Herb Gray

Quality 0.50 · 1 view · Updated 2 months ago

7th deputy prime minister of Canada

title: "Herb Gray" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1931-births", "2014-deaths", "companions-of-the-order-of-canada", "deputy-prime-ministers-of-canada", "leaders-of-the-opposition-(canada)", "jewish-canadian-politicians", "liberal-party-of-canada-mps", "mcgill-university-faculty-of-management-alumni", "members-of-the-20th-canadian-ministry", "members-of-the-22nd-canadian-ministry", "members-of-the-23rd-canadian-ministry", "members-of-the-26th-canadian-ministry", "members-of-the-house-of-commons-of-canada-from-ontario", "members-of-the-king's-privy-council-for-canada", "lawyers-in-ontario", "canadian-king's-counsel", "politicians-from-ottawa", "politicians-from-windsor,-ontario", "solicitors-general-of-canada", "20th-century-members-of-the-house-of-commons-of-canada", "21st-century-members-of-the-house-of-commons-of-canada", "canadian-people-of-belarusian-jewish-descent"] description: "7th deputy prime minister of Canada" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Gray" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 7th deputy prime minister of Canada ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

FieldValue
honorific-prefixThe Right Honourable
nameHerb Gray
honorific-suffix
imageHerb Gray 1980 (cropped).jpg
captionGray,
office7th Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
term_startJune 11, 1997
term_endJanuary 14, 2002
primeministerJean Chrétien
predecessorSheila Copps
successorJohn Manley
office2Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
primeminister2Jean Chrétien
term_start2November 4, 1993
term_end2April 27, 1997
predecessor2Doug Lewis
successor2Don Boudria
office3Leader of the Opposition
term_start3February 8, 1990
term_end3December 10, 1990
predecessor3John Turner
successor3Jean Chrétien
office4President of the Treasury Board
primeminister4Pierre Trudeau
John Turner
term_start4September 30, 1982
term_end4September 16, 1984
predecessor4Donald Johnston
successor4Robert de Cotret
office5Minister of Regional Industrial Expansion
primeminister5Pierre Trudeau
term_start5January 12, 1982
term_end5September 29, 1982
predecessor5Pierre De Bané
successor5Ed Lumley
office6Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce
primeminister6Pierre Trudeau
term_start6March 3, 1980
term_end6September 29, 1982
predecessor6Robert René de Cotret
successor6Ed Lumley
office7Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
primeminister7Pierre Trudeau
term_start7November 27, 1972
term_end7August 7, 1974
predecessor7Bob Andras
successor7André Ouellet
office8Minister of National Revenue
primeminister8Pierre Trudeau
term_start8September 24, 1970
term_end8November 26, 1972
predecessor8Joseph Julien Jean-Pierre Côté
successor8Robert Stanbury
parliament9Canadian
riding9Windsor West
(Essex West; 1962–1968)
term_start9June 18, 1962
term_end9January 15, 2002
predecessor9Norman Spencer
successor9Brian Masse
birth_nameHerbert Eser Gray
birth_date
birth_placeWindsor, Ontario, Canada
death_date
death_placeOttawa, Ontario, Canada
partyLiberal
spouse
children2
residenceOttawa, Ontario
alma_materMcGill University
Osgoode Hall Law School
professionLawyer
::

| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable | name = Herb Gray | honorific-suffix = | image = Herb Gray 1980 (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = Gray, | office = 7th Deputy Prime Minister of Canada | term_start = June 11, 1997 | term_end = January 14, 2002 | primeminister = Jean Chrétien | predecessor = Sheila Copps | successor = John Manley | office2 = Leader of the Government in the House of Commons | primeminister2 = Jean Chrétien | term_start2 = November 4, 1993 | term_end2 = April 27, 1997 | predecessor2 = Doug Lewis | successor2 = Don Boudria | office3 = Leader of the Opposition | term_start3 = February 8, 1990 | term_end3 = December 10, 1990 | predecessor3 = John Turner | successor3 = Jean Chrétien | office4 = President of the Treasury Board | primeminister4 = Pierre Trudeau John Turner | term_start4 = September 30, 1982 | term_end4 = September 16, 1984 | predecessor4 = Donald Johnston | successor4 = Robert de Cotret | office5 = Minister of Regional Industrial Expansion | primeminister5 = Pierre Trudeau | term_start5 = January 12, 1982 | term_end5 = September 29, 1982 | predecessor5 = Pierre De Bané | successor5 = Ed Lumley | office6 = Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce | primeminister6 = Pierre Trudeau | term_start6 = March 3, 1980 | term_end6 = September 29, 1982 | predecessor6 = Robert René de Cotret | successor6 = Ed Lumley | office7 = Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs | primeminister7 = Pierre Trudeau | term_start7 = November 27, 1972 | term_end7 = August 7, 1974 | predecessor7 = Bob Andras | successor7 = André Ouellet | office8 = Minister of National Revenue | primeminister8 = Pierre Trudeau | term_start8 = September 24, 1970 | term_end8 = November 26, 1972 | predecessor8 = Joseph Julien Jean-Pierre Côté | successor8 = Robert Stanbury | parliament9 = Canadian | riding9 = Windsor West (Essex West; 1962–1968) | term_start9 = June 18, 1962 | term_end9 = January 15, 2002 | predecessor9 = Norman Spencer | successor9 = Brian Masse | birth_name = Herbert Eser Gray | birth_date = | birth_place = Windsor, Ontario, Canada | death_date = | death_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | nationality = | party = Liberal | spouse = | relatives = | children = 2 | residence = Ottawa, Ontario | alma_mater = McGill University Osgoode Hall Law School | profession = Lawyer

Herbert Eser Gray (May 25, 1931 – April 21, 2014) was a Canadian lawyer who became a prominent federal politician. He was a Liberal member of parliament for the Windsor area over the course of four decades, from 1962 to 2002, making Gray one of the longest-serving members in Canadian history. He was a cabinet minister under three prime ministers and was the seventh deputy prime minister of Canada from 1997 to 2002. Gray was Canada's first Jewish federal cabinet minister, and he is one of the few Canadians granted the honorific The Right Honourable who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.

Early life and education

Gray was born in Windsor, Ontario, the son of Fannie (née Lifitz), a nurse, and Harry Gray, who had a business selling yard goods. His parents were both from Belarusian Jewish families. Gray attended Victoria School and Kennedy Collegiate Institute in Windsor before receiving a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1952 from McGill University. He studied at Osgoode Hall Law School, where he received a Bachelor of Laws degree and was called to the bar, becoming a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.

On July 23, 1967, Gray married Sharon Sholzberg, also a lawyer. They had two children together – Jonathan David and Elizabeth Anne.

Politics

Gray was first elected to Parliament for the riding of Essex West on June 18, 1962, as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was re-elected in twelve subsequent federal elections, making him the longest continuously-serving Member of Parliament in Canadian history.

Gray served in a variety of roles during his parliamentary career, including cabinet ministries and committee chairmanships during the Liberal governments of Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, and as opposition House leader from 1984 to 1990.

From February 6, 1990, to December 21, 1990, he was Leader of the Opposition, during John Turner's last four months as Liberal leader and the first few months of Jean Chrétien's leadership, until the latter won a by-election to Parliament. Gray's tenure as Leader of the Opposition saw the failure of the Meech Lake Accord, with Gray publicly laying the blame for its failure on Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in a televised address the day after its failure.

When the Liberals returned to power after the 1993 election, Gray was appointed Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada. On June 11, 1997, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Canada.

Gray also retained an interest in provincial politics in the Windsor area. In 1996, he was named as honorary co-chair of Dwight Duncan's bid to the lead the provincial Liberal Party. Duncan had previously worked in Gray's office.

