William Griesinger (June 20, 1895 – April 16, 1978) was a politician in
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
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. He was a
Progressive Conservative member of 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 1945 to 1959 who represented the southwestern riding of
Windsor—Sandwich
Windsor—Sandwich was an electoral riding in Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1934 and was abolished with the 1967 election as a result of redistribution. The area was restructured as Windsor West from 1967 to 1975, during which time it was r ...
. He was a cabinet minister in the governments of
George Drew,
Thomas Kennedy and
Leslie Frost
Leslie Miscampbell Frost (September 20, 1895 – May 4, 1973) was a politician in Ontario, Canada, who served as the province's 16th premier from May 4, 1949, to November 8, 1961. Due to his lengthy tenure, he gained the nickname "Old Man O ...
.
Background
He was born in
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...
, the son of Lewis Griesinger. In 1934, he married Mary Adele Allen, with whom he raised daughter Rosemary and adopted son William. He was owner and general manager of the Windsor Lumber Company. Griesinger served with the
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry division ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, reaching the rank of major, and was awarded the Military Cross at the
Battle of Vimy Ridge. After the war, he continued to serve with the local militia and was made commander
The Essex and Kent Scottish
The Essex and Kent Scottish is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army.
The regiment was formed in 1954 by the amalgamation of The Essex Scottish Regiment and The Kent Regiment.
Its colonel-in-chief is Prince Michael of Kent. ...
with the lieutenant-colonel. During World War II he was an area commandant and after the war continued to serve as honorary commander until 1971.
Politics
Griesinger was elected in the
1945 provincial election, in the riding of
Windsor—Sandwich
Windsor—Sandwich was an electoral riding in Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1934 and was abolished with the 1967 election as a result of redistribution. The area was restructured as Windsor West from 1967 to 1975, during which time it was r ...
. He defeated
CCF incumbent
George Bennett by 3,042 votes.
He was re-elected three times until he was defeated by
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 ...
Maurice Bélanger in 1959.
He served in the provincial cabinets of
George Drew,
Thomas Kennedy as a
Minister Without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...
. He served as Chief Commissioner of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario from 1948 to 1949. In 1949,
Leslie Frost
Leslie Miscampbell Frost (September 20, 1895 – May 4, 1973) was a politician in Ontario, Canada, who served as the province's 16th premier from May 4, 1949, to November 8, 1961. Due to his lengthy tenure, he gained the nickname "Old Man O ...
appointed him as Minister of Planning and Development. In 1953 he was appointed as Minister of Public Works. As minister of Public Works he directed the commencement of construction of
Highway 401
King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one,
is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian provin ...
at the western end.
[
He resigned from the provincial cabinet in 1958 after he was implicated in a stock trading scandal involving ]Northern Ontario Natural Gas
Northern Ontario Natural Gas was a natural gas company in Canada in the 1950s and 1960s, which was involved in a stock trading scandal that implicated Supreme Court of Ontario judge Leo Landreville, three Central Ontario mayors, and three members ...
, a natural gas company. Specifically, Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Leslie Frost
Leslie Miscampbell Frost (September 20, 1895 – May 4, 1973) was a politician in Ontario, Canada, who served as the province's 16th premier from May 4, 1949, to November 8, 1961. Due to his lengthy tenure, he gained the nickname "Old Man O ...
had ordered all members of his Cabinet to divest themselves of shares in the company but Griesinger did not do so. Later, Premier Frost described Griesinger's involvement in the matter as a "minor indiscretion".
Cabinet posts
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griesinger, William
1895 births
1978 deaths
Members of the Executive Council of Ontario
Politicians from Windsor, Ontario
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs