Wally Downer

Who was Wally Downer?

Alfred Wallace Downer was a Canadian politician and longtime member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Downer was born in Simcoe County, the son of Henry Downer and Emma Thorpe. A vicar and then a canon in the Anglican Church of Canada, and a member of the Conservative Party, Downer was first elected to the legislature as the member for Dufferin-Simcoe in the 1937 election. He served as Member of Provincial Parliament until 1975, winning a provincial record of ten consecutive elections.

While an elected MPP, he also served in the military during World War II, serving as chaplain of the Queen's York Rangers in North Africa and Europe. From 1955 until 1959, he served as Speaker of the legislative assembly. He also served as a liquor control commissioner beginning in 1960.

Downer was a candidate in the 1961 PC leadership convention, but was eliminated on the third ballot.

Downer had expected to run in the 1975 election and had expected to win his party's nomination by acclamation but was upset by another candidate, George McCague, at the Progressive Conservative nomination meeting.

Downer died at age 90 in Simcoe County, Ontario.