Retirement and death

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Bust_of_Herb_Gray,_Windsor,_Ontario,_Canada_2014-12-07.jpg" caption="Bronze bust by sculptor Christopher Rees in Windsor, Ontario"] ::

Gray retired from Parliament on January 14, 2002, and was appointed Canadian Chair of the International Joint Commission, a bilateral organization which deals with Canada-United States trans-boundary issues on water and air rights. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Herb_Gray_2008.jpg" caption="Gray in 2008"] ::

On November 28, 2008, Carleton University announced that Gray had been appointed as the university's 10th chancellor. He died in hospital in Ottawa on April 21, 2014, aged 82.

Honours

On January 15, 2002, then-Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson granted Gray the style "The Right Honourable", in honour of his distinguished and record-setting contribution to Canadian political life. In 2003, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, a designation which can be bestowed on only 165 outstanding Canadians at any given time, in recognition of being "an enduring force in Canadian politics". He was a recipient of the Canadian Centennial Medal, the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He received honorary degrees from the University of Windsor, Assumption University (Windsor), Catholic University of Lublin (Poland), McGill University, and the University of Ottawa, and Honorary Lifetime Membership as Governor #71 with Junior Chamber International Canada (JCI Canada). In 2009, he became an honorary brother of Alpha Epsilon Pi.

The extension of Highway 401 in Windsor (originally the Windsor-Essex Parkway) was renamed the Right Honourable Herb Gray Parkway on November 28, 2012.

Personal life

Gray was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1996 and recovered after radiation therapy. In 1999, he had an operation to treat a prostate condition unrelated to the cancer. In August 2001, Gray underwent valve replacement surgery to correct a heart condition he had known about for years.

Electoral record

Essex West

|}

|}

|}

Windsor West

Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election.

Archives

There is a Herb Gray fonds at Library and Archives Canada.

References

References

  1. "Commissioners' Biography". [[International Joint Commission]].
  2. Plaut, Jonathan V.. (2007). "The Jews of Windsor, 1790-1990: A Historical Chronicle". Dundurn.
  3. "McGill News - Spring '98".
  4. "Member Contact Information". [[Law Society of Upper Canada]].
  5. link. (May 29, 2006 . [[Parliament of Canada]]. Retrieved on December 6, 2006.)
  6. (26 June 1990). "Failure of the Meech Lake Accord".
  7. [https://carleton.ca/newsroom/news-releases/rt-hon-herb-gray-named-carleton-university-chancellor/ Carleton University Newsroom - The Right Honourable Herb Gray, P.C., C.C., Q.C. Named Carleton University Chancellor] {{Webarchive. link. (April 26, 2014 . Retrieved on December 5, 2008.)
  8. (April 21, 2014). "Herb Gray, former deputy prime minister, dies at 82". The Globe and Mail.
  9. {{OCC. 8944
  10. (March 27, 2009). "Gray goes Greek". The Charlatan: Carleton's Independent Weekly.
  11. (July 20, 2017). "Herb Gray fonds, Library and Archives Canada".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1931-births2014-deathscompanions-of-the-order-of-canadadeputy-prime-ministers-of-canadaleaders-of-the-opposition-(canada)jewish-canadian-politiciansliberal-party-of-canada-mpsmcgill-university-faculty-of-management-alumnimembers-of-the-20th-canadian-ministrymembers-of-the-22nd-canadian-ministrymembers-of-the-23rd-canadian-ministrymembers-of-the-26th-canadian-ministrymembers-of-the-house-of-commons-of-canada-from-ontariomembers-of-the-king's-privy-council-for-canadalawyers-in-ontariocanadian-king's-counselpoliticians-from-ottawapoliticians-from-windsor,-ontariosolicitors-general-of-canada20th-century-members-of-the-house-of-commons-of-canada21st-century-members-of-the-house-of-commons-of-canadacanadian-people-of-belarusian-jewish-descent