Richard Potter (Canadian politician)
| Richard Thomas Potter | |
|---|---|
| MPP for Quinte | |
|
In office October 17, 1967 – September 17, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | first member |
| Succeeded by | Hugh O'Neil |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 20, 1915 Belleville, Ontario, Canada |
| Died |
February 16, 2009 (aged 94) Oakville Hospital, Oakville, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Enid Grace (Weaver) |
| Children | 4 children, Thomas, Frances, Andrew, Karen |
Richard Thomas Potter (January 20, 1915 – February 16, 2009) was a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Quinte in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1975. He was a member of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.
He was educated locally and attended Queen's University from which institution he graduated as a Physician in 1939. He immediately enlisted as a military medic in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps and used his experience and expertise as a doctor to treat soldiers who were injured as a result of battles they fought in Europe. He served in an advance mobile unit to care for the injured of war; at the time of discharge he held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Dr. Potter returned to Belleville following his military service and worked as a family doctor and anesthetist. In 1950 he entered municipal politics when he was elected as Alderman in Belleville and ran for Mayor and was elected to that office in 1951, running on a campaign promise to establish a municipal health unit and expand community facilities.
On redistribution, Dr. Potter successfully ran for member of provincial Parliament in 1967 as the Progressive Conservative candidate in Quinte. During the eight years he served as M.P.P. for Quinte, he served in the Executive Council of Ontario as: Minister without portfolio from 1971 to 1972, Minister of Health from 1972 to 1974 and Minister of Correctional Services from 1974 to 1975. It was said that ‘Dr. Potter had been a MASH colonel and treated the ministry as if he was a wartime commander. He was honest, intelligent and determined to bring his ideas to the ministry such as having insured nursing home care as a lower-cost alternative to hospitals’. He served from October 17, 1967 to September 17, 1975[1]
He decided to retire from politics at the age of 60 in 1975 having brought some badly needed changes in the health and welfare departments. In 1976he was appointed as regional coroner which required him to close his private medical practice and serve as a full-time public servant.
References
- ↑ "http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs/pdf_files/Mayors_DrBrearley.pdf|Biography of the Mayors of Belleville, Ontario, page 55"