Russ Ramsay
Encyclopedia
Russell Harold Ramsay was a politician in Ontario
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1978 to 1985, and was a cabinet minister in the government of William Davis
. Ramsay was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
.
Ramsay was born in Sault Ste. Marie
, and was educated in that city and at Queen's University in Kingston
. He became manager of CJIC-TV
in 1956, and served as vice-president of Huron Broadcasting
. Ramsay was the recipient of a Centennial Medal in 1967, and was named "Man of the Year" by Sault Ste. Marie's Rotary Club in 1969. He was a member of the Sault Ste. Marie city council from January to June 1975.
He campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1965
and 1968
federal elections as a candidate of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
. He lost to Liberal
candidate George Nixon
in Algoma West
in 1965, and to Liberal Terry Murphy
in Sault Ste. Marie
in 1968.
Ramsay was first elected to the Ontario legislature in a by-election
held on December 14, 1978. Campaigning in the provincial division of Sault Ste. Marie
, he was elected by a comfortable margin over a candidate of the New Democratic Party. He was re-elected without difficulty in the 1981 provincial election
. He was appointed to cabinet as Provincial Secretary for Resources Development on April 10, 1981, and promoted to Minister of Labour on February 13, 1982.
Ramsay supported Larry Grossman
's to replace Bill Davis as Progressive Conservative leader in February 1985, and was not appointed to the cabinet of Frank Miller, the successful candidate. He lost to New Democratic Party candidate Karl Morin-Strom
by 1,069 votes in the 1985 provincial election
. In 1996, Ramsay ran in a mayoral by-election in Sault Ste. Marie, but was defeated by former federal MP Steve Butland
.
Ramsay received the Paul Dalseg Community Achievement Award in 2000. He died in 2003 at a Sault Ste. Marie nursing home, having previously been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease
. A boardroom at Sault Ste. Marie's City Hall is named in his honour, as is the street leading to City Hall. In 2009, Ramsay was selected for induction into the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame
.
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...
from 1978 to 1985, and was a cabinet minister in the government of William Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
. Ramsay was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
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...
.
Ramsay was born in Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
, and was educated in that city and at Queen's University in Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
. He became manager of CJIC-TV
CJIC-TV
CJIC-TV was a television station in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. In operation from 1955 to 2002 as a private affiliate of CBC Television, it now operates only a repeater of the network's flagship station in Toronto, CBLT.-History:...
in 1956, and served as vice-president of Huron Broadcasting
Huron Broadcasting
Huron Broadcasting was a Canadian radio and television broadcasting company, active in Sault Ste. Marie from 1976 to 1990.The company first entered the broadcasting business in 1976, when it acquired the assets of the city's prior Highland Broadcasting and Algonquin Broadcasting companies,...
. Ramsay was the recipient of a Centennial Medal in 1967, and was named "Man of the Year" by Sault Ste. Marie's Rotary Club in 1969. He was a member of the Sault Ste. Marie city council from January to June 1975.
He campaigned 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 1965
Canadian federal election, 1965
The Canadian federal election of 1965 was held on November 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 27th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was re-elected with a larger number of seats in the House...
and 1968
Canadian federal election, 1968
The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...
federal elections as a candidate of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
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....
. He lost to 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 George Nixon
George E. Nixon
George Ewart Nixon was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Algoma West in the Canadian House of Commons from 1940 to 1968. He was a member of the Liberal Party.-External links:...
in Algoma West
Algoma West
Algoma West was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1968. It was created in 1903 from parts of Algoma riding....
in 1965, and to Liberal Terry Murphy
Terrence Murphy (politician)
Charles Terrence Murphy, Q.C. was a Canadian lawyer, politician and judge. Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Murphy was the eldest son of Charlie and Monica Murphy of John Street. He attended Holy Angels Catholic School and Sault Collegiate Institute , and entered St. Peter's Seminary in London,...
in Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie (electoral district)
Sault Ste. Marie is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.In 2004, due to population changes in boundary distribution, the riding expanded significantly to include a significant portion of the Algoma District, from...
in 1968.
Ramsay was first elected to 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....
held on December 14, 1978. Campaigning in the provincial division of Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie (provincial electoral district)
Sault Ste. Marie is a provincial electoral district in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1890 when it was created. The electoral district consists of the City of Sault Ste. Marie, bounded by Prince Township, and the Rankin Indian Reserve 15D....
, he was elected by a comfortable margin over a candidate of the New Democratic Party. He was re-elected without difficulty in the 1981 provincial election
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....
. He was appointed to cabinet as Provincial Secretary for Resources Development on April 10, 1981, and promoted to Minister of Labour on February 13, 1982.
Ramsay supported Larry Grossman
Larry Grossman
Lawrence "Larry" Sheldon Grossman was a politician in Ontario, Canada.-Early years:Born in Toronto, Grossman was the son of Allan Grossman, who had represented a downtown Toronto riding in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for twenty years after defeating Ontario's last Communist Member of...
's to replace Bill Davis as Progressive Conservative leader in February 1985, and was not appointed to the cabinet of Frank Miller, the successful candidate. He lost to New Democratic Party candidate Karl Morin-Strom
Karl Morin-Strom
Karl Arvid Morin-Strom is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 to 1990 as a member of the New Democratic Party....
by 1,069 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...
. In 1996, Ramsay ran in a mayoral by-election in Sault Ste. Marie, but was defeated by former federal MP Steve Butland
Steve Butland
Steve Butland is a Canadian politician. He represented the Sault Ste. Marie electoral district in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1993 as a member of the New Democratic Party. Before entering politics, Butland served as principal at St...
.
Ramsay received the Paul Dalseg Community Achievement Award in 2000. He died in 2003 at a Sault Ste. Marie nursing home, having previously been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. A boardroom at Sault Ste. Marie's City Hall is named in his honour, as is the street leading to City Hall. In 2009, Ramsay was selected for induction into the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame
Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame
The Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame is a series of markers located on Queen Street in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, adjacent to the Essar Centre sports arena...
.