Sonnee Ruben Cohen was a businessman and candidate for political candidate in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. He ran in numerous municipal elections, and was an independent candidate in the 1967 provincial campaign. Cohen was a trustee with

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish peopl ...

in the 1940s, and later served on the executive of the Toronto's Herzl Zion Club in the 1950s.

Private career

Cohen was a businessman and public relations worker in private life. He worked for Toronto's Dominion Dry

Ginger Ale Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavoured with ginger. It is consumed on its own or used as a mixer, often with spirit-based drinks. There are two main types of ginger ale. The golden style is credited to the Irish doctor Thomas Joseph ...

Co. for several years. He also designed products for children. In 1955, he began selling a

hockey puck A hockey puck is either an open or closed disk used in a variety of sports and games. There are designs made for use on an ice surface, such as in ice hockey, and others for the different variants of floor hockey which includes the wheeled skate ...

with ball bearings designed for year-round use. He later designed a safety kit for schoolchildren. Cohen was listed as chairman of the Canadian Diabetic Association in 1965, and as Vice-Chair of the North York Safety Council in 1966. He asked Canadians to support a mobile diabetes detection unit in 1970, and promoted healthy eating habits later in the decade. Cohen founded Worldwide Diabetes Information Service in 1977, a non-profit organization specializing in

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

information. His work was profiled in a 1985 ''

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'' feature. Cohen was listed in Baycrest and Baycrest Foundation's "Family of Supporters" list for 2005-06.

Perennial candidate

Cohen ran for North York's public school board in the

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

and

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

municipal elections, for North York City Council in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

and

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

, and for the North York Board of Control in

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

and

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

. He lost each time. Cohen campaigned as a reform candidate in 1969, and was endorsed by the North York

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Association. During the 1985 contest, he called for better conditions in nursing homes. Seventy-seven years old in 1991, he centred his campaign on improved health care and the prevention of child and senior abuse.Stan Josey, "Spadina ward is called home by diverse ethnic mix", ''Toronto Star'', 24 October 1991, NY2.

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Sonnee 1910s births Independent candidates in Ontario provincial elections Jewish Canadian politicians