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Peter Adams (politician)

The Honourable
Peter Adams
PC OOnt
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Peterborough
In office
1993–2006
Preceded byBill Domm
Succeeded byDean Del Mastro
Ontario MPP
In office
1987–1990
Preceded byJohn Melville Turner
Succeeded byJenny Carter
ConstituencyPeterborough
Personal details
Born(1936-04-17)17 April 1936
Ellesmere Port, England, United Kingdom
Died28 September 2018(2018-09-28) (aged 82)
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Other political
affiliations		Ontario Liberal Party
SpouseJill
ChildrenJoanne, Michèle, Annette, Will
ProfessionPolitician, Professor

William Peter Adams, PC, OOnt (17 April 1936 – 28 September 2018), commonly known as Peter Adams, was a Canadian politician from Ontario.[1] He was a Liberal member of Canada's House of Commons from 1993 to 2006 representing the riding of Peterborough. Previously, Adams represented the provincial riding of Peterborough in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1990, sitting as a member of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Background

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Adams was born in Ellesmere Port, United Kingdom and educated at the University of Sheffield and McGill University. He served as director of the subarctic research laboratory in Schefferville, Quebec, and was a member of the Geography department and coordinator of Northern Studies at Trent University in Peterborough, where he was later Emeritus Professor. Adams also served as Vice President – Academic while at Trent. Adams has authored many books and articles, and co-edited the regional history Peterborough and the Kawarthas. In 1981, he was named as Peterborough's Citizen of the Year.

Provincial politics

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In 1977, Adams ran as the Liberal candidate in the 1977 provincial election, but finished third against Progressive Conservative John Turner and incumbent New Democrat Gill Sandeman.[2] He ran again in the 1981 provincial election, and finished second against Turner.[3]

Adams ran for the seat again in the 1987 provincial election, and won by a comfortable majority amid a landslide provincial victory for the Liberal Party.[4] He served as a backbench supporter of David Peterson and was appointed as parliamentary assistant to Minister of the Environment Jim Bradley from 1989 to 1990.

The Liberals were defeated by the New Democratic Party in the 1990 provincial election, and Adams lost his seat to NDP candidate Jenny Carter by 185 votes.[5]

Federal politics

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Adams was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the federal election of 1993, defeating Progressive Conservative incumbent Bill Domm by almost 16,000 votes.[6] He was re-elected in the elections of 1997,[7] 2000,[8] and 2004,[9] each time by a comfortable margin.

He was for many years a prominent supporter of Jean Chrétien, opposing Paul Martin's bid to succeed Chrétien as party leader. Adams was appointed by Martin as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal on 20 July 2004. He did not stand for re-election in the 2006 federal election.

In 2012 he was made a member of the Order of Ontario.[10]

Electoral record (partial)

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2004 Canadian federal election: Peterborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Peter Adams 25,099 43.55 – $82,907
Conservative James Jackson 18,393 31.92 $51,318
New Democratic Linda Slavin 10,957 19.01 $33,309
Green Brent Wood 3,182 5.52 $4,730
Total valid votes/expense limit 57,631 100.00 – $83,531
Total rejected ballots 192 0.33 0.00
Turnout 57,823 65.19 4.42
Electors on the lists 88,695
Percentage change figures are factored for redistribution. Conservative Party percentages are contrasted with the combined Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative percentages from 2000.
Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.
2000 Canadian federal election: Peterborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Peter Adams 25,310 48.41 – $55,442
Alliance Eric John Allan Mann 14,924 28.54 $61,961
Progressive Conservative Darrin Langen 7,034 13.45 $22,256
New Democratic Herb Wiseman 3,967 7.59 $20,021
Green Tim Holland 903 1.73 $1,738
Independent Bob Bowers 147 0.28 $1,097
Total valid votes/expense limit 52,285 100.00
Total rejected ballots 175 0.33
Turnout 52,460 60.77
Electors on the lists 86,319
Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.
1997 Canadian federal election: Peterborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Peter Adams 25,594 46.5 -1.0
Reform Nancy Branscombe 15,759 28.7 +5.4
Progressive Conservative Tom McMillan 8,757 15.9 -4.1
New Democratic Fred Birket 4,874 8.9 +3.6
Total valid votes 54,984 100.0
1993 Canadian federal election: Peterborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Peter Adams 27,575 47.6 +17.3
Reform Len Bangma 13,460 23.2
Progressive Conservative Bill Domm 11,628 20.1 -20.8
New Democratic Merv Richards 3,072 5.3 -22.2
National Herb Wiseman 1,858 3.2
Natural Law Sandy Callender 368 0.6
Total valid votes 57,961 100.0
1987 Ontario general election: Peterborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Peter Adams 15,098 40.13 – $41,229
New Democratic Linda Slavin 10,641 28.29 $33,162
Progressive Conservative Doris Brick 8,480 22.54 $30,135
Family Coalition Alex Calder 3,057 8.13 – $5,128
Libertarian John Conlin 344 0.91 $2,055
Total valid votes 37,620 100.00
1981 Ontario general election: Peterborough
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
Progressive Conservative John Turner 17,962 45.92 $37,481
Liberal Peter Adams 11,263 28.80 $24,430
New Democratic Paul Rexe 8,756 22.39 $21,400
Libertarian John Hayes 787 2.01 $3,667
Independent Bruce Knapp 286 0.73 $936
Independent Kenneth T. Burgess 59 0.15 $0
Total valid votes 39,113 100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 191
Turnout 39,304 63.06
Electors on the lists 62,332

References

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  1. ^ Kovach, Joelle (2018-09-29). "Former Peterborough MP and MPP Peter Adams dies at 82". ThePeterboroughExaminer.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  2. ^ "Ontario provincial election results riding by riding". The Globe and Mail. June 10, 1977. p. D9.
  3. ^ Canadian Press (March 20, 1981). "Winds of change, sea of security". The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario. p. 22.
  4. ^ "Results from individual ridings". The Windsor Star. September 11, 1987. p. F2.
  5. ^ "Ontario election: Riding-by-riding voting results". The Globe and Mail. September 7, 1990. p. A12.
  6. ^ "Results may be more complete than as published Riding-by-riding results from across Canada Ontario Algoma". Toronto Star. October 26, 1993. p. B10.
  7. ^ "Final Results Riding by Riding". Calgary Herald. June 4, 1997. p. A5.
  8. ^ "Election Results". Star - Phoenix. Saskatoon, SK. November 28, 2000. p. A8.
  9. ^ "Election results...riding by riding". The Globe and Mail. June 29, 2004. p. A14.
  10. ^ "27 Appointees Named To Ontario's Highest Honour".
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