Preceded by Ronald Glen Hodgson Spouse(s) Iris Political party Liberal | Constituency Victoria-Haliburton Succeeded by Dennis Drainville Name John Eakins | |
Died September 16, 1998 (aged 75) | ||
John F. Eakins (born 1923 or 1924 in Mariposa Township in Victoria County, Ontario; died September 16, 1998) was a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal from 1975 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson.
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Background
Eakins was educated in Lindsay, Ontario. Eakins was a barber and hairdresser. Eakin was predeceased by his wife, Iris, who died in the mid-1980s and they had three children.
Politics
He served as a councillor in Lindsay for three years, and as mayor for six. As Mayor, he led the twinning of the Town of Lindsay with Nayoro, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1969. Eakins was also a governor of Fleming College, and a member of the Royal Canadian Legion. He also served as Warden of Victoria County, Ontario.
He first sought election to the Ontario legislature in the 1967 provincial election, but lost to Progressive Conservative Glen Hodgson by 2,016 votes in Victoria—Haliburton. He ran again in the 1971 election, and lost to Hodgson by 2,119 votes.
The Ontario Liberal Party increased its legislative representation in the 1975 provincial election, and Eakins defeated Hodgson by 1,023 votes in his third attempt. He was re-elected by greater margins in the elections of 1977, 1981, 1985 and 1987.
After serving in opposition for forty-two years, the Liberal Party formed a minority government after the 1985 election. David Peterson, the province's new Premier, appointed Eakins as his Minister of Tourism and Recreation on June 26, 1985. He held this position until September 29, 1987, when he was appointed as Minister of Municipal Affairs. He left cabinet on August 2, 1989.
Eakins did not run in the 1990 election.
Later life
After leaving provincial office, he remained active in the Rotary Club of Lindsay and numerous other community activities. Eakins was the driving force behind the creation of the Lindsay and District Sports Hall of Fame, developed to honour athletes, coaches and supporters of sporting activities in the County.
Eakins died in 1998, after undergoing cancer treatments in Hamilton, Ontario.