Elmer Sopha
Encyclopedia
Elmer Sopha was a Canadian
politician, who represented the electoral district
of Sudbury
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1959 to 1971. He was a member of the Ontario Liberal Party
.
, Ontario. He served with the Royal Canadian Navy
and attended the University of Toronto
, receiving a Bachelor of Laws
degree in 1953. Sopha was called to the bar
two years later, and was named a Queen's Counsel
in 1965.
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1959 provincial election
, defeating his Progressive Conservative
opponent by 3,143 votes. He was re-elected with a reduced majority in the 1963 election
, and defeated Progressive Conservative Jim Gordon by only 540 votes in 1967
.
Sopha was considered one of the great orators in Ontario politics of his era, and was nicknamed "The Northern Gadfly" by the southern Ontario media. He was one of just two MPPs in the province who voted against the adoption of the current Flag of Ontario
-- the Sudbury area has a large Franco-Ontarian
population, who largely considered the flag a symbol of British
imperialism
, and Sopha argued in the legislature that the flag was not an appropriate symbol of Ontario's cultural diversity.
Also in 1965, Sopha spoke out in the legislature against CBC
news anchor Earl Cameron, after Cameron potentially compromised his objectivity
by appearing in a toothpaste
commercial.
Sopha was strongly opposed to Charles Templeton
running for the Liberal Party leadership in 1966, following the resignation of Andy Thompson. He had been one of Templeton's strongest supporters in the 1964 Liberal leadership race and the only caucus member to have supported the broadcaster, but Sopha announced that his previous support of Templeton had been a serious mistake. It has been suggested that Sopha raised money for Templeton in 1964, which Templeton never acknowledged. Templeton declined to enter the contest, largely due to opposition from the party caucus.
Sopha did not seek re-election in the 1971 campaign
, and served on the Governing Body of the Law Society of Upper Canada
from 1971 to 1975. He attempted a return to the legislature in the 1975 election
, and lost to New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Bud Germa
by 2,278 votes. He tried again in the 1981 election
, and lost to NDP candidate Floyd Laughren
by 3,410 votes in Nickel Belt
.
Sopha died suddenly while vacationing in Phoenix, Arizona
on January 4, 1982.
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...
politician, who represented the electoral district
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of 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....
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 1959 to 1971. He was a member of the Ontario Liberal Party
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...
.
Career
Sopha was born in CobaltCobalt, Ontario
Cobalt is a town in the district of Timiskaming, province of Ontario, Canada, with a population of 1,223 In 2001 Cobalt was named "Ontario's Most Historic Town" by a panel of judges on the TV Ontario program Studio 2, and in 2002 the area was designated a National Historic Site.-History:Silver was...
, Ontario. He served with 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...
and attended 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...
, receiving a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree in 1953. Sopha was called to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
two years later, and was named a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1965.
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1959 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1959
The Ontario general election of 1959 was held on June 11, 1959, to elect the 98 members of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, defeating his 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...
opponent by 3,143 votes. He was re-elected with a reduced majority in the 1963 election
Ontario general election, 1963
The Ontario general election of 1963 was held on September 25, 1963, to elect the 108 members of the 27th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and defeated Progressive Conservative Jim Gordon by only 540 votes in 1967
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....
.
Sopha was considered one of the great orators in Ontario politics of his era, and was nicknamed "The Northern Gadfly" by the southern Ontario media. He was one of just two MPPs in the province who voted against the adoption of the current Flag of Ontario
Flag of Ontario
The flag of Ontario was enacted by the Flag Act on May 21, 1965 in the Legislature of the Province of Ontario. The flag is a defaced Red Ensign, with the Union Flag in the canton and the Ontario shield of arms in the fly....
-- the Sudbury area has a large Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
population, who largely considered the flag a symbol of British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
, and Sopha argued in the legislature that the flag was not an appropriate symbol of Ontario's cultural diversity.
Also in 1965, Sopha spoke out in the legislature against CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
news anchor Earl Cameron, after Cameron potentially compromised his objectivity
Objectivity (journalism)
Parent article: Journalism ethics and standardsObjectivity is a significant principle of journalistic professionalism. Journalistic objectivity can refer to fairness, disinterestedness, factuality, and nonpartisanship, but most often encompasses all of these qualities.- Definitions :In the context...
by appearing in a toothpaste
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush as an accessory to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it serves as an abrasive that aids in removing the dental plaque and food from the teeth, assists in suppressing...
commercial.
Sopha was strongly opposed to Charles Templeton
Charles Templeton
Charles Bradley Templeton was a Canadian cartoonist, evangelist, agnostic, politician, newspaper editor, inventor, broadcaster and author. He was born and died in the same city, Toronto, Canada...
running for the Liberal Party leadership in 1966, following the resignation of Andy Thompson. He had been one of Templeton's strongest supporters in the 1964 Liberal leadership race and the only caucus member to have supported the broadcaster, but Sopha announced that his previous support of Templeton had been a serious mistake. It has been suggested that Sopha raised money for Templeton in 1964, which Templeton never acknowledged. Templeton declined to enter the contest, largely due to opposition from the party caucus.
Sopha did not seek re-election in the 1971 campaign
Ontario general election, 1971
The Ontario general election of 1971 was held on October 21, 1971, to elect the 117 members of the 29th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and served on the Governing Body of the Law Society of Upper Canada
Law Society of Upper Canada
The Law Society of Upper Canada is responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1797, it is known in French as "Le Barreau du Haut-Canada"...
from 1971 to 1975. He attempted a return to the legislature in the 1975 election
Ontario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and lost to New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Bud Germa
Bud Germa
Melville Carlyle Germa was a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Sudbury from 1967 to 1968 in the Canadian House of Commons, and from 1971 to 1981 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
by 2,278 votes. He tried again in the 1981 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....
, and lost to NDP candidate Floyd Laughren
Floyd Laughren
Floyd Laughren is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He sat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1998 as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, and served as Finance Minister and Deputy Premier in the government of Bob Rae.-Background:Laughren's childhood was far...
by 3,410 votes 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...
.
Sopha died suddenly while vacationing in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
on January 4, 1982.