Bill Gillis Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Bill Gillis
Birth Date:31 October 1936
Birth Place:Boston, Massachusetts
Death Place:Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Office:MLA for Antigonish
Term Start:1970
Term End:1998
Predecessor:William F. MacKinnon
Successor:Hyland Fraser
Office3:Minister of Finance
Term Start3:June 27, 1996
Term End3:April 8, 1998
Predecessor3:Bernie Boudreau
Successor3:Don Downe
Party:Liberal
Occupation:Geologist

John William Gillis (October 31, 1936 – August 15, 2009), generally known as Bill Gillis, was a Canadian politician who served in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1970 to 1998. He represented the electoral district of Antigonish for the Liberals.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts,[1] his family moved to Antigonish when he was six weeks old.[2] Gillis was a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University, and held a doctorate in geology from Pennsylvania State University.[3] Gillis was employed as a geologist with the Canadian Department of Energy, Mines and Resources from 1962 to 1967. He taught geology at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia from 1967 to 1970.[4] Gillis died on August 15, 2009, as a result of brain cancer.[5] [6]

Political career

Gillis first attempted to enter provincial politics in the 1967 election, but lost to Progressive Conservative William F. MacKinnon by 26 votes.[7] [8] He ran again in the 1970 election and defeated Progressive Conservative William Shaw by 408 votes to win the Antigonish riding.[9] On October 28, 1970, he was appointed by Premier Gerald Regan to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Agriculture and Marketing, and Minister of Municipal Affairs.[10] He was named Minister of Welfare in September 1972,[11] and was shuffled to Minister of Education in August 1973.[12] Gillis was re-elected in the 1974 election,[13] and remained as Minister of Education until February 1976 when he became Minister of Mines.[3]

Gillis was re-elected in the 1978 election,[14] but the Liberals were defeated[15] and he moved to the opposition benches for the next 15 years. During his years in opposition, Gillis was re-elected in the 1981,[16] 1984,[17] and 1988 elections.[18]

In the 1993 election, the Liberals led by John Savage won a majority government,[19] and Gillis was re-elected in his riding by over 4,000 votes.[20] On June 11, 1993, Savage appointed Gillis to cabinet as Deputy Premier and Minister of Justice,[21] [22] becoming the first non-lawyer in the province's history to hold the justice job.[23] Gillis remained as Minister of Justice until June 26, 1996, when he became Minister of Finance, while being retained as Deputy Premier,[24] the two jobs he continued to hold after Russell MacLellan took over as premier in July 1997.[25] Gillis did not reoffer in the 1998 election.[26] [27]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dr. John William Gillis . 2013-06-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141129084518/http://www.macisaacs.ca/obituaries/46983 . 2014-11-29 . dead .
  2. Web site: Simpson. Jeffery. Longtime Liberal MLA Dies. The Chronicle Herald. August 17, 2009. 2015-07-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20090920195509/http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1137935.html. September 20, 2009.
  3. Book: Elliott. Shirley B.. The Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, 1758–1983 : a biographical directory. 2018-04-03. 1984. Public Archives of Nova Scotia. 0-88871-050-X. 83.
  4. Web site: Longtime MLA Gillis dies. CBC News. August 17, 2009. 2014-11-21.
  5. Web site: Longtime Liberal member of the Nova Scotia legislature dies of brain cancer. The Truro Daily News. August 17, 2009. 2022-01-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305214013/http://www.trurodaily.com/Politics/2009-08-17/article-349447/Longtime-Liberal-member-of-the-Nova-Scotia-legislature-dies-of-brain-cancer/1. March 5, 2016.
  6. Web site: Cameron. David. Bill Gillis: a man of, and for, the people. The Chronicle Herald. August 19, 2009. 2014-11-21.
  7. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1967. Elections Nova Scotia. 1967. 5. 2014-11-21.
  8. Web site: Gentleman politician remembered. The Casket. August 18, 2009. 2022-01-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307214936/http://www.thecasket.ca/archives/873. March 7, 2016.
  9. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1970. Elections Nova Scotia. 1970. 5. 2014-11-21.
  10. News: Regan takes office, divides Cabinet jobs among nine Liberals. The Globe and Mail. October 29, 1970.
  11. News: Regan shakes up N.S. Cabinet; youth department to be formed. The Globe and Mail. September 8, 1972.
  12. News: Regan again shuffles Nova Scotia Cabinet. The Globe and Mail. August 21, 1973.
  13. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1974. Elections Nova Scotia. 1974. 26. 2014-11-21.
  14. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1978. Elections Nova Scotia. 1978. 26. 2014-11-21.
  15. News: Conservatives sweep Liberals in Nova Scotia. The Globe and Mail. September 20, 1978.
  16. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1981 . Elections Nova Scotia . 1981 . 27 . 2014-11-21 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140310212300/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201981.pdf . 2014-03-10 .
  17. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1984 . Elections Nova Scotia . 1984 . 29 . 2014-11-21 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131005021932/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201984.pdf . 2013-10-05 .
  18. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1988 . Elections Nova Scotia . 1988 . 29 . 2014-11-21 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140512225642/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201988.pdf . 2014-05-12 .
  19. Web site: Liberal landslide. The Chronicle Herald. May 26, 1993. 2014-11-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20000830234311/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1993%2F05%2F26+108.raw+PE93Elect. August 30, 2000. dead.
  20. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1993 . Elections Nova Scotia . 1993 . 34 . 2014-11-21 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006070337/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201993.pdf . 2014-10-06 .
  21. Web site: Historic Liberal cabinet sworn in. The Chronicle Herald. June 12, 1993. 2014-11-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20000830201132/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1993%2F06%2F12+100.raw+PE93Elect. August 30, 2000. dead.
  22. News: New cabinet in Nova Scotia smaller by one. The Globe and Mail. June 12, 1993.
  23. Web site: Gillis sets legal precedent. The Chronicle Herald. June 12, 1993. 2014-11-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20000830200033/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1993%2F06%2F12+102.raw+PE93Elect. August 30, 2000. dead.
  24. Web site: Premier shuffles cabinet. Government of Nova Scotia. June 27, 1996. 2014-11-21.
  25. Web site: MacLellan makeover. The Chronicle Herald. July 19, 1997. 2014-11-21. https://web.archive.org/web/19980204071951/http://www.herald.ns.ca/specialevents/libleader/stories/970719100.html. February 4, 1998.
  26. Web site: Liberals pick Fraser as Antigonish candidate. The Chronicle Herald. March 26, 1998. 2014-11-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20050123235221/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998%2F02%2F23+224.raw+PE98Feb23+2. January 23, 2005. dead.
  27. News: David. Rodenhiser. MacLellan faces cabinet selection from depleted Liberal stocks. Canadian Press NewsWire. Toronto. March 28, 1998.

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