Electoral Firsts in Canada - Jewish Canadians

Jewish Canadians

Extended full political rights: 1831, in Lower Canada (Quebec)

First Jewish Canadian elected to a Legislature in Canada: Ezekiel Hart, elected in Lower Canada in the by-election of April 11, 1807

First Jewish Canadian cabinet minister (provincial or federal):

  1. David Croll, Ontario Liberal, Ontario Cabinet of Premier Mitchell Hepburn, 1934–1937
  2. Allan Grossman, Ontario Progressive Conservative, Ontario Cabinets of Premiers Leslie Frost, John Robarts and Bill Davis, 1960–1975

First Jewish Canadian federal cabinet minister: Herb Gray, Liberal, first appointed in 1969 as Minister without portfolio by Pierre Trudeau (Liberal)

First Jewish Canadians elected to the Canadian House of Commons (first Jewish Canadian MP)

  1. Henry Nathan, Liberal MP Victoria 1872–1874
  2. Abraham Albert Heaps, CCF (the forerunner to the New Democratic Party) MP, Winnipeg North 1935–1940
  3. Fred Rose, Labour-Progressive (Communist) MP Cartier, Quebec 1943–1947

First Jewish leader of a federal party: David Lewis, New Democratic Party 1971–1975

First Jewish Premier: Dave Barrett, BC New Democratic Party Premier 1972–1975

First Jewish Senator: David Croll, Liberal, appointed 1955.

First Jewish Leaders of provincial parties

  1. Dave Barrett, BC New Democratic Party, 1969-May 20, 1984
  2. Stephen Lewis, Ontario New Democratic Party, 1970–1978
  3. Izzy Asper, Manitoba Liberal, 1970–75
  4. Sidney Spivak, Manitoba Progressive Conservatives, 1971 to 1975
  5. Stuart Smith, Ontario Liberal 1976–1982
  6. Larry Grossman, Ontario Progressive Conservatives, November 22, 1985 - September 10, 1987

First Jewish Supreme Court Judge: Bora Laskin, 1970, subsequently Chief Justice

First Jewish mayors

  1. Lumley Franklin, Victoria, 1865–1866
  2. David Oppenheimer, Vancouver, 1888–1891
  3. David Croll, Windsor, 1931–1934
  4. Leonard Arthur Kitz, Halifax, 1955–1957
  5. Nathan Phillips, Toronto, 1955–1962
  6. Vernon Singer, North York (Reeve), 1957–1958
  7. Sidney Buckwold, Saskatoon, 1958–1963
  8. Max Silverman, Sudbury, 1966
  9. Sam Katz, Winnipeg, 2004–present
  10. Michael Applebaum, Montreal, 2012

Read more about this topic:  Electoral Firsts In Canada

Famous quotes containing the words jewish and/or canadians:

    “What was lost in the European cataclysm was not only the Jewish past—the whole life of a civilization—but also a major share of the Jewish future.... [ellipsis in source] It was not only the intellect of a people in its prime that was excised, but the treasure of a people in its potential.”
    —Cynthia Ozick (b. 1928)

    “The impression made on me was that the French Canadians were even sharing the fate of the Indians, or at least gradually disappearing in what is called the Saxon current.”
    —Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)