The 1980s saw political change in Canada and Ontario seldom witnessed before or since. Legislation and lessons learned then are applicable now.
In Ottawa, Liberal leader Pierre Trudeau retired as Prime Minister in early 1984 and Conservative Brian Mulroney defeated Trudeau’s successor, John Turner, in September that year to take over leadership of the country.
Mulroney set as a priority negotiations to achieve free trade with the United States, and the ongoing debate over national unity on the heels of Trudeau’s National Energy program in 1980 and repatriating the constitution in 1982 without Quebec’s involvement would clutter the political agenda through the ‘80s.
Change also impacted the calendar at Queen’s Park, where Stuart Smith, a Montreal-trained psychiatrist turned McMaster University professor, struggled to lift his Ontario Liberals out of third party status. His efforts to “liberalize” the party and shift it off its rural base helped him regain the long-held Liberal position of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in the 1981 general election, ahead of the New Democrats. But the party stalled at 33 seats.
That allowed William Grenville Davis, after winning two brief terms in minority at the head of the Progressive Conservative party (1975, 1977), to reclaim a majority government under a Tory banner and extend the party’s grip on power to almost 40 years. But change was coming.
This site picks up that story with the May 2,1985 general election and its aftermath that less than two months later led to the June 26 swearing-in of the Peterson Liberal government to be supported for two years by the New Democratic Party. The 42-year reign of the Progressive Conservatives had come to an end.
It is the story of everything that happened between that vote and the election five years later that defeated the Peterson government, told by many of those who were there.
This site is a work in progress that we anticipate will expand in content in the coming months. To that end, if you have memories, reflections, photos or documents you think we should include, please forward them with a note of explanation to contributions@thepetersonyears.ca .
This site is produced with the support of Cassels Brock and Blackwell LLP..
“Some citizens in Ontario believe that a Sunday shopping law may be inappropriate to the needs of Ontario society in this period of the 21st century. Others feel that Sunday shopping law is valuable because it enshrines non-sectarian social values of an important kind designed to enhance family and community life. The Liberal Government believes…
In 1984, driven by a deep concern over the lack of racial representation in Ontario’s electoral politics, Trevor Wilson, a well-respected community leader, reached out to a diverse group of ethno-cultural community leaders to push for meaningful change. Determined to act, they met with the leaders of the three major political parties: Frank Miller (Progressive…
A composite photo of the former Liberal MPPs who served in the Peterson governments between 1985 and 1990 Photo by Lisa Sakulensky
With no clear majority, the results of the 1985 provincial election created a rare and dramatic opportunity for a realignment in the province’s politics that would shape the next four decades in Ontario. While the Progressive Conservatives (PCs), under Premier Frank Miller, won the most seats, they lost considerable ground in critical urban ridings,…
The symbolic swearing-in of Peterson’s cabinet took place on June 26 on the lawn at Queen’s Park in front of 5,000 people. The ceremony emphasized inclusivity and change, with a cabinet reflecting Toronto’s diversity and gender balance. Peterson walked on foot through the crowd, signaling a people-first government. Though the Liberals formed a minority government…
“Some citizens in Ontario believe that a Sunday shopping law may be inappropriate to the needs of Ontario society in this period of the 21st century. Others feel that Sunday shopping law is valuable because it enshrines non-sectarian social values of an important kind designed to enhance family and community life. The Liberal Government believes…
In 1984, driven by a deep concern over the lack of racial representation in Ontario’s electoral politics, Trevor Wilson, a well-respected community leader, reached out to a diverse group of ethno-cultural community leaders to push for meaningful change. Determined to act, they met with the leaders of the three major political parties: Frank Miller (Progressive…
Notes for remarks by Sean Conway at the 40th anniversary celebration of the election of the Peterson government Let me begin my remarks by thanking our hosts for this afternoon’s event, Deb Matthews and Charles Beer and all their many helpers who have organized this splendid gathering. And how great it is to see…
In 1984, driven by a deep concern over the lack of racial representation in Ontario’s electoral politics, Trevor Wilson, a well-respected community leader, reached out to a diverse group of ethno-cultural community leaders to push for meaningful change. Determined to act, they met with the leaders of the three major political parties: Frank Miller (Progressive…
During 1989-90 a number of municipalities in Ontario passed resolutions or motions declaring them to be ‘English-only’. This was, in part, a reaction to three key developments at the time. For some, the English-only resolutions were a way to make a political statement — no matter how misguided. The first was the passage of…
A composite photo of the former Liberal MPPs who served in the Peterson governments between 1985 and 1990 Photo by Lisa Sakulensky
