Jack Davis (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
John Davis, PC
(July 31, 1916 – March 27, 1991) was a Canadian politician from British Columbia who was elected both federally and provincially.
, Davis grew up in Tranquille Valley on a 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) homestead where he attended school in a one room log cabin. The Davis family moved into Kamloops so that Davis could attend Grade 8 at Kamloops High School; he was elected student council president, as was his sister Ethel Davis Moore. Jack won provincial scholarships in junior and senior matriculation, the latter with the highest marks in B.C. Jack attended the University of British Columbia
, where he was president of the Engineers and the Men's Undergraduate Society, and a member of U.B.C. Thunderbird Basketball team, which won the Canadian Men's Senior Championship. He graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science (chemical engineering) and was chosen a Rhodes Scholar from British Columbia in 1939.
His attendance at St John's College
, Oxford University, was interrupted by the Second World War. Davis was the only engineer on a Canadian research team at a McGill University
developing a new process for manufacturing RDX
. Writing up the RDX process gave Jack his PhD in Science in 1942.
and Pemberton
. A member of the then-minority Liberal Party of Canada
, he was re-elected in the following year in the train of the national Liberal victory and was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister
Lester B. Pearson
. Davis was re-elected in the Canadian federal elections of 1965 and 1968 (now in the riding of Capilano
(electoral district) and 1972. A cabinet minister in the government of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, he was Minister without Portfolio, Minister of Fisheries, Minister of Fisheries and Forestry, and the first Minister of the Environment in the English-speaking world. He was defeated in the Canadian federal election of 1974.
In the British Columbia provincial election of 1975
, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
as a member of the British Columbia Social Credit Party
representing the district of North Vancouver-Seymour
. He was sworn in as the Minister of Transport and Communication in the new Bill Bennett
government. He resigned in 1978 but was re-elected in the British Columbia general election, 1979
, British Columbia general election, 1983
, British Columbia general election, 1986
. Davis was also a cabinet minister in the government of Bill Vander Zalm
and was Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources when he died in office in 1991.
An energy audit prepared for Alternative Energy Policy Branch of the Ministry of Energy and Mines in 2005 found that the Jack Davis Building at 1810 Blanshard Street in Victoria was currently operating at a high level of energy efficiency. The initial design of the building, which won the building acclaim upon completion in 1992, is still reaping the benefits of energy efficient construction via low energy expenditures.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(July 31, 1916 – March 27, 1991) was a Canadian politician from British Columbia who was elected both federally and provincially.
Early life and education
Born in Kamloops General Hospital, in Kamloops, British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Davis grew up in Tranquille Valley on a 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) homestead where he attended school in a one room log cabin. The Davis family moved into Kamloops so that Davis could attend Grade 8 at Kamloops High School; he was elected student council president, as was his sister Ethel Davis Moore. Jack won provincial scholarships in junior and senior matriculation, the latter with the highest marks in B.C. Jack attended the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, where he was president of the Engineers and the Men's Undergraduate Society, and a member of U.B.C. Thunderbird Basketball team, which won the Canadian Men's Senior Championship. He graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science (chemical engineering) and was chosen a Rhodes Scholar from British Columbia in 1939.
His attendance at St John's College
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, Oxford University, was interrupted by the Second World War. Davis was the only engineer on a Canadian research team at a McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
developing a new process for manufacturing RDX
RDX
RDX, an initialism for Research Department Explosive, is an explosive nitroamine widely used in military and industrial applications. It was developed as an explosive which was more powerful than TNT, and it saw wide use in WWII. RDX is also known as cyclonite, hexogen , and T4...
. Writing up the RDX process gave Jack his PhD in Science in 1942.
Political career
In 1962, Davis was elected to the Canadian House of Commons representing the riding of Coast—Capilano, a riding which stretched from Deep Cove in North Vancouver to Powell RiverPowell River, British Columbia
Powell River is a city on the northern Sunshine Coast of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Most of its population lives near the eastern shores of Malaspina Strait, that part of the larger Georgia Strait between Texada Island and the Mainland...
and Pemberton
Pemberton, British Columbia
Pemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,192. Until the 1960s the village could be accessed only by train but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler and Pemberton.-Climate:The climate of Pemberton is...
. A member of the then-minority Liberal Party of Canada
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...
, he was re-elected in the following year in the train of the national Liberal victory and was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
. Davis was re-elected in the Canadian federal elections of 1965 and 1968 (now in the riding of Capilano
Capilano (electoral district)
Capilano was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1988.This riding was created in 1966 from parts of Coast—Capilano riding....
(electoral district) and 1972. A cabinet minister in the government of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, he was Minister without Portfolio, Minister of Fisheries, Minister of Fisheries and Forestry, and the first Minister of the Environment in the English-speaking world. He was defeated in the Canadian federal election of 1974.
In the British Columbia provincial election of 1975
British Columbia general election, 1975
The British Columbia general election of 1975 was the 31st general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on November 3, 1975, and held on December 11, 1975...
, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
as a member of the British Columbia Social Credit Party
British Columbia Social Credit Party
The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...
representing the district of North Vancouver-Seymour
North Vancouver-Seymour
North Vancouver-Seymour is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.For other current and historical North Shore and City of Vancouver ridings, please see Vancouver - Demographics :-MLAs:...
. He was sworn in as the Minister of Transport and Communication in the new Bill Bennett
Bill Bennett
William Richards Bennett, PC, OBC , commonly known as Bill Bennett, was the 27th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia 1975–1986. He is a son of the former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed, of R.B...
government. He resigned in 1978 but was re-elected in the British Columbia general election, 1979
British Columbia general election, 1979
The British Columbia general election of 1979 was the 32nd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 3, 1979...
, British Columbia general election, 1983
British Columbia general election, 1983
The British Columbia general election of 1983 was the 33rd provincial election for the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 7, 1983. The election was held on May 5, 1983...
, British Columbia general election, 1986
British Columbia general election, 1986
The British Columbia general election of 1986 was the 34th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 24, 1986...
. Davis was also a cabinet minister in the government of Bill Vander Zalm
Bill Vander Zalm
Wilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991.-Early life:...
and was Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources when he died in office in 1991.
An energy audit prepared for Alternative Energy Policy Branch of the Ministry of Energy and Mines in 2005 found that the Jack Davis Building at 1810 Blanshard Street in Victoria was currently operating at a high level of energy efficiency. The initial design of the building, which won the building acclaim upon completion in 1992, is still reaping the benefits of energy efficient construction via low energy expenditures.
Legacy
There are two scholarships to UBC awarded in memory of Davis. The Jack Davis Scholarship in Energy Studies is a $2,700 scholarship that has been endowed by Westcoast Energy Inc. in memory of the Honourable Jack Davis. The award is made to a graduate student in energy studies at the University of British Columbia. The second Jack Davis scholarship is awarded annually to an outstanding all-round North Shore secondary school graduate to assist in his or her entering the University of British Columbia.External links
- Jack Davis Scholarship in Energy Studies grad.ubc.ca