Canada Ping!
Posted on 10/19/2012 8:09:15 AM PDT by Squawk 8888
TORONTO - Ontario has lost a pioneer in racial equality in Lincoln Alexander, the first black man in the country to become a lieutenant-governor.
Lt.-Gov. David Onley announced Alexander's death Friday morning. He was 90.
"I was born in 1922, at a time when blacks weren't recognized and when people thought blacks were born to be servers and porters," Alexander told Sun Media in 2007.
"Anyone can become a great part of the Canadian way of life and make a difference economically, politically and socially.
"Don't get sucked in by saying you can't because there's always a future in this great country of ours if you work hard and stay in school," he said. "There's no job you can't have if you want it bad enough and have confidence in yourself."
Alexander's family came to Canada from Jamaica before he was born, and he went to school in Toronto at Earl Grey Junior High and Riverdale Collegiate.
He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a corporal in the Second World War and graduated from Osgoode Law School in 1953. Alexander was first elected a federal MP in 1968 as a Conservative and was re-elected four times in West Hamilton, serving in prime minister Joe Clark's cabinet as labour minister.
On the advice of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, he was appointed the 24th lieutenant-governor of Ontario in 1985.
(Excerpt) Read more at torontosun.com ...
Canada Ping!
RIP.
Linc was a class act. He was the Chancellor of my Alma Mater, and shook my hand on all three occasions I added letters to my name. And he remembered me every time.
He was indeed a class act. I well remember his appointment, I was living in Hamilton at that time. Don’t take this the wrong way, but that seems like a lot of hardware on his chest for a corporal in the Air Force. Can someone enlighten me? Thanks.
In his wikipedia article, it lists eight medals, including the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals.
Mr Alexander has the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal which was given to anyone who volunteered to serve on active service. If they served outside Canada they should have a small silver clasp on the bar and if they served in a war theater they should have a Star medal like the 1939-45 Star.
With respect to Mr. Alexander , he also has the British “War Medal 1939-1945” which is the same as the Canadian Volunteer one he has. I assume he got it later because he represented the Queen.
Father once told me he got the round ones for learning how to open a can of beans , the Stars for having the scat scared out of him. Uncle told me “look for the Star metals, the round ones don’t mean nothing . He had 3 Stars, Father had only 2.
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