, the Maritimes and up the West Coast of Canada through Alaska and the Yukon to the Arctic Circle.
His wife, Lorna Dennison Milne
Lorna Milne
Lorna Ann Milne was a Canadian Senator from 1995 to 2009.Milne is the daughter of former Mayor of Toronto and Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Member of Provincial Parliament William Dennison and grand-daughter of Isaac Bainbridge, early labour organizer and pacifist...
was appointed to the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
in 1995.