Stewart, William Atcheson

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Stewart, William Atcheson

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      • Bill Atcheson Stewart
      • Bill Stewart
      • W.A. Stewart

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      Dates of existence

      1915 - 1990

      History

      William Atcheson Stewart was born on a farm near Denfield, Ontario on February 26, 1915 to parents George A. Stewart and Frances Langford. He was educated at a local public school and attended Lucan high school during his teenage years. Stewart dropped out of high school in Grade 10 to pursue work on his family’s farm. Through his continued farm work, Stewart developed a fascination and passion for agricultural work.
      William Stewart married Edythe M. Jones of Granton in 1940. They had four daughters, Marilyn Jenken, Norma Brock, Barbara Shipley, and Gay Slinger. Stewart was an active member of the agricultural community and headed several special committees on agricultural affairs. In 1957 William Stewart was elected MPP for Middlesex North for the Progressive Conservative (P.C.) Party in a by-election. He was re-elected in general elections in 1959, 1963, 1967, and 1971. In 1960, Stewart turned down a position as Minster of Transportation and entered as a Minister without Portfolio later that same year. In 1961 Stewart took on the position of Minister of Agriculture, and later Minister of Agriculture and Food, which he held until his retirement in 1975. Stewart retired as the longest serving Agricultural Minister in Canada.
      During his time in office, William Atcheson Stewart was responsible implementing many important acts to further the agricultural sector in Ontario. These pieces of legislation include The Animals for Research Act 1968-1969, Beef Cattle Marketing Act 1968, an Act to Provide for Inspection of Meat for Human Consumption 1962-1963, and An Act respecting Ontario Agricultural College, Ontario Veterinary College and Macdonald Institute 1961-1962, to list a few.
      Although Stewart was forced to retire from politics due to heart conditions, he remained active in the agricultural community in an advisory capacity and joined many major companies as a board member, including Ontario Hydro.
      Stewart remained a longtime friend of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), a part of Guelph University. He was granted an LLD from the OAC in 1976, his first university degree. He also conferred an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1978. Stewart maintained close ties to the University of Guelph, eventually serving as Chancellor from 1983-1989. Stewart was also the first recipient of the Centennial Medal from the OAC at the University of Guelph during their centennial celebrations in 1974.
      With encouragement of his family, Stewart wrote an autobiography of his life, “Rural Roots and Beyond,” outlining his childhood, political career and his retirement. The book was published in 1990, shortly before his death.
      William Atcheson Stewart died of a heart attack at Victoria Hospital on December 8, 1990 at the age of 75. Stewart was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1988 and inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1992.

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