Tommy Thomas (politician)

Thomas David "T.D." Thomas (February 19, 1899 – July 30, 1980) was a politician in Ontario, Canada.[1] He was a CCF member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He represented the ridings of Ontario from 1948 to 1955, and Oshawa from 1955 to 1963.

T.D. Thomas
Ontario MPP
In office
1955–1963
Preceded byNew riding
Succeeded byAlbert Walker
ConstituencyOshawa
In office
1948–1955
Preceded byThomas Kelso Creighton
Succeeded byMatthew Dymond
ConstituencyOntario
Personal details
Born(1899-02-19)February 19, 1899
Cardiff, Wales
DiedJuly 30, 1980(1980-07-30) (aged 81)
Oshawa, Ontario
Political partyCCF, New Democrat
SpouseChristine Murray
OccupationAutomotive toolmaker

Background

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Thomas, who was known as "Tommy" or by his initials as "T.D. Thomas", was born in Cardiff, Wales in 1899.[2][3] He emigrated to Canada in 1929 and worked for General Motors of Canada as a toolmaker.

He sat Board of Education of the Ontario County Township and was a director of the Oshawa General Hospital from 1952 to 1973.[3] His wife Christine served on Oshawa City Council and later as Mayor of Oshawa in 1961 and 1962, the city's first woman mayor.[4]

Politics

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Thomas served on the East Whitby Township council and was elected reeve in 1946 and 1947. He ran as the CCF candidate in the 1948 provincial election in the riding of Ontario. He defeated Progressive Conservative incumbent Thomas Creighton by about 2,600 votes.[5] He was re-elected in 1951, 1955, and 1959.[6][7][8]

In the 1963 election he ran under the banner of the new party as the New Democrat candidate. He was defeated by PC candidate Albert Walker by 682 votes.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Guide Parlementaire Canadien". 1962.
  2. ^ "T.D. Thomas was ex-M.P.P.". Toronto Star. 31 July 1980. p. A10.
  3. ^ a b "Thomas David Thomas Sat for four terms in Ontario House". The Globe and Mail. 31 July 1980. p. P18.
  4. ^ "Many Women Victorious in Ontario Elections". The Montreal Gazette. 7 December 1966.
  5. ^ Canadian Press (8 June 1948). "How Ontario Electors Voted in all 90 Ridings". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto. p. 24.
  6. ^ Canadian Press (22 November 1951). "Complete Ontario Vote". The Montreal Gazette. Montreal. p. 4.
  7. ^ Canadian Press (10 June 1955). "Complete Results of Ontario Voting by Constituencies". The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa. p. 4.
  8. ^ Canadian Press (12 June 1959). "Complete Results of Ontario Voting by Constituencies". The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa. p. 26.
  9. ^ Canadian Press (26 September 1963). "78 in Tory Blue Wave -- 23 Is All Grits Saved". The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario. p. 25.
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