John Wendele Shields | |
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Member of Parliament for Athabasca |
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In office 1980–1993 |
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Preceded by | Paul Yewchuk |
Succeeded by | David Chatters |
Personal details | |
Born |
Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada |
25 December 1929
Died | 29 November 2004 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
(aged 74)
Political party | Progressive Conservative |
John Wendele Shields (25 December 1929 – 29 November 2004) was a Progressive Conservative party member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was a businessman and teacher by career.
Shields was born in Grande Prairie, Alberta. He died aged 74 of heart failure following bladder surgery.
He represented the Alberta riding of Athabasca where he was first elected in the 1980 federal election and re-elected in 1984 and again in 1988. He served in the 32nd, 33rd and 34th Canadian Parliaments.
In 1991, Shields incurred controversy for allegedly shouting "Shut up, Sambo" to Howard McCurdy, the sole black member of Parliament. Shields denied ever making the comments.
Shields left federal politics after his defeat in the 1993 federal election to David Chatters of the Reform Party.
Shields served with the Canadian Army in Korea. He left the military in 1958 to complete high school and went on to earn a degree in education from the University of Alberta.
On 1 December 2004, Brian Jean, Member of Parliament for Shields' former riding of Fort McMurray—Athabasca rose in the House of Commons to pay the following tribute: