Phil Edmonston

{{Infobox CanadianMP

| image =

| term_start = 12 February 1990

| term_end = September 8, 1993

| predecessor = Richard Grisé

| birth_name = Louis-Phillip Edmonston

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1944|05|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.

| successor = Ghislain Lebel

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|12|2|1944|05|26|df=y}}

| death_place = Panama

| profession = Consumer advocate, editor, journalist, writer

| party = New Democratic Party

| riding = Chambly

| footnotes =

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| spouse =

}}

Louis-Phillip Edmonston (26 May 1944 – 2 December 2022) was a Canadian consumer advocate, writer, journalist, and politician.{{cite web|url=http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=986&L=E&N=Phil%A0Edmonston|title=The Writers' Union of Canada - Phil Edmonston|accessdate=2 January 2008|website=writersunion.ca|archive-date=22 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922034630/http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=986&L=E&N=Phil%A0Edmonston|url-status=dead}} Along with Andrew Scheer, he was one of the few politicians with dual American and Canadian citizenship to be elected to the Parliament of Canada.{{cite web|url=http://www.lemonaidcars.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990508040202/http://www.lemonaidcars.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=8 May 1999|title=Phil Edmonston's Lemonaidcars.com|accessdate=2 January 2008|website=lemonaidcars.com}}

Edmonston was best known for his series of annual Lemon-Aid car guides. He lived in Panama at the end of his life.

Background

Born on 26 May 1944, in Washington, D.C., Edmonston served as a United States Army infantry medic in Panama from 1961 to 1964, where he witnessed the so-called flag riots,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01nrjgz/Witness_The_Panama_Flag_Riots/|title=Witness: The Panama Flag Riots|accessdate=9 January 2014|work=BBC News}} and graduated from the Canal Zone College. He subsequently immigrated to Montreal, where he became known as a journalist and consumer advocate.

In journalism, Edmonston worked as a television reporter, a syndicated newspaper columnist, and a host of his own open-line show.{{cite web |url=http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=55360&view=full_sptlght|title=Phil Edmonston - Authors - Random House|accessdate=2 January 2008|website=randomhouse.com}}

Consumer advocate

In 1968, he founded the Automobile Protection Association (APA), which uncovered and disseminated information about automobile defects and successfully pressured the auto industry for several recalls. Edmonston was president of the APA until 1987. In that role, he worked on thousands of consumer claims against automobile manufacturers and won million-dollar settlements and hundreds of lawsuits for consumers.

His work with the association led to the Lemon-Aid series of car manuals, issued annually since the 1970s.

Edmonston served as a pro bono witness on automobile defects and safety before numerous courts and government committees. In 1982, he testified on inadequate automobile quality and rust protection before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Technology and successfully pressured Ford to become the first automaker to provide a corrosion compensation warranty. In Canada Edmonston's Rusty Ford Owners Group sued Ford and eventually won an agreement with Ford and other automakers as well as the federal government to guarantee cars for five years against perforation.{{cite web |last1=Freeman |first1=Alan |title=Consumer advocate Phil Edmonston took on the car companies |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-consumer-advocate-phil-edmonston-took-on-the-car-companies/ |website=The Globe and Mail |access-date=5 January 2025 |date=20 April 2023}}

Edmonston was the author of over 100 best-selling books on consumer rights and the automobile industry.

Political career

Edmonston entered Canadian politics in the 1988 federal election as a candidate for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Chambly, Quebec, placing second. He won the riding in his second attempt, a 1990 by-election in which he defeated former Quebec cabinet minister Clifford Lincoln by almost 20,000 votes, becoming the first member of parliament from Quebec to be elected for the NDP.{{cite web|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&Include=Y&rid=128|title=History of Federal Ridings since 1867|accessdate=2 January 2008|work=Parliament of Canada|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101002259/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E|archive-date=1 January 2011|url-status=dead}} (Another Quebec MP, Robert Toupin from Terrebonne, had previously crossed the floor to the NDP in 1986.)

His relationship with the NDP was at times turbulent. During the party's 1989 leadership campaign, he threatened to resign from the party if Dave Barrett became leader. A Quebec nationalist, Edmonston was offended by Barrett's view that western alienation was more important than Quebec's grievances over the constitution. Edmonston's differences with the NDP over its position on Canadian federalism and against decentralization and devolving powers to Quebec contributed to his decision not to run for re-election in 1993.

Personal life and death

Edmonston was twice married with a son from his first marriage.{{cite web |last1=Freeman |first1=Alan |title=Consumer advocate Phil Edmonston took on the car companies |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-consumer-advocate-phil-edmonston-took-on-the-car-companies/ |website=The Globe and Mail |access-date=9 May 2023 |date=20 April 2023 |quote=Mr. Edmonston leaves his wife, Michelle, and a son, Michael, from his first marriage, which ended in divorce.}}

Edmonston died of melanoma in Panama on 2 December 2022, aged 78.{{cite web |url=https://www.journaldechambly.com/deces-de-lancien-depute-louis-phillip-edmonston/|title=Décès de l'ancien député Louis-Phillip Edmonston|accessdate=9 December 2022|website=Le Journal de Chambly|date=9 December 2022 }} There is a Phil Edmonston fonds at Library and Archives Canada.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Library and Archives Canada, Phil Edmonston fonds |url=http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=106870&lang=eng |access-date=15 May 2020 |website=}} Archival reference number is R3727.

Sources

External links

{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990508040202/http://www.lemonaidcars.com/ LemonAidCars.com]}}
[http://www.thecommentary.ca/ontheline/20071022c.html Audio interview with THECOMMENTARY.CA November 2007]
{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=13425}}

Category:1944 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:Activists from Montreal

Category:Consumer rights activists

Category:Canadian activists

Category:Journalists from Montreal

Category:New Democratic Party MPs

Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec

Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada

Category:American emigrants to Canada

Category:Military personnel from Washington, D.C.

Category:Politicians from Washington, D.C.