About John Tory:
A moderate conservative, John Tory is a Toronto businessman and lawyer who was a backroom organizer and fund-raiser for the Progressive Conservatives for over 30 years, at the municipal, provincial and federal levels of government. His strength and sympathies lay in urban Ontario, and his challenge was to also appeal to rural, small-town voters, not to mention traditionalists in his own party. John Tory was elected leader of the Ontario PC Party in 2004. He resigned as leader in 2009 after losing a by-election for a seat in the Ontario legislature.
Leader of the Ontario PC Party:
2004 to 2009
Birth:
May 28, 1954
Education:
- BA - Trinity College, University of Toronto
- LLB - Osgoode Hall Law School
Professions:
Reporter, lawyer, businessman and political organizer
Business Career of John Tory:
- President and CEO of Rogers Cable Inc. 1999-2003
- President and CEO of Rogers Media Inc. 1995-99
- Chairman of the Canadian Football League 1992-2001 (volunteer)
- Partner in Tory Tory DesLauriers & Binnington 1986-95 and 1980-81
- Radio reporter, interviewer and newscaster for Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. 1972-79
Political Affiliation:
Progressive Conservative (PC)
Riding (Electoral District):
Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey (2005-07)
Political Career of John Tory:
- John Tory joined the Ontario Young Progressive Conservative Association in 1969.
- John Tory was principal secretary to Bill Davis, Premier of Ontario from 1981 to 1985.
- Over the years John Tory has held a variety of positions in election campaigns for Progressive Conservatives including Canadian Prime Ministers Joe Clark, Brian Mulroney and Kim Campbell, Ontario Premiers Bill Davis, Frank Miller, Mike Harris, and Ernie Eves, as well as David Crombie, Ron Atkey, Susan Fish and Larry Grossman.
- John Tory ran for Mayor of Toronto in 2003, but was defeated by David Miller.
- Tory was elected leader of the Ontario PC Party in September 2004.
- John Tory won a by-election in the riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey in March 2005.
- In the 2007 Ontario provincial election, John Tory ran in the Toronto riding of Don Valley West. He did not win the seat, although he remained as Progressive Conservative leader.
- It took more than a year for John Tory to find a "safe seat" to try and get back into the Ontario legislature. Laurie Scott resigned as the MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, a riding in the Peterborough area, and a by-election was held in March 2009. John Tory was defeated.
- John Tory resigned as Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader in March 2009.
