James Snow | |
|---|---|
 Snow in 1980 | |
| Minister of Transportation and Communications | |
| In office October 7, 1975 – February 8, 1985 | |
| Premier | Bill Davis |
| Preceded by | John Rhodes |
| Succeeded by | George McCague |
| Minister of Government Services | |
| In office February 2, 1972 – October 7, 1975 | |
| Premier | Bill Davis |
| Preceded by | James Auld |
| Succeeded by | Margaret Scrivener |
| Member of theOntario Provincial Parliament forOakville Halton East (1967-1975) | |
| In office 1967–1985 | |
| Preceded by | New riding |
| Succeeded by | Terry O'Connor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Wilfred Snow (1929-07-12)July 12, 1929 |
| Died | September 13, 2008(2008-09-13) (aged 79) |
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
| Spouse | Barbara Hughes |
| Children | 4 |
| Occupation | Farmer, businessman |
James Wilfred Snow (July 12, 1929 – September 13, 2008) was a politician inOntario, Canada. He was aProgressive Conservative Party member of theLegislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1985 who represented theGTA ridings ofHalton East andOakville. He served as acabinet minister in the governments ofBill Davis andFrank Miller.
He was born inEsquesing Township, Ontario. He was the son of Wilfred Oliver Snow and Margaret Florence Devlin. He was educated inMilton. He worked as a farmer and a carpenter and he started his own business called Snow Construction Ltd. which built houses in post war Ontario. In 1950 he also founded Snow Properties Ltd. and Oakville Investments Ltd. In 1969 he created another company in Streetville, Tube-Fab Ltd. which made aircraft parts. In 1953 he married Barbara Hughes and together they raised four children.[1]
Snow was elected to the Ontario legislature in the1967 provincial election defeatingLiberal candidate Robin Skuce by 164 votes inHalton East.[2] He served as a backbench supporter ofpremierJohn Robarts for the next four years. In 1967 he introduced a resolution urging the province to adopt Canada's national building code.[1] On March 1, 1971, he was named aminister without portfolio when Davis replaced Robarts as Premier. He was re-elected with a much increased majority in the1971 election.[3] He was promoted toMinister of Public Works andMinister of Government Services on February 2, 1972.[4]
The Progressive Conservatives were reduced to aminority government in the1975 election. Snow was re-elected in the redistributed riding ofOakville, and was promoted toMinister of Transportation and Communications on October 7, 1975.[5][6]
During his time as minister, he introduced mandatory seat belt legislation for adults and child restraint seats for children. In 1981, he approved the extension ofHighway 404 before the completion of an environmental assessment. Even though his deputy minister claimed responsibility, he personally paid the $3,500 fine. In 1983, he pushed for the construction of a 3.4 kilometre highway linking his home town of Milton toHighway 401. He claimed that it was needed to increase industrial development.[1]
Snow supported Frank Miller to succeed Davis as party leader in January 1985, and was retained in Miller's portfolio as a minister without portfolio responsible for Urban Transit.[7] He retired from politics in 1985.[1]
| Davis ministry,Province of Ontario (1971-1985) | ||
| Cabinet posts (2) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| John Rhodes | Minister of Transportation and Communications 1975–1985 | George McCague |
| James Auld | Minister of Government Services 1972–1975 Ministry was renamed from Public Works to Government Services on April 7, 1972 | Margaret Scrivener |
Snow self-published an autobiography after leaving political life, and purchased a golf course inHornby, Ontario. He donated his family wheelchair van to the Lions Foundation of Canada in August 2005.
In 2006 Snow and his wife Barbara donated half-a-million dollars to theMilton District Hospital Foundation's CT Scanner Campaign. The complex housing the scanner is named the "James and Barbara Snow Family Trust Diagnostic Imaging Annex".
The town ofMilton, Ontario, renamed Fourth Line (in the former Trafalgar Township)James Snow Parkway (Halton Regional Road 4), with initial approval for an interchange withHighway 401 coming in 1979.[8] It was upgraded in the early 1980s to become a majorarterial road, and is in the process of being extended on both north and south ends. The overpass of the James Snow Parkway at Highway 401 was damaged in 1986 when it was hit by a fuel tanker that caught fire, necessitating that the bridge deck be entirely replaced. It was renamed after James Snow paid to pave the road extended over the 401 so he could get home faster.[9]
Snow died on September 13, 2008, of complications fromdiabetes. He was 79.[1]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
