Dalton Bales
{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Dalton Bales
| image = Dalton Bales portrait.jpg
| caption = Bales, {{circa|1971}}
| office = Ontario MPP
| term_start = 1963
| term_end = 1975
| predecessor = New riding
| successor = Bette Stephenson
| constituency = York Mills
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|2|21}}
| birth_place = Lansing, Ontario
| death_date = {{death date and age|1979|10|31|1920|2|21}}
| death_place = Toronto, Ontario
| party = Progressive Conservative
| occupation = Lawyer
| spouse = Iris Vivian Amundsen
| children = 2
}}
Dalton Arthur Bales (February 21, 1920 – October 30, 1979) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1975 who represented the riding of York Mills. He was a cabinet minister in the governments of John Robarts and Bill Davis.
Background
Bales joined the Toronto law firm of McLaughlin, Soward in 1946 while he was a law student. He was called to the bar in 1949 and eventually became partner.{{cite news |title=Dalton Bales killed by car |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=October 31, 1979 |page=5}}
Politics
He entered politics in 1958 by being elected to the North York Town Council as an alderman. He defeated Paul Graham in Ward 2 by 780 votes.{{cite news |title=Suburban elections |newspaper=Toronto Daily Star |date=December 2, 1958 |page=8}} He was re-elected in 1960.{{cite news |title=Goodhead back in North York |newspaper=Toronto Daily Star |date=December 6, 1960 |page=9}}
In 1963, he ran as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding of York Mills. He defeated Liberal James Service by 8,351 votes.{{cite news |author=Canadian Press |title=78 in Tory Blue Wave -- 23 Is All Grits Saved |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=September 26, 1963 |location=Windsor, Ontario |page=25 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QDM_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=T1EMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6134%2C3886120}} He was a major organizer in the Toronto area where the party won 22 seats.{{cite news |title=Tories lake 22 Seats In Metro |last=Devitt |first=Vincent |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 26, 1963 |page=1}} He was re-elected in 1967 and 1971.{{cite news |author=Canadian Press |title=Tories win, but... |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=October 18, 1967 |location=Windsor, Ontario |page=B2 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TDM_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=VVEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3673%2C2835192}}{{cite news |title=Riding-by-riding returns in provincial election |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=October 23, 1971 |page=10}}
In 1966 he was appointed Minister of Labour in the government of Premier John Robarts.{{cite news |title=Five added to Cabinet by Robarts |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=November 25, 1966 |page=1}} In 1971, Bill Davis appointed him Minister of Municipal Affairs.{{cite news |title=Changes in policies promised: Davis priorities to include environment and jobless |last1=Manthorpe |first1=Jonathan |last2=Slinger |first2=John |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=March 2, 1971 |page=1}} In 1972 he was promoted to Attorney General of Ontario.{{cite news |title=The Cabinet for Ontario |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=February 3, 1972 |page=4}}
In 1972, Bales and several other cabinet ministers were accused of being in a conflict of interest over property they owned. In Bales' case he was accused of having purchased land in Markham, Ontario in 1969 while the Cabinet was considering development plans in the area. Bales offered to resign from cabinet but his resignation was refused. The incidents resulted in Davis issuing the province's first conflict of interest guidelines for cabinet ministers and later parliamentary assistants to follow.{{cite news |title=Stricter guideline on conflicts is urged for Cabinet ministers |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=January 12, 1981}}
He was dropped from cabinet in 1974 during a major cabinet shuffle. Bales cited declining health and a minor heart attack in 1973 as the reasons for requesting a reduction in his responsibilities. He left politics the next year to return to his legal practice.
=Cabinet posts=
{{s-start}}
{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Bill_Davis}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post2preceded = Allan Lawrence
| post2 = Attorney General
| post2years = 1972–1974
| post2note = Minister of Justice February–April 1972
| post2followed = Bob Welch
| post1preceded = Darcy McKeough
| post1 = Minister of Municipal Affairs
| post1years = 1971–1972
| post1note =
| post1followed = Darcy McKeough
}}
{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=John_Robarts}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post1preceded = Leslie Rowntree
| post1 = Minister of Labour
| post1years = 1966–1971
| post1note =
| post1followed = Gordon Carton
}}
{{s-end}}
Later life
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{OntarioMPPbio|id=dalton-arthur-bales}}
- [https://aims.archives.gov.on.ca/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/DESCRIPTION_WEB/WEB_DESC_DET?SESSIONSEARCH&exp=sisn%2014581 Dalton A. Bales fonds], Archives of Ontario
{{Davis Ministry}}
{{Ontario Attorneys General}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bales, Dalton}}
Category:Attorneys general of Ontario
Category:Members of the Executive Council of Ontario
Category:People from North York
Category:Politicians from Toronto
Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs
Category:20th-century Canadian lawyers
Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario