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Gilbert Parent

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Gilbert Parent
Parent in December 2000
33rd Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada
In office
January 17, 1994 – January 29, 2001
MonarchElizabeth II
Governors GeneralRay Hnatyshyn
Roméo LeBlanc
Adrienne Clarkson
Prime MinisterJean Chrétien
Preceded byJohn Allen Fraser
Succeeded byPeter Milliken
Member of Parliament
for Niagara Centre
(Welland—St. Catharines—Thorold; 1988–1997)
(Welland; 1979–1984)
(St. Catharines; 1974–1979)
In office
November 21, 1988 – November 27, 2000
Preceded byAllan Pietz
Succeeded byTony Tirabassi
In office
July 8, 1974 – September 4, 1984
Preceded byTrevor Morgan
Succeeded byAllan Pietz
Personal details
Born(1935-07-25)July 25, 1935
Mattawa, Ontario, Canada
DiedMarch 3, 2009(2009-03-03) (aged 73)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Spouse(s)Joan Parent, partner
Sandra Page
ProfessionTeacher

Gilbert "Gib" Parent PC (July 25, 1935 – March 3, 2009) was a Canadian member of Parliament. He is best known in his role as speaker of the House of Commons of Canada between 1994 and 2001.

Parent was born on July 25, 1935, in Mattawa, Ontario, and his janitor father, a Mattawa-born Metis, moved the young family to Welland, Ontario. He went to St. Joseph's College on a football scholarship, and earned a teaching certificate from the Ontario College of Education.[1]

Prior to his election to the House of Commons, he worked as a teacher and was vice-principal at Thorold Secondary School.

Political career

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Parent was elected to Parliament six times as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was first elected in the 1974 election representing the riding of St. Catharines. He was re-elected in the 1979, 1980. Parent was defeated in the 1984 election as Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative Party swept to power, but regained his seat four years later in 1988, and was re-elected in the 1993 and 1997 elections.

His riding's name was subsequently changed to Welland, then Welland—St. Catharines—Thorold and finally Niagara Centre. Under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Parent served, at different times between 1977 and 1981, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, to the Minister of Labour and to the Minister of State (Sports).

Parent was first elected Speaker in January 1994. In the House, Parent was forced into the challenge of presiding over a five-party Parliament that resulted from the emergence of the Bloc Québécois and the Reform Party. Upon being re-elected to the position in September 1997, he told the Montreal Gazette that he expected the different voices in Parliament, informed by strong opinions on all sides, would make the House the lively place it should be.

Parent died at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto at the age of 73 of pneumonia while recovering from colon cancer surgery.[2] He is survived by his brothers, Gerald Parent and Romeo Parent, wife of 39 years, Joan Parent (née Davis), their 4 daughters, Michele (Dave) Hundertmark, Monique (John) Finley, Madeleine (Mark) Thomas, and Terri (Sandro) Perruzza and 13 grandchildren, and partner Sandra Page, 2 daughters and 1 grandchild.

Electoral record

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1997 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal PARENT, Gib 24,115
Reform JOHNSTONE, Don 12,053
Progressive Conservative ATKINSON, Joe 5,827
New Democratic WILSON, James 5,510
Christian Heritage BYLSMA, David 515
Natural Law LARRASS, Anne 363
Marxist–Leninist WALKER, Ron 143
1993 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  Liberal PARENT, Gilbert 25,534 53.97%
  Reform JOHNSTONE, Don 11,901 25.15%
  Progressive Conservative ST. AMAND, Terry 5,472 11.56%
  New Democratic Party DOBRUCKI, Rob 3,737 7.89%
  Natural Law AMOS, Laureen 311 0.66%
Green FANNON, Jim 304 0.64%
  Abolitionist DOUCET, Leonard 64 0.14%
1988 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  Liberal PARENT, Gilbert 17,878
  Progressive Conservative PIETZ, Allan 16,287
  New Democratic Party LEE, Ken 12,646
Green THOMSON, Rachel 273
  No affiliation WALKER, Ron 71
  Communist WALLIS, David 57
1984 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes
Progressive Conservative Allan Pietz 18,418
Liberal Gilbert Parent 14,481
New Democratic Rob Dobrucki 10,508
Green Andrew Rivett 284
Communist John MacLennan 145
1980 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal Gilbert Parent 18,112
New Democratic Robert Wright 11,729
Progressive Conservative George Krusell 11,292
Communist John Severinsky 95
Marxist–Leninist Ron Walker 78


1984 Canadian federal election: Welland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Allan Pietz 18,418 42.0 +14.7
Liberal Gilbert Parent 14,481 33.0 -10.8
New Democratic Rob Dobrucki 10,508 24.0 -4.4
Green Andrew Rivett 284 0.6
Communist John MacLennan 145 0.3 +0.1
Total valid votes 43,836 100.0
1980 Canadian federal election: Welland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Gilbert Parent 18,112 43.8 +6.6
New Democratic Robert Wright 11,729 28.4 +2.5
Progressive Conservative George Krusell 11,292 27.3 -8.7
Communist John Severinsky 95 0.2 0.0
Marxist–Leninist Ron Walker 78 0.2 0.0
Total valid votes 41,306 100.0
lop.parl.ca
1979 Canadian federal election: Welland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Gilbert Parent 16,025 37.2 -19.3
Progressive Conservative Allan E. Pietz 15,527 36.1 +11.8
New Democratic Robert Wright 11,151 25.9 +7.3
Independent John L. Sabados 218 0.5
Communist John Severinsky 83 0.2 -0.4
Marxist–Leninist Ron Walker 62 0.1
Total valid votes 43,066 100.0

Archives

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There is a Gilbert Parent fonds at Library and Archives Canada.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Former MP Gib Parent 'loved his country'. St. Catharines Standard, March 4, 2009.
  2. ^ "Former House Speaker Gib Parent dead at 73". Montreal Gazette. March 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-04. [dead link]
  3. ^ "Gilbert Parent fonds, Library and Archives Canada". Retrieved 2020-09-18.
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