Valentine Ratz Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Hon.
Valentine Ratz
Smallimage:Valentine Ratz.jpg
Office:Senator for Parkhill, Ontario
Appointed:Wilfrid Laurier
Term Start:January 18, 1909
Term End:March 1, 1924
Constituency Mp2:Middlesex North
Parliament2:Canadian
Predecessor2:William Henry Hutchins
Successor2:John Sherritt
Term Start2:1896
Term End2:1900
Predecessor3:John Sherritt
Successor3:Alexander Wilson Smith
Term Start3:1904
Term End3:1908
Birth Date:12 November 1848
Birth Place:St. Jacobs, County of Waterloo, Canada West
Death Place:Guelph, Ontario
Party:Liberal

Valentine Ratz (November 12, 1848  - March 1, 1924) was a Canadian lumber merchant and politician in the province of Ontario.

Born in St. Jacobs, County of Waterloo, Canada West, the son of Jacob Ratz, Ratz received his education at Pine Hill Public School. As a lumber merchant, he was President of the South River Lumber Company of Parry Sound District. In 1879 he entered the municipal council of the Township of Stephen and was Deputy Reeve and Reeve. He was also elected Warden of the County of Huron in 1886.[1] In 1873, Ratz married Mary Yagers. He was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the electoral district of Middlesex North in the general election of 1896. A Liberal, he was defeated in the 1900 federal election and was re-elected in the 1904 federal election. He was summoned to the Senate of Canada for the senatorial division of Parkhill, Ontario on the advice of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier in 1909. He served until his death in Guelph in 1924.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Personnel of the Senate and House of Commons, eighth Parliament of Canada, elected June 23, 1896. 1898. Internet Archive.
  2. Book: Johnson, J.K. . The Canadian Directory of Parliament 1867-1967 . 1968 . Public Archives of Canada.