Thomas Gordon William Ashbourne
Thomas Gordon William Ashbourne (December 4, 1894 – March 8, 1984) was a Canadian politician who was part of the Newfoundland National Convention which discussed the terms of union between Newfoundland and Canada.
Thomas Gordon William Ashbourne | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Grand Falls—White Bay | |
| In office 1949–1953 | |
| Preceded by | District was created in 1949 |
| Succeeded by | District was abolished in 1952 |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Grand Falls—White Bay—Labrador | |
| In office 1953–1958 | |
| Preceded by | District was created in 1952 |
| Succeeded by | Charles Granger |
| Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly for Twillingate | |
| In office 1924–1928 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 4, 1894 Twillingate, Newfoundland |
| Died | March 8, 1984 (aged 89) |
| Political party | Liberal |
Early life
Born in Twillingate, Newfoundland, he was classmates with Lester Pearson while attending Victoria College, University of Toronto. After graduating in 1917, he joined the Canadian Army but was later not allowed to fight due to an irregular heartbeat. He fought instead with the British Army in Flanders from 1917 to 1918.
Politics
In 1923, he was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly for Twillingate and was re-elected 1924.
In 1947, he was elected to the Newfoundland National Convention for Twillingate. He also visited Parliament Hill with the Ottawa Delegation to negotiate the Terms of Union for Confederation with Canada.[1]
The delegation's members (With their districts) were:
- T.G.W. Ashbourne (Twillingate)
- F.G. Bradley (Bonavista South)
- Charles Ballam (Humber)
- Lester Burry (Labrador)
- P.W. Crummey (Bay de Verde)
- Joey Smallwood (Bonavista Centre)
Post-Confederation
After Confederation, Ashbourne was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the riding of Grand Falls—White Bay in 1949. A Liberal, he was re-elected in 1953 and 1957.
References
- "Thomas G. W. Ashbourne MP helped take Newfoundland into Canada". The Globe and Mail. March 9, 1984.