Fonds AP - Fonds Alan Pope

Alan William Pope was the Cochrane South representative (Timmins-James Bay), at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 to 1990. Born in Ayr, Scotland on August 2nd 1945, Alan Pope was raised in Timmins, Ontario. He is married to Linda Fillion from Mattice, Ontario and the couple has one son, David. In 1967, he completed a Bachelor of Arts, with a double major in History and in English at Waterloo Lutheran University, now Wilfrid Laurier University. He pursued law studies at the Osgoode Hall Law School at York University and was called to the bar in 1972.

His interest in politics dates back to his undergraduate years at Wilfrid Laurier, where Brian Near, then president of the Progressive Conservative club, recruited him. Alan Pope was very active within the Ontario Progressive Conservative Youth Association and was the national president of the Progressive Conservative Student Federation in 1969-1970. In 1972, he was elected to the Timmins City Council. During the provincial elections of 1975, he ran as the progressive conservative candidate for Cochrane South, but was defeated by NDP candidate, Bill Ferrier. He ran again two years later and was elected as a member for Cochrane South, a seat he held until he retired from politics in 1990.

During his time in politics, Alan Pope was Minister without portfolio (1979-1981), Minister of Natural Resources (1981-1985) as well as Minister of Health and Attorney General of Ontario (1985). During that period, he was also the minister responsible for French services in the province. In 1984-1985, he was a candidate for the leadership of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party. He was known as the "Minister of the North".

After retiring from politics, Alan Pope returned to his law practice. In 2002, l’Université de Hearst awarded him an honorary doctorate in law. He was named Federal Special Representative in consultation towards long-term sustainable solution for Kashechewan First Nation, in 2006.

Alan Pope is now retired.