Gordon Conant
| Gordon Daniel Conant | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 12th Premier of Ontario | |
|
In office October 21, 1942 – May 18, 1943 |
|
| Monarch | George VI |
| Lieutenant Governor | Albert E. Matthews |
| Preceded by | Mitchell Hepburn |
| Succeeded by | Harry Nixon |
| Attorney General of Ontario | |
|
In office October 12, 1937 – May 18, 1943 |
|
| Preceded by | Arthur Roebuck |
| Succeeded by | Eric William Blake Cross |
| Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party (interim) | |
|
In office October 21, 1942 – April 30, 1943 |
|
| Preceded by | Mitchell Hepburn |
| Succeeded by | Harry Nixon |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Ontario | |
|
In office October 6, 1937 – June 30, 1943 |
|
| Preceded by | William Edmund Newton Sinclair |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Henry Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 11, 1885 Cedar Dale, East Whitby Township, Ontario |
| Died | January 2, 1953 (aged 67) Oshawa, Ontario |
| Resting place | Oshawa Union Cemetery |
| Political party | Ontario Liberal Party |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Gordon Daniel Conant, QC (January 11, 1885 – January 2, 1953) was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and the 12th Premier of Ontario.
Born in Cedar Dale, East Whitby Township (now part of the City of Oshawa) in Ontario, Conant was a member of one of Oshawa’s early settler families and his family name is well known in Oshawa. He was educated at the University of Toronto and called to the Ontario Bar in 1912. He practiced law in Oshawa. In 1913 he married Verna Conant (née Smith), daughter of E. D. Smith. Together they had three children. Outside politics, Conant served as president of Oshawa General Hospital, Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and South Ontario Canadian Club. In 1933, he was made a King's Counsel. From 1943 to 1951, he was a Master of the Supreme Court of Ontario. In 1944, he was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Toronto. Conant died on January 2, 1953.
In 1914, he was Deputy Reeve of Oshawa and Reeve in 1915. In 1916–1917, Conant became the youngest Mayor of Oshawa. After his office he dedicated himself to the development of hydro-electric power in Ontario. Due to his efforts, Ontario gained controlled of its own electrical system. In 1934, he became Crown Attorney for Ontario County.
In 1937 elections, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the electoral district of Ontario. A Liberal, he was appointed Attorney-General of Ontario in 1937 in the government of Mitchell Hepburn.
Hepburn resigned suddenly, in October 1942, after a long series of erratic acts and especially due to his feud with Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King that split Hepburn's cabinet and threatened the unity of his party. Hepburn announced that he was remaining leader of the party and Conant was selected as the new Premier by the Lieutenant Governor. The party, led by King's supporters, demanded a leadership convention and Conant and Hepburn were forced to acquiesce. Conant ran for the leadership but collapsed hours before the leadership vote and withdrew his candidacy. Former Provincial Secretary and Registar Harry Nixon was elected new Liberal leader and was thus appointed Premier in May 1943.
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