Wayne Lessard
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Wayne Lessard
| image =
| caption =
| office1 = Ontario MPP
| term_start1 = 1997
| term_end1 = 1999
| predecessor1 = Dave Cooke
| successor1 = Riding abolished
| constituency1 = Windsor—Riverside
| term_start2 = 1990
| term_end2 = 1995
| predecessor2 = Mike Ray
| successor2 = Dwight Duncan
| constituency2 = Windsor—Walkerville
| party = New Democrat
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|1|12}}
| birth_place = Windsor, Ontario
| residence =
| occupation = Lawyer
}}
Wayne Lessard (born January 12, 1956) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) from 1990 to 1995, and again from 1997 to 1999.
Background
Lessard was educated at the University of Windsor, and worked as a barrister and solicitor. In 1986, he has operated a private law practice specializing in workplace safety, real estate, criminal defence and other matters.{{cite news |title=NDP picks Lessard in Windsor-Walkerville |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=July 9, 1990 |page=A5}} He also served as an Assistant Crown Attorney and legal counsel for the Corporation of the City of Windsor.{{cite news |title=Dadamo tracing Wrye's route to Toronto |first=Blair |last=Crawford |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=October 3, 1990 |page=A5}}
Politics
He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1990 provincial election, defeating incumbent Liberal Mike Ray by over 4,000 votes in the riding of Windsor—Walkerville.{{cite news |title=Ontario election: Riding-by-riding voting results |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 7, 1990 |page=A12}} The NDP won its first majority government in this election. Lessard was appointed as parliamentary assistant from 1990 to 1995.{{cite news |title=Dadamo tracing Wrye's route to Toronto |first=Blair |last=Crawford |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=October 3, 1990 |page=A5}}
The NDP were defeated in the 1995 provincial election, and Lessard lost his seat to Liberal Dwight Duncan by 380 votes.{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=windsor-walkerville&flag=E&layout=G |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215222728/https://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=Windsor-Walkerville&flag=E&layout=G |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 15, 2019 |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 8, 1995 |accessdate=2014-03-02 }} He returned to the legislature two years later after winning a by-election in Windsor—Riverside, called after the resignation of Dave Cooke.{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1997ByElection/index.jsp?flag=E&layout=G |title=Summary of Valid Votes for Each Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=September 4, 1997 |accessdate=2014-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228002312/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1997ByElection/index.jsp?flag=E&layout=G |archive-date=2014-02-28 |url-status=dead }}
The province's electoral boundaries were radically altered between 1995 and 1999, and in the 1999 provincial election Lessard was forced to face Dwight Duncan again in the new riding of Windsor—St. Clair. Despite having the support of the Canadian Auto Workers, he lost by more than 4,000 votes.{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=windsor-st.+clair&flag=E&layout=G |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140305211354/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=windsor-st.+clair&flag=E&layout=G |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 5, 2014 |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 3, 1999 |accessdate=2014-03-02 }}
After politics
Lessard returned to his legal practice in Windsor for a short time and then became a Prosecutor for the City of Windsor.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Ontario MPP biography|id=wayne-lessard}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lessard, Wayne}}
Category:Ontario New Democratic Party MPPs
Category:Politicians from Windsor, Ontario
Category:University of Windsor alumni
Category:University of Windsor Faculty of Law alumni
Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario