Lincoln Alexander

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Lincoln MacCauley Alexander, PC, CC, OOnt, CD, QC (born January 21, 1922), served as the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991. Alexander was also a Governor of the Canadian Unity Council

Born in Toronto, Ontario to West Indian immigrants to Canada, Lincoln Alexander first distinguished himself by serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the second World War. In 1953, he graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.^[1]

Alexander then became Canada's first black Member of Parliament when he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1968 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, representing the riding of Hamilton West. During this period, he was indirectly involved in the famous fuddle duddle incident involving Trudeau, because he spoke to the press over the alleged profanity.

Lincoln Alexander held the seat for the next four successive elections. In 1976 and 1978 he served as an observer to the United Nations. Under the brief government of Joe Clark in 1979-1980, Alexander served as Minister of Labour. He resigned his seat in 1980 to serve as chairman of the Worker's Compensation Board.

Lincoln Alexander was appointed by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé, on the advice of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, as the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, in 1985, the first black person to serve in a vice-regal position in Canada. (James Douglas, who was of mixed descent, was Governor of Vancouver Island and of British Columbia prior to Canadian Confederation.) During Alexander's term in vice-regal office, he concentrated on bringing attention to education and youth issues.

After his departure from office in 1991, Alexander was awarded the Order of Ontario, and made a Companion of the Order of Canada. From 1991 to 2007, Alexander served as Chancellor of the University of Guelph, longer than any of his predecessors, and subsequently assumed the office of Chancellor Emeritus. Alexander was also named Chair of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation in 2000 and he remains an active spokesman on race relations and veterans' issues. He is currently the Honourary Patron of the Hamilton, Ontario branch of St. John Ambulance, as well as Honourary Chief of the Hamilton Police Service.

In November, 2006, his autobiography Go to School, You're a Little Black Boy: The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander: A Memoir was published (ISBN 1-55002-663-1).

Titles, styles, and honours

Honours

Awards

• Ontario: Greatest Hamiltonian

Honorific eponyms

Awards

• Ontario: Lincoln M. Alexander Awards^[2]

Roads, highways, and bridges

• Ontario: Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway, Hamilton

Schools

• Ontario: Lincoln Alexander Public School, Ajax
• Ontario: Lincoln Alexander Public School, Hamilton
• Ontario: Lincoln Alexander Public School, Markham
• Ontario: Lincoln M. Alexander Secondary School, Mississauga

References

1. ^ "York University York University's Osgoode Hall Law School Alumni Association honours three outstanding members of the legal profession". York University. 3 April 1997. http://www.yorku.ca/mediar/releases_1996_2000/archive/040397.htm York University. Retrieved on 2008-04-01. 
2. ^ [1]

External links

• Federal Political Biography from the Library of Parliament
• Order of Canada Citation
• Description of Lincoln M. Alexander Award
• Short interview after book launch
• biography of his career with the Canadian Air Force

v • d • e Lieutenant Governors of Ontario Post-Confederation (1867-present) Stisted • Howland • Crawford • D.A. Macdonald • J.B. Robinson • Campbell • Kirkpatrick • Gzowski • Mowat • Clark • Gibson • Hendrie • Clarke • Cockshutt • Ross • Mulock • H.A. Bruce • Matthews • Lawson • Breithaupt • MacKay • Rowe • W.R. Macdonald • McGibbon • Aird • Alexander • Jackman • Weston • Bartleman • Onley Province of Canada (1841-1866)* Clitherow • Jackson • Bagot • Metcalfe • Cathcart • J. Bruce • E.W. Head • Monck Upper Canada (1791-1841) Simcoe • Russell • Hunter • Grant • Gore • Brock • Sheaffe • de Rottenburg • Drummond • Murray • F.P. Robinson • Smith • Maitland • Colborne • F.B. Head • Arthur • Sydenham British Province of Quebec (1759-1791)* Amherst • Murray • Carleton • Haldimand • Carleton (2nd Time) * The Crown's representative from 1759 to 1791, and from 1841 to 1866 held the office and rank of Governor-General

v • d • e   Ministers of Labour Ministers of Labour (1900-1996) Mulock · Aylesworth · Lemieux1 · W.L.M. King · Crothers · Robertson · Murdock · J.H. King (acting) · Elliott · Manion (acting) · Jones · Heenan · Robertson · Gordon · Rogers · McLarty · Mitchell · Martin (acting) · Gregg · Starr · MacEachen · Nicholson · Pépin · Mackasey · O'Connell · Munro · Ouellet (acting) · O'Connell · Alexander · Regan · Caccia · Ouellet · McKnight · Cadieux · Corbeil · Danis · Valcourt · Axworthy · Robillard Ministers of Human Resources Development (1996-2005)2 Young · Pettigrew · Stewart · Frulla · Dryden Ministers of Human Resources and Skills Development (2005-) Stronach · Finley · Solberg · Finley Ministers of Labour (1996-) Robillard · Gagliano · MacAulay · Bradshaw · Fontana3 · Blackburn · Ambrose 1Until 1909, the office of the minister of Labour was a secondary function of the Postmaster-General of Canada. W.L.M. King was the first to hold the office independantly. 2The office of Minister of Employment and Immigration, and Minister of Labour were abolished and the office of Minister of Human Resources Development went in force on July 12, 1996. Under the new provisions, a Minister of Labour may be appointed. However, when no Minister of Labour is appointed, the Minister of Human Resources Development shall exercice the powers and perform the duties and functions of the Minister of Labour. 3Styled "Minister of Labour and Housing".