Don Scott (Ontario author)
Encyclopedia
Don Scott is a retired school teacher, writer and sometime political candidate based in Sudbury, Ontario
, Canada
. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto
, holds a Master of Science
degree from Guelph University, and is self-educated in the field of degenerative diseases. Scott has been a candidate for both the New Democratic Party and the Canadian Action Party
, and formed a short-lived party called Ontario Options
in mid-1990s.
, Ontario. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy
on July 15, 1941 and served in the Pacific
and North Atlantic
during World War II
, including a stint on the HMCS Ontario
. He wrote a guest piece on his experiences for the Toronto Star
newspaper in 1997, and has written similar pieces for the Sudbury Star
. In 1948, he was discharged with the rank of Petty Officer
.
He worked as a teacher after leaving the military, and was a commissioner of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Fund from 1971 to 1976. He criticized the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation's retirement scheme in 1979, arguing that senior staff members were receiving "immoral" increases via dubious means. In 1984, he promoted a series of retirement villages for teachers throughout Ontario.
officially recognized as a debilitating disease. He developed a personal interest in the subject, and conducted private research on degenerative diseases from 1995 to 1999. In 1995, he and his son William wrote a book entitled The Extremely Unfortunate Skull Valley Incident, examining an American test of nerve gas in the Skull Valley
area that caused the death of thousands of sheep. The Scotts wrote a follow-up book called The Brucellosis Triangle in 1997, hypothesizing a link between CFS and brucella
bacteria. Scott has frequently argued that CFS and related conditions should be recognized as legitimate illnesses, and rejects the view that they are "learned behaviour designed to help the patient avoid facing life".
Scott founded the Common Cause Medical Research Foundation in 1998, seeking to draw together researchers working in the field of degenerative diseases. In July 1999, he introduced a quarterly publication called The Journal of Degenerative Diseases. The journal was published by the Sudbury Star
, and edited by Scott himself. He launched another new publication in 2003, with the title able.
Scott has hypothesized that mycoplasma
(crystalline elements of dead bacteria cells) may remain dormant in human bodies and become reinvigorated as the result of traumatic events, thereby robbing other cells of ammonia
. This process, he has argued, is the cause of many degenerative disorders. Gary Nicholson of the Institute of Molecular Medicine
in California
has described Scott's research as "mind-boggling", and convinced him to become an adjunct professor at the institution. Scott's writings are also very critical of the American military establishment and its biological warfare
experiments, which he blames for the spread of many diseases. In 2004 and 2005, he focused his attention on Alzheimer's Disease
and proposed a clinical trial to reverse some effects of the illness.
In a 2001 interview with the Sudbury Star
, Scott said that he was able to bring forward unconventional medical theories because he was self-taught, and "not predisposed to think in a way that someone taught me to think". This piece also described his writings as "thorough and highly engaging."
. He finished third against Liberal
incumbent Jack Smith
in the riding of York North
.
The CCF was restructured as the New Democratic Party
in 1960-61. Scott remained active with the new party, and ran under its banner in the 1967 provincial election
and the 1974 federal election
. He finished second on both occasions, the first time to Progressive Conservative
Gaston Demers
in Nickel Belt
, and the second time to Liberal Jim Jerome in Sudbury
.
He became disillusioned with the NDP during the government of Bob Rae
(1990–95), and started his own political party called Ontario Options
in June 1994. According to a Montreal Gazette report, the party proposed that Canada be divided into five countries: Quebec, Ontario, Atlantic and Prairie federations, and a federation of British Columbia with the northern territories. Scott was the party's only member at the time of its national registration, and ran under its banner in the 1995 provincial election
. As it was recognized as an official party by Elections Ontario
, he appeared on the ballot as an independent. He finished a distant fourth against Liberal
candidate Rick Bartolucci
in Sudbury
. Scott was still listed as president of the Ontario Options Party in December 2000, when he wrote a letter opposing the amalgation of Greater Sudbury.
Scott later affiliated with Paul Hellyer
's Canadian Action Party
at the federal level, and ran for the party in the 1997 federal election
. He finished fifth against Liberal incumbent Ray Bonin in Nickel Belt. Scott was chairman of the Canadian Action Party's northern caucus in the 2000 federal election
. He said that the party's main goal was "to protect Canada from the growing Americanization of our nation".
Shortly before the 2003 provincial election
, Scott wrote a public letter calling on all former New Democrats to return to the party. He wrote that the Rae government had "largely ignored [its promises] about public auto insurance and other social issues", but also argued that the party had moved on since then, and described Rae's successor Howard Hampton
as "reasoned, honest [and] intelligent".
in Sudbury in 1993. He helped organize Health Awareness Week in 2000, to support Canada's health-care system and educate at-risk groups about disease concerns.
