Ron Hayter
Encyclopedia
Ronald John Hayter is the longest-serving city councillor of Edmonton
, Alberta
, having served since 1971
until 1995
, when he stepped down to join the National Parole Board. He returned to council during the 2001
civic election, was re-elected in the 2004
and 2007
civic elections, and retired in 2010
.
Hayter was born in Northern Saskatchewan
on July 30, 1936 to Vera Hayter of Regina
, Saskathewan and Raleigh "Slim" Hayter, of Murray Hill, Prince Edward Island
. Raleigh was then a Saskatchewan lumberman who later lived as a trapper in Northern Alberta on the Little Berland river until his death in 1984. Ron was the oldest of six boys, all raised in the lumber camp at Akosane, Saskatchewan. They were a poor family. His father was opposed to school, and Hayter didn't get the chance to attend school until age 12 when his father was incarcerated for illegal deer hunting. He nevertheless graduated at 18 and went to work for the legendary Ma Murray as a reporter for the Alaska
Highway News. When he was 22, he got a scoop about the collapse of the Peace River, Alberta
Bridge which got him national attention and a job on the Edmonton Journal
. The night his first child was born, he appeared live on the CBC
quiz show Front Page Challenge to discuss this story.
He later became a correspondent for Time magazine. An amateur boxer and baseball player in his youth, he went on to sit on international sporting bodies IAMBA and the WBA, and headed the Canadian Boxing
body for many years. He was a judge at some world heavy weight bouts and helped bring baseball to the Olympics.
He was married to Grace Jacqueline Bacon Hayter, and is the father of four children, the writer Sparkle Hayter
, Sandra Hayter, Nevin Hayter, and Hudson Hayter, who died in infancy. He is the nephew of the late bush pilot and aviation pioneer Henry W. "Harry" Hayter, who is in the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, having served since 1971
Edmonton municipal election, 1971
The 1971 municipal election was held October 13, 1971 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and seven trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards.This was the first election in which a ward system was used...
until 1995
Edmonton municipal election, 1995
The 1995 municipal election was held October 16, 1995 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board...
, when he stepped down to join the National Parole Board. He returned to council during the 2001
Edmonton municipal election, 2001
The 2001 Edmonton municipal election was held on October 15, 2001 to elect a mayor and twelve councilors to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, seven trustees to sit on the separate school board, and seven members of the Capital Health Board of...
civic election, was re-elected in the 2004
Edmonton municipal election, 2004
The 2004 Edmonton municipal election was held on October 18, 2004 to elect a mayor and twelve councillors to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board.-Voter turnout:...
and 2007
Edmonton municipal election, 2007
The 2007 Edmonton municipal election was held Monday, October 15, 2007 to elect a mayor and 12 councillors to the city council, eight of the nine trustees to Edmonton Public Schools, and four of the seven trustees to the Edmonton Catholic Schools...
civic elections, and retired in 2010
Edmonton municipal election, 2010
The 2010 Edmonton municipal election was held Monday, October 18, 2010 to elect a mayor and 12 councillors to the city council, seven of the nine trustees to Edmonton Public Schools, and the seven trustees to the Edmonton Catholic Schools. Two incumbent public school trustees had no challengers...
.
Hayter was born in Northern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
on July 30, 1936 to Vera Hayter of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskathewan and Raleigh "Slim" Hayter, of Murray Hill, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. Raleigh was then a Saskatchewan lumberman who later lived as a trapper in Northern Alberta on the Little Berland river until his death in 1984. Ron was the oldest of six boys, all raised in the lumber camp at Akosane, Saskatchewan. They were a poor family. His father was opposed to school, and Hayter didn't get the chance to attend school until age 12 when his father was incarcerated for illegal deer hunting. He nevertheless graduated at 18 and went to work for the legendary Ma Murray as a reporter for the Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
Highway News. When he was 22, he got a scoop about the collapse of the Peace River, Alberta
Peace River, Alberta
Peace River is a town in northwestern Alberta, Canada, situated along the banks of the Peace River, at its confluence with the Smoky River, the Heart River and Pat's Creek. It is located northwest of Edmonton, and northeast of Grande Prairie, along Highway 2. The Peace River townsite is nearly ...
Bridge which got him national attention and a job on the Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Journal
The Edmonton Journal is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network.-History:The Journal was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as a rival to Alberta's first newspaper, the 23-year-old...
. The night his first child was born, he appeared live on the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
quiz show Front Page Challenge to discuss this story.
He later became a correspondent for Time magazine. An amateur boxer and baseball player in his youth, he went on to sit on international sporting bodies IAMBA and the WBA, and headed the Canadian Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
body for many years. He was a judge at some world heavy weight bouts and helped bring baseball to the Olympics.
He was married to Grace Jacqueline Bacon Hayter, and is the father of four children, the writer Sparkle Hayter
Sparkle Hayter
Sparkle Hayter is a Canadian journalist and author.Hayter was born in Pouce Coupe, British Columbia, Canada and grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. In 1986, she graduated in film and television production from New York University. Among other things, she worked for CNN in Atlanta, WABC in New York and...
, Sandra Hayter, Nevin Hayter, and Hudson Hayter, who died in infancy. He is the nephew of the late bush pilot and aviation pioneer Henry W. "Harry" Hayter, who is in the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame.