Ron Hayter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Edmonton City Councilor Ward 2 | |
| In office 2001–2010 | |
| Preceded by | Rose Rosenberger |
| Succeeded by | Ward abolished |
| Edmonton City Councilor Ward 2 | |
| In office 1980–1995 | |
| Preceded by | New ward |
| Succeeded by | Rose Rosenberger |
| Edmonton City Councilor Ward 3 | |
| In office 1971–1980 | |
| Preceded by | New ward |
| Succeeded by | Ward abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1936-07-30)July 30, 1936 Regina,Saskatchewan |
| Died | April 21, 2018(2018-04-21) (aged 81) St. Albert, Alberta, Canada |
| Spouse | Grace Jacqueline (Jac'y) Bacon Hayter |
| Children | Sparkle Hayter Sandra Hayter Nevin Hayter Hudson Hayter |
| Occupation | Reporter |
Baseball player Baseball career | |
| Member of the Canadian | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2006 |
Ronald John Hayter (July 30, 1936 – April 21, 2018) served as city councilor ofEdmonton,Alberta, from1971 until1995. Hayter stepped down from the council in 1995 to join theNational Parole Board.[1] In the2001 municipal election, Hayter returned to the council and was re-elected in both2004 and2007 before retiring in2010. Hayter served eleven terms totaling thirty-three years, making Hayter Edmonton's longest serving councilor. He served under eight mayors and with 68 other councilors. During his tenure, he spearheaded theShaw Convention Center, theLight Rail Transit system, waste recycling programs, the preservation of the River Valley wilderness area, and the promotion of arts. He was proud of his lifelong efforts to promote the rights of and create reconciliation with theFirst Nations communities.[1]
Hayter was born inHudson Bay, Saskatchewan on July 30, 1936, to Vera Smith Hayter and Raleigh "Slim" Hayter. Raleigh was a Saskatchewanlumberman who later lived as atrapper in Northern Alberta on the Little Berland River until he died in 1984. Ron was the oldest of six boys, all raised in thelumber camp at Akosane, Saskatchewan, and brought up in a poor family. His father was opposed to schooling, so Hayter did not attend school until age 12 when his father was incarcerated for poaching deer.[1]
Hayter graduated at 18 and worked forMargaret Lally "Ma" Murray as a reporter for theAlaska Highway News. In 1957 when he was 22, he got a scoop about the collapse of thePeace River Suspension Bridge that brought him national attention and a job offer at theEdmonton Journal.[1] The night his first child, authorSparkle Hayter, was born, he appeared live on theCBC quiz showFront Page Challenge to discuss thePeace River suspension river collapse story. Hayter later became a correspondent forTime magazine.
An amateur boxer and baseball player in his youth, he went on to sit on international sporting bodies, including theWorld Boxing Association (WBA). Hayter represented Canada for 18 years at theInternational Baseball Federation (IBAF), receiving the IBAF's President Award in 1990, and headed the Canadian Professional Boxing Federation for many years.[1][2] Hayter founded the Edmonton International Baseball Foundation (EIBF), which, amongst others, organized the first IBAF World Cup of Women's Baseball in 2004.[3] He was a judge at some worldheavyweight bouts and helped bringbaseball to the Summer Olympics.
In 2006, he was inducted into both theCanadian Baseball Hall of Fame and the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame.[1] Hayter had previously been inducted into theAlberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.[2] In 1993, he served as president of theFederation of Canadian Municipalities. Later on, former Prime Minister of CanadaLester B. Pearson hired Hayter as an advisor to help createSport Canada, which supports sports policy in the country. He received the Vanier Award as an "Outstanding Young Canadian" in 1974, and theQueen's Jubilee Medal for community service in 2004.
Hayter was married to Grace Jacqueline (Jac'y) Bacon Hayter, who predeceased him in 2005. He was the father of four children: writer Sparkle Hayter, Sandra Hayter, Nevin Hayter, and Hudson Hayter, who died in infancy.[1] He was the nephew of the late bush pilot and aviation pioneer Henry W. "Harry" Hayter, who was inducted intoCanada's Aviation Hall of Fame. In his later years, Hayter was diagnosed withdementia and died of pneumonia on April 21, 2018, inSt. Albert, Alberta, at the age of 81 years old.[3][4]