Pat Nowlan Explained

Pat Nowlan
Birth Name:John Patrick Nowlan
Birth Date:1931 11, df=yes
Birth Place:Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Death Place:California, United States
Spouse:Cynthia Cornish Nowlan
Riding:Annapolis Valley—Hants
Annapolis Valley (1968-1979)
Digby—Annapolis—Kings (1965-1968)
Predecessor:Riding created
Successor:John Murphy
Term Start:November 8, 1965
Term End:October 25, 1993
Profession:Lawyer
Party:Progressive Conservative

John Patrick Nowlan (10 November 1931 – 25 April 2020) was a Canadian politician from Nova Scotia. Nowlan served as a Progressive Conservative backbench Member of Parliament for the riding of Annapolis Valley—Hants from 1965 to 1993.

Early life

Born in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Nowlan was the son of Diefenbaker-era Minister of Finance George Nowlan. Nowlan attended Acadia University in his hometown, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1952.[1] He then attended Dalhousie Law School, graduating in 1955.[2]

Political career

Nowlan was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 1965 serving the riding of Annapolis Valley.

In 1966, when the Conservatives opposed the Liberal government's legislation to end a national railway strike, Nowlan broke with the party to vote in favour of the legislation.[3]

Nowlan was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1976 Progressive Conservative leadership convention, running as a right-wing candidate.

In November 1990, Nowlan resigned from the Tory caucus, citing his opposition to the Mulroney government's failed Meech Lake Accord and several other issues.[4] Nowlan sat as an "Independent Progressive Conservative" until the 1993 federal election.

Nowlan ran as an independent in the 1993 election, finishing in third place behind the Liberal and Progressive Conservative candidates and receiving 19.40% of the vote.[5]

Death

Nowlan died on 25 April 2020, aged 88.[6]

Personal life

Pat was married to Cynthia Nowlan, an entrepreneur who started a store in Ottawa called "The Pepper Pot". The couple had four children and six grandchildren.

Notes and References

  1. https://175.acadiau.ca/clara-nowlan-jefferson-48.html Clara Nowlan Jefferson ('48)
  2. https://www.martindale.com/attorney/j-patrick-nowlan-1312097/ J. Patrick Nowlan Profile
  3. News: Globe & Mail. Toronto. 1966-09-01. 1–2. Nowlan breaks with party, backs Liberals on rail bill.
  4. https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1991/1/7/seeking-attention Seeking Attention
  5. Web site: Atlantic region hands Liberals near-clean sweep. The Chronicle Herald. 26 October 1993. 2021-08-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20011121074131/http://www.herald.ns.ca/fedelect97/archive/931026108.html. 21 November 2001.
  6. Web site: John P. "Pat" Nowlan Obituaries SaltWire.