Hugh Patrick O'Neil (July 10, 1936 – September 14, 2015) was a
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
in Ontario, Canada. He was a
Liberal member of the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...
from 1975 to 1995, and served as a
cabinet minister
A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...
in the government of
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson (born December 28, 1943) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 20th premier of Ontario from 1985 to 1990. He was the first Liberal officeholder in 42 years, ending the so-called Tory dynasty.
Back ...
.
Background
O'Neil was educated at
Peterborough
Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...
Teachers' College (c. 1907 as
Peterborough Normal School), and worked as a teacher and real estate broker before entering political life. He was married to Donna Grace (McColl) and they raised two children, David and Catherine.
[
]
Politics
He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election, defeating the Progressive Conservative candidate by 659 votes in the eastern Ontario riding of Quinte.1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
,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 n ...
,1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
,1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
.minority government
A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in ...
following the 1985 election, and O'Neil was appointed as Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology on June 26, 1985.New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
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* The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...
in the 1990 provincial election. O'Neil was re-elected and served as his party's critic for Tourism and Recreation for the entirety of the next parliament, and did not run for re-election in 1995, choosing instead to retire from politics and return to a business career in real estate.
Cabinet positions
Later life
After his time in the legislature, he managed a property development company in the residential and commercial sector. He spent much of his spare time volunteering for community organizations and spent time as Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Armed Forces 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron at CFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton (also CFB Trenton), formerly RCAF Station Trenton, is a Canadian Forces base located within the city of Quinte West, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is the hub ...
. He was also Honorary Chair of Loyalist College Foundation Board of Directors and several other groups.
In July 2013, O'Neil and John Williams, former mayor of Quinte West, were awarded the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service for their dedication in creating and completing the Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial at Bain Park in Quinte West adjacent to CFB Trenton, Canada's largest military base. O'Neil spearheaded the campaign beginning in 2010 to create the memorial and was a key member of the memorial committee. This award is the Canadian military's highest level of recognition for a civilian.[
O'Neil died in ]Trenton, Ontario
Trenton (2001 population 16,770) is a large community in Central Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the starting point for the Trent-Severn Waterway, which continues northwest to Pe ...
, on September 14, 2015, at the age of 79.Bay of Quinte
The Bay of Quinte () is a long, narrow bay shaped like the letter "Z" on the northern shore of Lake Ontario in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is just west of the head of the Saint Lawrence River that drains the Great Lakes into the Gulf of ...
for the 2025 Ontario general election
The 2025 Ontario general election was held on February 27, 2025, to elect the 124 members of the 44th Parliament of Ontario. Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, Progressive Conservatives were re-elected to a third cons ...
.
The O'Neil collection of papers, photos and legislative records is available for viewing at the Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County in Belleville, Ontario.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneil, Hugh
1936 births
2015 deaths
Ontario Liberal Party MPPs
Members of the Executive Council of Ontario
Politicians from Belleville, Ontario
20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario