Gordon William Pittock (June 25, 1909 – 1983) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

politician, who represented

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

from 1963 to 1967 as a Progressive Conservative member.

Background

Prior to serving at Queen's Park, Pittock was a charter member of the local land conservation authority, first being named as a Member of the Board of the

Upper Thames River Conservation Authority The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority is a body based in London, Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1947. It was responsible for the construction of the Fanshawe Dam, completed in the 1950s, to control flooding from the Thames River, wh ...

representing his home community of

Ingersoll, Ontario Ingersoll is a town in Oxford County on the Thames River in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The nearest cities are Woodstock to the east and London to the west. Ingersoll is situated north of and along Highway 401. Oxford County Road 119 (formerl ...

in 1947. In 1950, he was appointed the Second Vice-Chair of the Authority. The following year he was named Vice-Chair and, in 1955, he was named the Chair of the Authority, replacing its founding Chair, Dr. Wilson. He served as Chair for ten years and, for much of that time, he also chaired the "Ontario Conservation Authority Chairmen" group. In recognition of his public service, the Pittock Conservation Area, an 820 hectare preserve managed by the

and situated just north of

Woodstock, Ontario Woodstock is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The city has a population of 40,902 according to the 2016 Canadian census. Woodstock is the seat of Oxford County, at the head of the non-navigable Thames River, approximately 128 km from ...

, was named after him. The Conservation Area includes the "Gordon Pittock Reservoir" a very popular venue for swimming and fishing. The reservoir was formed by the damming of the

Thames River The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

by the

Pittock Dam The Pittock Dam is a dam in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. It lies on the main branch of the Thames River, and creates the Pittock Reservoir. This artificial lake forms the northeast boundary of the City of Woodstock. The dam is designed for both fl ...

, opened in 1967. Pittock was married to Louise Martha Giffen (died 1987), in Meaford, Ontario, and had two children. He died in Ingersoll, Ontario in 1983.

Provincial politics

First elected in the general election in 1963, Pittock served as a backbench member of the majority PC government led by Premier

John Robarts John Parmenter Robarts (January 11, 1917 – October 18, 1982) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th premier of Ontario from 1961 to 1971. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Early life Roba ...

. In 1965, he was named a Member of the Select Committee that reviewed the provisions of the "Conservation Authorities Act', in recognition of his experience in that field.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pittock, Gordon William 1909 births 1983 deaths People from Ingersoll, Ontario Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs