Donald H. Oliver (born November 16, 1938) is a Canadian lawyer, developer and politician. Appointed by former Prime Minister

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political sci ...

, Oliver served in the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...

from 1990 until 2013. He was the first black male to sit in the Senate and the second black Canadian appointed to the chamber. A lawyer and real estate developer, Oliver is a member of Nova Scotia's black minority. He is descended in part from African-American slave refugees who were resettled by the British in Canada from the United States after the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. But his maternal grandfather,

William A. White William Andrew White II (June 16, 1874 – September 9, 1936) was a Canadian chaplain and military officer from Nova Scotia who was commissioned as the first black officer in the Canadian Army. He served in World War I as a military chaplain, the ...

, migrated independently in 1900 from

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. Oliver is the nephew of Canadian

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

singer

Portia White Portia May White (June 24, 1911February 13, 1968) was a Canadian contralto, known for becoming the first Black Canadian concert singer to achieve international fame. Growing up as part of her father's church choir in Halifax, Nova Scotia, White ...

, politician Bill White and

labour union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

activist

Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...

, and the cousin of political strategist Sheila White.

Early life and education

Oliver was born to Helena Isabella (White) and Clifford Harlock Oliver in

Wolfville, Nova Scotia Wolfville is a Canadian town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. The town is home to Acadia University and Landmark East School. The town is a tourist destination du ...

. He has four siblings. His maternal grandfather,

, migrated independently in 1900 from

, and became a Baptist minister. His maternal grandmother Izie Dora White (her maiden name) was born in Nova Scotia, descended from black refugees who went to Canada from the United States during the

. Oliver attended local schools before his undergraduate studies at

Acadia University Acadia University is a public, predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level. The enabling legislation consists of the Acadia ...

, where he graduated with a degree in philosophy in 1960, and law school at

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...

. He was called to the Bar in 1965."Donald H. Oliver"
''The Canadian Encyclopedia''

Education and before politics

Oliver practised law in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...

as a partner in the firm Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales from 1965 to 1990, and subsequently at two other law firms for a total of 36 years, primarily in civil litigation. He taught at

Law School as a part-time professor for 14 years, and also taught law courses at

Technical University of Nova Scotia The Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) was a Canadian university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. TUNS was officially founded as the Nova Scotia Technical College on 25 April 1907. On 1 April 1997 it was merged into Dalhousie University ...

and Saint Mary's University. He is a

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...

Politics

A long-time activist in the Progressive Conservative Party, Oliver served as the party's director of legal affairs through six federal elections, from 1972 to 1988. He has also served as a federal vice-president of the party and as a director of its fundraising wing, the PC Canada Fund. Oliver also served for years as Constitution Chairman and member of the Finance Committee for the

Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia The Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia (formerly Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia), is a moderate political party in Nova Scotia, Canada. Like most conservative parties in Atlantic Canada, it has been historically as ...

, and is a former Vice-President of that Party,

Appointment to the Senate

Oliver was appointed to the Senate at the recommendation of

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

, September 7, 1990. He served as a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, and as the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committees on Transport and Communications and Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. Senator Oliver was also Co-chair of the Special Joint Committee on a Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians. He has worked on a number of Private Members’ Bills, including a bill to amend sections of the criminal code dealing with stalking and, more recently, a bill to address the issue of

spam Spam may refer to: * Spam (food), a canned pork meat product * Spamming, unsolicited or undesired electronic messages ** Email spam, unsolicited, undesired, or illegal email messages ** Messaging spam, spam targeting users of instant messaging ( ...

. Oliver was named

Speaker pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

of the

, March 4, 2010. Oliver retired from the Senate November 16, 2013, when he attained age 75. During and since that time, he continued to be active in community service: "serving in positions that have included President and Chairman of the Halifax Children's Aid Society; Chairman, President and Director of the Neptune Theatre Foundation; Director of the Halifax-Dartmouth Welfare Council; Founding Director of the Black United Front; and Founding President and First Chairman of the Society for the Protection and Preservation of Black Culture in Nova Scotia."

Honours

On December 28, 2019, Governor General

Julie Payette Julie Payette (; born October 20, 1963) is a Canadian engineer, scientist and former astronaut who served from 2017 to 2021 as Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation. Payette holds engineering degrees from McGill ...

announced that Oliver had been appointed as a member of the Order of Canada. Oliver was appointed to the

Order of Nova Scotia The Order of Nova Scotia (french: Ordre de la Nouvelle-Écosse) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Instituted on August 2, 2001, when Lieutenant Governor Myra Freeman granted Royal Assent to the Order of Nova ...

in 2020.

Personal life

Oliver is married and has one daughter. When not in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Oliver resides on his farm in

Queens County, Nova Scotia Queens County is a county in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia. History Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Liverpool, the county seat of Queens County, was founded in 1759 by the New England Planters. Founded for th ...

. Senator Donald Oliver is an honorary patron with Crossroads International. In 1962, he was a Crossroads volunteer to

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. Senator Oliver has said this experience changed him forever.

References

External links

Senator Donald Oliver's website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, Don Progressive Conservative Party of Canada senators Conservative Party of Canada senators 1938 births Living people Black Nova Scotians Canadian legal scholars Canadian senators from Nova Scotia People from Kings County, Nova Scotia People from Queens County, Nova Scotia Schulich School of Law alumni Canadian people of African-American descent Canadian people of American descent Black Canadian politicians Canadian King's Counsel 21st-century Canadian politicians Members of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Nova Scotia