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, he wrote a letter
to the Sudbury Star
criticizing the paper for running an editorial cartoon that he described as "sick, prejudiced, racist [and] unfeeling". In the same letter, he supported the rights of the Palestinian people
.
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 is a graduate of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, holds a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree from Guelph University, and is self-educated in the field of degenerative diseases. Scott has been a candidate for both the New Democratic Party and the Canadian Action Party
Canadian Action Party
The Canadian Action Party is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1997. It promotes Canadian nationalism, monetary and electoral reform, and opposes neoliberal globalization and free trade agreements.- Background :The Canadian Action Party was founded by Paul T...
, and formed a short-lived party called Ontario Options
Ontario Options
Ontario Options was a short-lived political party in Ontario, Canada.The party was registered on June 10, 1994 by Don Scott, who was its only member at the time...
in mid-1990s.
Early life and career
Scott was born in WiartonWiarton, Ontario
Wiarton is a community in Bruce County, Ontario, at the western end of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay, on the Bruce Peninsula. The community is part of the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Ontario....
, Ontario. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
on July 15, 1941 and served in the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and North Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, including a stint on the HMCS Ontario
HMCS Ontario
HMCS Ontario can refer to several ships:* HMS Ontario ,a British warship* HMCS Ontario , a Royal Canadian Navy Minotaur class light cruiser* HMCS Ontario, a Royal Canadian Sea Cadet summer training centre-See also:...
. He wrote a guest piece on his experiences for the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
newspaper in 1997, and has written similar pieces for the Sudbury Star
Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Star is a Canadian daily regional newspaper, published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is run by the media conglomerate Sun Media, which is controlled by Quebecor....
. In 1948, he was discharged with the rank of Petty Officer
Petty Officer
A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
.
He worked as a teacher after leaving the military, and was a commissioner of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Fund from 1971 to 1976. He criticized the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation's retirement scheme in 1979, arguing that senior staff members were receiving "immoral" increases via dubious means. In 1984, he promoted a series of retirement villages for teachers throughout Ontario.
Medical work
In 1995, Scott assisted a Sudbury woman in her successful battle to have chronic fatigue syndromeChronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...
officially recognized as a debilitating disease. He developed a personal interest in the subject, and conducted private research on degenerative diseases from 1995 to 1999. In 1995, he and his son William wrote a book entitled The Extremely Unfortunate Skull Valley Incident, examining an American test of nerve gas in the Skull Valley
Skull Valley
The Skull Valley Indian Reservation is the Goshute Indian reservation located approximately 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. It belongs to the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah, a federally recognized tribe....
area that caused the death of thousands of sheep. The Scotts wrote a follow-up book called The Brucellosis Triangle in 1997, hypothesizing a link between CFS and brucella
Brucella
Brucella is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria. They are small , non-motile, non-encapsulated coccobacilli, which function as facultative intracellular parasites....
bacteria. Scott has frequently argued that CFS and related conditions should be recognized as legitimate illnesses, and rejects the view that they are "learned behaviour designed to help the patient avoid facing life".
Scott founded the Common Cause Medical Research Foundation in 1998, seeking to draw together researchers working in the field of degenerative diseases. In July 1999, he introduced a quarterly publication called The Journal of Degenerative Diseases. The journal was published by the Sudbury Star
Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Star is a Canadian daily regional newspaper, published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is run by the media conglomerate Sun Media, which is controlled by Quebecor....
, and edited by Scott himself. He launched another new publication in 2003, with the title able.
Scott has hypothesized that mycoplasma
Mycoplasma
Mycoplasma refers to a genus of bacteria that lack a cell wall. Without a cell wall, they are unaffected by many common antibiotics such as penicillin or other beta-lactam antibiotics that target cell wall synthesis. They can be parasitic or saprotrophic. Several species are pathogenic in humans,...
(crystalline elements of dead bacteria cells) may remain dormant in human bodies and become reinvigorated as the result of traumatic events, thereby robbing other cells of ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
. This process, he has argued, is the cause of many degenerative disorders. Gary Nicholson of the Institute of Molecular Medicine
Institute of Molecular Medicine
An Institute of Molecular Medicine, or IMM for short, may refer to a scientific research institution in molecular medicine:Norway*Department of Cancer research and Molecular Medicine at the The Norwegian University of Science and Technology....
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
has described Scott's research as "mind-boggling", and convinced him to become an adjunct professor at the institution. Scott's writings are also very critical of the American military establishment and its biological warfare
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
experiments, which he blames for the spread of many diseases. In 2004 and 2005, he focused his attention on 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...
and proposed a clinical trial to reverse some effects of the illness.
In a 2001 interview with the Sudbury Star
Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Star is a Canadian daily regional newspaper, published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is run by the media conglomerate Sun Media, which is controlled by Quebecor....
, Scott said that he was able to bring forward unconventional medical theories because he was self-taught, and "not predisposed to think in a way that someone taught me to think". This piece also described his writings as "thorough and highly engaging."
Politics
Scott entered political life as a member of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), and ran for the party in the 1953 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1953
The Canadian federal election of 1953 was held on August 10 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 22nd Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Louis St...
. He finished third against 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...
incumbent Jack Smith
Jack Smith (politician)
John Eachern Smith was a Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in Eldon Township, Ontario and was in the newspaper business as an editor and publisher....
in the riding of York North
York North
York North was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from Confederation in 1867 until 2004. It is also an electoral district that was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1867 to 2007...
.
The CCF was restructured as the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
in 1960-61. Scott remained active with the new party, and ran under its banner in the 1967 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1967
The Ontario general election of 1967 was held on October 17, 1967, to elect the 117 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
and 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...
. He finished second on both occasions, the first time to Progressive Conservative
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...
Gaston Demers
Gaston Demers
Gaston Joseph Clément Demers was a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Nickel Belt in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1971...
in Nickel Belt
Nickel Belt (provincial electoral district)
Nickel Belt is a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Ontario. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The district is located in Northern Ontario and includes much of the eastern and southern parts of the District of Sudbury, as well as most of Greater...
, and the second time to Liberal Jim Jerome in Sudbury
Sudbury (electoral district)
Sudbury is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1949.Its population in 2001 was 89,443. The district is one of two serving the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario....
.
He became disillusioned with the NDP during the government of Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
(1990–95), and started his own political party called Ontario Options
Ontario Options
Ontario Options was a short-lived political party in Ontario, Canada.The party was registered on June 10, 1994 by Don Scott, who was its only member at the time...
in June 1994. According to a Montreal Gazette report, the party proposed that Canada be divided into five countries: Quebec, Ontario, Atlantic and Prairie federations, and a federation of British Columbia with the northern territories. Scott was the party's only member at the time of its national registration, and ran under its banner in the 1995 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
. As it was recognized as an official party by Elections Ontario
Elections Ontario
Elections Ontario is a non-partisan Agency of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. They work under the Chief Electoral Officer, an officer of the Legislative Assembly. responsible for the conduct of provincial elections.-External links:*...
, he appeared on the ballot as an independent. He finished a distant fourth against Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
candidate Rick Bartolucci
Rick Bartolucci
Rick Bartolucci is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He has represented Sudbury in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1995, and is a cabinet minister in the government of Dalton McGuinty...
in Sudbury
Sudbury (provincial electoral district)
Sudbury is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1908. It is one of the two districts serving the city of Greater Sudbury.Its population in 2001 was 89,443....
. Scott was still listed as president of the Ontario Options Party in December 2000, when he wrote a letter opposing the amalgation of Greater Sudbury.
Scott later affiliated with Paul Hellyer
Paul Hellyer
Paul Theodore Hellyer, PC is a Canadian engineer, politician, writer and commentator who has had a long and varied career. He is the longest serving current member of the Privy Council, just ahead of Prince Philip.-Early life:...
's Canadian Action Party
Canadian Action Party
The Canadian Action Party is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1997. It promotes Canadian nationalism, monetary and electoral reform, and opposes neoliberal globalization and free trade agreements.- Background :The Canadian Action Party was founded by Paul T...
at the federal level, and ran for the party in the 1997 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
. He finished fifth against Liberal incumbent Ray Bonin in Nickel Belt. Scott was chairman of the Canadian Action Party's northern caucus in the 2000 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
. He said that the party's main goal was "to protect Canada from the growing Americanization of our nation".
Shortly before the 2003 provincial election
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, Scott wrote a public letter calling on all former New Democrats to return to the party. He wrote that the Rae government had "largely ignored [its promises] about public auto insurance and other social issues", but also argued that the party had moved on since then, and described Rae's successor Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
as "reasoned, honest [and] intelligent".
Other
Scott played a significant role in organizing a symposium on John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
in Sudbury in 1993. He helped organize Health Awareness Week in 2000, to support Canada's health-care system and educate at-risk groups about disease concerns.
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, he wrote a letter
Letter to the editor
A letter to the editor is a letter sent to a publication about issues of concern from its readers. Usually, letters are intended for publication...
to the Sudbury Star
Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Star is a Canadian daily regional newspaper, published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is run by the media conglomerate Sun Media, which is controlled by Quebecor....
criticizing the paper for running an editorial cartoon that he described as "sick, prejudiced, racist [and] unfeeling". In the same letter, he supported the rights of the Palestinian people
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
.