John Henry (Oshawa politician)
Encyclopedia
John G. Henry, was elected Mayor of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada on October 25, 2010.
, Ontario
. The son of Oshawa
General Motors
workers, he attended RS McLaughlin CVI High School
. Henry
is a graduate of R S McLaughlin CVI, Durham College
, George Brown College
and Panasonic's Corporate School. Henry trained as an Industrial Fire Fighter at the University of Louisiana
, Ice Rescue Specialist at the Rochester Police Academy, Dive Rescue Specialist, Level 1 at the University of Michigan
. Henry represented Canada at the Fist International Dive Rescue Program at the University of Colorado
.
He is the owner of Office Products and Services, an Oshawa
company serving Durham Region and the GTA
.
He is married to Katherine, a pharmacist and is the father of two girls.
ward 5 area .
in the October 25, 2010 Oshawa election.
Henry's campaign is focussed on three key areas.
"
Restoring respect for taxpayers at city hall by attacking the corporation’s debt load, high tax rates, and accountability issues;
Creating transformational economic growth and new job opportunities; and,
Re-establishing a ‘residents first’ community-oriented approach to decision-making, at both the local and regional levels. "
Henry defeated incumbent mayor John Gray
and Louise Parkes, a former federal Liberal candidate
in the 2004 election
. Gray and Parkes had initially much better name recognition than Henry, however Henry won the election by a large margin. As Henry ran his campaign in a similar manner to Toronto mayoral candidate Rob Ford
(who would be elected Toronto mayor in the same evening), the Toronto Sun
dubbed Henry "Rob Ford East".
Awarded the Order of St. John in 1991.
Early life and education
Henry was born in OshawaOshawa, Ontario
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
, Ontario
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....
. The son of Oshawa
Oshawa, Ontario
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
General Motors
General Motors Canada
General Motors of Canada Limited is General Motors' Canadian division. Its national headquarters office, Canadian Regional Engineering Centre, and main manufacturing plants are located in Oshawa, Ontario. GM Canada is 100% owned by GM.As of Apr...
workers, he attended RS McLaughlin CVI High School
R S McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational Institute
R S McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational Institute is a secondary school located in Oshawa, Ontario within the Durham District School Board. It was first opened in 1961, making the school 50 years as of 2011.-Courses:...
. Henry
is a graduate of R S McLaughlin CVI, Durham College
Durham College
Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology is located in the Durham Region with campuses in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada and Whitby and additional locations in Uxbridge, Port Hope, Port Perry and Beaverton...
, George Brown College
George Brown College
George Brown College is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three full campuses in downtown Toronto, Ontario...
and Panasonic's Corporate School. Henry trained as an Industrial Fire Fighter at the University of Louisiana
University of Louisiana
University of Louisiana may refer to:* University of Louisiana System, public multi-campus university system** Northwestern State University of Louisiana...
, Ice Rescue Specialist at the Rochester Police Academy, Dive Rescue Specialist, Level 1 at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Henry represented Canada at the Fist International Dive Rescue Program at the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
.
He is the owner of Office Products and Services, an Oshawa
Oshawa, Ontario
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
company serving Durham Region and the GTA
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
.
He is married to Katherine, a pharmacist and is the father of two girls.
City Councillor
On November 13, 2006, Henry was elected to serve on the Oshawa and Durham Region councils representing the constituents in the OshawaOshawa, Ontario
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
ward 5 area .
Mayoral campaign
Henry announced his campaign for the office of MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
in the October 25, 2010 Oshawa election.
Henry's campaign is focussed on three key areas.
"
Restoring respect for taxpayers at city hall by attacking the corporation’s debt load, high tax rates, and accountability issues;
Creating transformational economic growth and new job opportunities; and,
Re-establishing a ‘residents first’ community-oriented approach to decision-making, at both the local and regional levels. "
Henry defeated incumbent mayor John Gray
John Gray (Oshawa politician)
-Background:John Gray was raised in Whitby, Ontario where his love for politics began; on various occasions, local neighbours would telephone Gray's parents to alert them of his unusually regular attendance at local council meetings....
and Louise Parkes, a former federal Liberal candidate
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...
in the 2004 election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
. Gray and Parkes had initially much better name recognition than Henry, however Henry won the election by a large margin. As Henry ran his campaign in a similar manner to Toronto mayoral candidate Rob Ford
Rob Ford
Robert Bruce "Rob" Ford is the 64th and current Mayor of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was first elected to city council in the 2000 Toronto municipal election, and was re-elected to his council seat in 2003 and again in 2006...
(who would be elected Toronto mayor in the same evening), the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
dubbed Henry "Rob Ford East".
Community
Henry has over 30 years of volunteer service in the community and has helped the following organizations| Community Care Durham |
| Durham Regional Crime Stoppers |
| Durham YMCA |
| Eastview Boys and Girls Club |
| Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre |
| Kinsmen Club of Oshawa |
| The Ontario Regiment RCAC Association |
| Oshawa Hospital Foundation (Gala Chair, 2007) |
| Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery |
| Rotary Club of Oshawa |
| Rotary Rib Fest |
| St. John's Ambulance (Oshawa) |
| Whitby Sports Hall of Fame |
| Whitby Sunrise Rotary |
Awarded the Order of St. John in 1991.