Robert Winters | |
|---|---|
 Winters, c. 1942-48 | |
| Minister of Trade and Commerce | |
| In office January 4, 1966 – March 29, 1968 | |
| Prime Minister | Lester B. Pearson |
| Preceded by | Mitchell Sharp |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Luc Pepin (acting) |
| Minister of Public Works | |
| In office September 7, 1953 – June 20, 1957 | |
| Prime Minister | Louis St. Laurent |
| Preceded by | Walter Harris (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Howard Charles Green |
| Minister of Resources and Development | |
| In office January 18, 1950 – September 16, 1953 | |
| Prime Minister | Louis St. Laurent |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Jean Lesage |
| Minister of Reconstruction and Supply | |
| In office November 15, 1948 – January 17, 1950 | |
| Prime Minister | Louis St. Laurent |
| Preceded by | C. D. Howe |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Member of Parliament forYork West | |
| In office November 8, 1965 – June 24, 1968 | |
| Preceded by | Red Kelly |
| Succeeded by | Philip Givens |
| Member of Parliament forQueens--Lunenburg (Lunenburg; 1949–1953) (Queens--Lunenburg; 1945–1949) | |
| In office June 11, 1945 – June 10, 1957 | |
| Preceded by | John James Kinley |
| Succeeded by | Lloyd Crouse |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Henry Winters (1910-08-18)August 18, 1910 Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | October 10, 1969(1969-10-10) (aged 59) Monterey,California, U.S. |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Profession |
|
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Branch/service | Canadian Army |
| Years of service | 1939–1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-colonel |
| Unit | Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Robert Henry WintersPC (August 18, 1910 – October 10, 1969) was a Canadian politician and businessman.
Born inLunenburg, Nova Scotia, the son of a fishing captain, Winters went toMount Allison University in New Brunswick, and then to theMassachusetts Institute of Technology to complete his degree inelectrical engineering. He worked forNorthern Electric before joining the army inWorld War II, eventually becoming alieutenant-colonel. He was first elected to theHouse of Commons in the1945 general election as aLiberal for theriding ofQueens—Lunenburg in Nova Scotia. Winters was appointed toCabinet in 1948, and served as minister of public works, among other portfolios, under Prime MinisterLouis St. Laurent.
Defeated along with the St. Laurent government in the1957 election, Winters entered the corporate world, becoming a chief executive officer at a series of companies. He was hired as a special advisor to theNewfoundland government to help negotiate theChurchill Falls deal, for which he became highly popular in that province.
He was persuaded to return to politics byLester Pearson, and won the Toronto seat ofYork West in the1965 election, becoming minister of trade and commerce in Pearson's government. He was seen as close to the business community and far more fiscally conservative thanWalter L. Gordon. He originally announced that he would not seek to replace the retiring Pearson, but changed his mind and ran to succeed Pearson at the1968 Liberal leadership convention, coming in second toPierre Trudeau.
Winters then left politics, to become president and director of Brazilian Light and Power and a vice president ofCIBC. Also, he was very involved in the newYork University and served as the first chair of its board of governors.
In 1969, while in California, he suffered a heart attack during a game oftennis. He died at age 59 in an ambulance on his way to hospital.
Winters College atYork University is named in his honour.
| 1965 Canadian federal election:York West | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Robert H. Winters | 43,807 | 47.7 | -3.7 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | George Hogan | 27,071 | 29.5 | -0.9 | ||||
| New Democratic | Martha Brewin | 20,993 | 22.9 | +5.5 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 91,871 | 100.0 | ||||||
| 1957 Canadian federal election:Queens—Lunenburg | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | CROUSE, Lloyd R. | 12,372 | ||||||
| Liberal | WINTERS, Robert H. | 12,098 | ||||||
| 1953 Canadian federal election:Queens—Lunenburg | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Liberal | WINTERS, Hon. Robert Henry | 13,053 | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | RHODENIZER, Frederick LeRoy | 10,067 | ||||||
| 1949 Canadian federal election:Lunenburg | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Liberal | Robert Henry Winters | 8,829 | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Melbourne Morton Gardner | 7,527 | ||||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | George Herbert Crouse | 574 | ||||||
| 1945 Canadian federal election:Queens—Lunenburg | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Liberal | WINTERS, Robert Henry | 9,693 | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | BEACH, Leaman Clyde | 8,562 | ||||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | NICHOLSON, John William Angus | 1,295 | ||||||
| Parliament of Canada | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister of Reconstruction and Supply 1948–1950 | Succeeded by The office of Minister of Reconstruction and Supply was abolished. |
| Preceded by None | Minister of Resources and Development 1950–1953 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Trade and Commerce 1966–1968 | Succeeded by Jean-Luc Pepin (acting) |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
