Spouse(s) Ann Profession Lawyer | Name Bruce Owen Role Economist | |
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Education Stanford University (1970), Williams College (1965) Books Video Economics, The Internet Challeng, Electric Utility Mergers, The Economics of a Disas, Economics and Freedom Similar People Ronald R Braeutigam, Joseph Grundfest, David Rubenstein | ||
Bruce Owen (born 1931) is a lawyer and former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal from 1987 to 1990.
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Background
Owen was born in Chatham, Ontario, and was educated at the University of Western Ontario, the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School. He practices law, and was an alderman in Barrie, Ontario.
Politics
He ran for the House of Commons of Canada three times as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada. He lost to P.B. Rynard of the Progressive Conservative Party in Simcoe North in the 1972 election, and to Progressive Conservative Ronald A. Stewart in Simcoe South in the elections of 1980 and 1984.
He ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1967 provincial election, but lost to PC candidate Arthur Evans by 2,530 votes in Simcoe Centre. He ran again in the 1981 election, and lost to PC candidate George Taylor by a wider margin. Owen was finally elected in the 1987 election, defeating Progressive Conservative incumbent Earl W. Rowe by 2,492 votes in Simcoe Centre. He served as a backbench supporter of David Peterson's government for the next three years.
The Liberals were defeated in the 1990 provincial election, and Owen lost his seat to Paul Wessenger of the NDP by almost 3,000 votes. He attempted a comeback in the 1995 election, but lost to Progressive Conservative candidate Joe Tascona by 17,729 votes.
After politics
Owen is the program chairman of the Barrie Concert Association, and has presented numerous programs of classical music in the city including the "Colours of Music" festivals. Owen himself has been a vocal soloist for several churches in Barrie, and performed a solo in the papal choir when Pope John Paul II visited the city. (Owen is an Anglican, but has also performed in both Protestant and Roman Catholic venues.)
In 2005, he presented a plan to city council for a new arts theatre, noting that the existing Fisher Auditorium is showing signs of age. His plan has been supported by some figures in the tourism sector.