The fathers of modern Ontario

Ontario modernized considerably from the 1950's to the 1980's.  Rapid industrial and urban expansion, new schools, hospitals, and highways characterized these decades.  All of it was done under Progressive Conservative (PC) governments that actually were progressive, something that seems to be completely lost on the party in its present state.

In the photo below from June, 1972, three PC Premiers are shown together, one of the few such photos that actually exists.  On the left is William G. Davis (born 1929) who served from 1971 to 1985.  Davis is from Brampton and represented that city as an MPP.  In the centre is John P. Robarts (born 1917-died 1982), Prime Minister (the title was officially changed to Premier when Davis took office) from 1961 to 1971.  Robarts was the MPP for London North-Centre.  And on the right is Leslie M. Frost (born 1895, died 1973), who served as Prime Minister from 1949 to 1961.  Known affectionately as "Old Man Ontario" due to his longevity in office and traditional values, Frost was from Lindsay and represented it and the surrounding county of Victoria (now unfortunately called Kawartha Lakes) as MPP.  The dynamic governments these three men led made them the fathers of the contemporary, modern, and diverse Ontario that exists today.

Click on the photo to see a larger version.

 

The Globe and Mail (Toronto).  June 15, 1972.

Archives of Ontario

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