James Lee (Canadian politician)
{{Short description|Canadian politician (1937–2023)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = James Matthew Lee
| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|size=100%}}
| image =
| imagesize =
| order = 26th
| office = Premier of Prince Edward Island
| term_start = November 17, 1981
| term_end= May 2, 1986
| monarch= Elizabeth II
| lieutenant_governor= Joseph Aubin Doiron
Lloyd MacPhail
| predecessor = Angus MacLean
| successor = Joe Ghiz
| office1 = Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island
| term_start1 = November 7, 1981
| term_end1 = November 13, 1987
| predecessor1 = Angus MacLean
| successor1 = Leone Bagnall (interim)
| office2 = MLA (Assemblyman) for 5th Queens
| predecessor2 = Gordon L. Bennett
| successor2 = Wayne Cheverie
| term_start2 = February 17, 1975
| term_end2 = April 21, 1986
| birth_name = James Matthew Lee
| birth_date = {{birth date|1937|3|29}}
| birth_place = Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|10|10|1937|3|29}}
| death_place = Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
| spouse = {{marriage|Patricia Laurie|1960}}
| party = Progressive Conservative
| otherparty =
| relations =
| children = 3
| residence = Stanhope, Prince Edward Island
| alma_mater = Saint Dunstan's University
| occupation = Real estate broker, tourist operator, and businessperson
| profession = Politician
| cabinet = Minister of Tourism, Parks and Conservation (1979–1980)
Minister of Health and Social Services (1980–1981)
}}
James Matthew Lee {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC}} (March 29, 1937 – October 10, 2023) was a Canadian politician who was the 26th premier of Prince Edward Island from 1981 to 1986. He was the leader of the PEI Progressive Conservative Party from 1981 to 1987.
Early life and education
Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on March 29, 1937, the son of James Matthew Lee and Catherine Blanchard.{{cite web |url=https://www.assembly.pe.ca/sites/www.assembly.pe.ca/files/Historical%20MLA%20Bios/L-2.pdf |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island |title=Minding the House: a biographical guide to Prince Edward Island MLAs (Volume 2), 1993-2017 (Cassandra Bernard & Sean McQuaid, Eds.) |accessdate=April 5, 2021}} Lee was educated at Saint Dunstan's University.
Island MLA
After a successful career in real estate and development, Lee ran in 1974 as a Progressive Conservative but failed to win a seat in the provincial legislature. Lee was elected to the PEI Legislature one year later after winning a by-election in 1975. Lee was re-elected in 1978, 1979 and 1982. Lee ran for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of PEI in 1976 and narrowly lost to future premier J. Angus MacLean. When MacLean was elected Premier in 1979, Lee served in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Social Services and Minister of Tourism, Parks and Conservation from 1979 to 1980 and as Minister of Health and Social Services from 1980 to 1981.{{cite web|url=http://www.utpress.utoronto.ca/cgi-bin/cw2w3.cgi?p=lebel&t=87944&d=1033 |title=Hon. James M. LEE |work=Canadian Who's Who |publisher=University of Toronto |access-date=May 26, 2009}}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Premier
In 1981 Premier Angus MacLean resigned as PC leader and James M. Lee won the PC leadership convention held to choose MacLean's successor, thus becoming the 26th Premier of Prince Edward Island. Lee led his party to re-election in 1982. In April 1982, he was sworn into the Privy Council of Canada by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
A major accomplishment by the Lee government was the successful negotiation with the federal government to obtain the establishment of a school of veterinary medicine at the University of Prince Edward Island. Lee's government was defeated in the 1986 election which also cost him his seat in the legislature to Wayne Cheverie.{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0004610|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608162927/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0004610|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 8, 2011|title=Lee, James Matthew|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|access-date=May 26, 2009}}
Life after politics
Lee was appointed to be a commissioner on the Canadian Pension Commission and in 1998 became chairman of the PEI Workers' Compensation Board.
Personal life and death
Lee married Patricia Laurie in 1960.{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.pe.ca/premiersgallery/leejames.php3|title=James Matthew Lee|work=Premiers Gallery|publisher=Government of Prince Edward Island|access-date=May 26, 2009}} He died on October 10, 2023, at the age of 86.{{cite news |last1=MacKay |first1=Cody |title=Former Prince Edward Island premier Jim Lee dead at 86 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-premier-jim-lee-1.6992952 |access-date=October 11, 2023 |publisher=CBC News |date=October 11, 2023}}{{cite web |title=Hon. James M. Lee, P.C., LLB |url=https://www.islandowned.ca/obituaries/173026 |website=Hennessey Cutliffe Charlottetown Funeral Home |access-date=October 11, 2023}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{PEIPremiers}}
{{Prince Edward Island Conservative and Progressive Conservative leaders}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, James}}
Category:Politicians from Charlottetown
Category:Premiers of Prince Edward Island
Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island MLAs
Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island leaders
Category:Saint Dunstan's University alumni
Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island