Waldron "Wally" Norman Fox-Decent, (born July 22, 1937) is a Canadian

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...

 professor, mediator and advisor on constitutional issues and labour relations.

Born in Winnipeg

Winnipeg

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

, Manitoba

Manitoba

Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...

, he received a Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 in political science in 1959 and a Master of Arts in 1971 from the University of Manitoba

University of Manitoba

The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...

. From 1962 to 1995, he was professor of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba.

He joined the Canadian Naval Reserves in 1954 as a Cadet at HMCS Chippawa

HMCS Chippawa

HMCS Chippawa is a Canadian Naval Reserve division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.-Formation:The division was originally formed on 19 March 1923 as the Winnipeg Company, and later renamed The Winnipeg Division in 1936...

. From 1987 to 1990, he was Chief of Reserves and Cadets for the Canadian Forces. He retired in 1996 with the rank of Rear Admiral

Rear Admiral

Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...

.

In 1989 Fox-Decent chaired the Manitoba Task Force on the Meech Lake Accord. The committee, struck by Premier Gary Filmon and made up of Members of the Legislative Assembly from all three parties, accepted briefs and heard testimony regarding Manitobans' thoughts on the Accord, a constitutional amendment package debated from 1987-1990.¹

From 1992 to 2005, he was Chairman of the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba

Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba

The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba is an agency of the Government of Manitoba. It was established in 1917 in accordance to the The Workers Compensation Act, itself passed in 1916...

.

In 1997, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada

Order of Canada

The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...

. In 2003, he was awarded the Order of Manitoba

Order of Manitoba

The Order of Manitoba is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Instituted in 1999 when Lieutenant Governor Peter M...

.

Sources

¹ Brock, Kathy. A Mandate Fulfilled: The Manitoba Task Force on the Meech Lake Accord, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Outreach Programme, 1990.