Support growing for Lincoln Alexander Day Bill 125
NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2013
Support growing for Lincoln Alexander Day Bill 125
(Queen’s Park) – Support is growing in the Ontario Legislature for Bill 125. If passed, the Private
Member’s Bill would designate January 21 as Lincoln Alexander Day in Ontario.
On October 31, Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott tabled An Act to Proclaim Lincoln Alexander
Day, 2013, at Queen’s Park. The Bill is being co-sponsored by Liberal MPP Bas Balkissoon and NDP
MPP Paul Miller.
Lincoln Alexander was born on January 21, 1922. He served in the House of Commons from 1968 to
1980, representing the riding of Hamilton West, and in 1979 was appointed as Minister of Labour,
making history as Canada’s first black Cabinet Minister. He later served as Chair of the Workers’
Compensation Board of Ontario, as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and as Chancellor of the University
of Guelph. He passed away in October 2012.
“Over the past month, I have been reaching out to Lincoln Alexander’s family and to community groups
to inform them of our Bill and to seek their support,” said Mr. Arnott.
In the past 2 weeks, Mr. Alexander’s widow, Marni Beal-Alexander and Dr. Rosemary Sadlier, President
of the Ontario Black History Society, have both written touching letters of support for Bill 125 which have
been passed on to all MPPs.
“A Lincoln Alexander Day puts a face to the special day in his honour,” wrote Ms. Beal-Alexander. “It is
in our honour really… we who were so inspired by him, who experienced the enormous pride of province
and country when in the same room as he. Lincoln was truly one of a kind, and one of the last. There
will be no more ‘Linc’s.”
“I urge you to provide your support to this initiative, not necessarily because of the political stripes of the
individual being honoured, but because of the meaningful tapestry of the numerous connections his life
managed to touch and the impact that his birthday being marked as Lincoln Alexander Day would have
on Black and all Ontario residents,” wrote Dr. Sadlier.
“I was very encouraged by the spontaneous standing ovation that Bill 125 received from Members of all
parties at First Reading,” said Mr. Arnott. “When I informed the Premier of the Bill, she was very
enthusiastic. A number of other MPPs have also approached me to say that they intend to support the
Bill as well.”
Bill 125 is scheduled for debate on November 28. Mr. Arnott hopes that the Bill can be passed into law
before Christmas.
“It is my hope that, together, we can honour the legacy of Lincoln Alexander and give him the recognition
that he deserves, holding up his life of selfless, dedicated service as an example to others,” Mr. Arnott
concluded.
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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org