Wikipedia

Garnet Rickard

Garnet Baker Rickard CM (1916 – June 23, 1994) was a Canadian politician who served as the first mayor of the Town of Newcastle from 1974 to 1985. Garnet was well known for his endeavours in agriculture and would later become a leader in the field, being active in societies and education.[2]

CM
Garnet B. Rickard
Rickard, circa 1968
Rickard, c. 1968
1st Mayor of Town of Newcastle
In office
January 3, 1974 – November 30, 1985
Preceded bynew position
Succeeded byJohn Winter
Reeve for Darlington Township
In office
January 1, 1960 – January 1, 1963
Preceded byRoy W. Nichols
Succeeded byA.L. Blanchard
In office
January 1, 1973 – January 1, 1974
Preceded byCarl Down
Succeeded byposition dissolved
Personal details
Born1916
Bowmanville, Ontario
DiedJune 23, 1994
Bowmanville, Ontario[1]
NationalityCanadian
Political partyProgressive Conservative (Federal)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (Municipal)
Spouse(s)Annabelle Erskine Hendry
(m. 1941)
Profession
  • Agriculture
  • Politician

Personal life

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An ad in the Canadian Statesmen for Ceresmore Farms, c. 1966.

Rickard was born in 1916 on a 100-acre farm near Bowmanville, Ontario.[3] From a young age, Rickard had interest in seed growing. He began judging seeds for the Junior Farmers' Club. This lead him to establishing a seed-cleaning and fertilizer-blending operation at his farm in 1940.[2] Later that year, he took first place at the CNE in a seed competition at the age of 24.[2] He also received awards for his oats, winning a reserve championship at the Chicago International Show in 1946, and the Royal Winter Fair in 1948.[3]

Rickard was active in several local agriculture organizations, including the Durham County Agricultural Society and the Durham County Federation of Agriculture. He served as president of the Soil and Crop Improvement Association in 1945, and the county association in 1950.[3] With the help of his sons, Jim and Don, they operated the Ceresmore farms, in the Village of Newcastle.[2] They specialized in purebred cattle, pigs, wheat, oats, barley, soybeans, white beans, pumpkins, cash crops and an apple orchard.[3]

He married Annabelle Erskine Hendry, on September 6, 1941, at the United Church, in Newcastle, Ontario.[4]

Rickard was an active Mason. He received the ranks of Worshipful Master (1952), Grand Junior Warden (1968-1969), and member of the Board of General Purposes (1973-1978).[5] He was also active in the Rotary Club of Bowmanville.

 
Ice rink at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex, located in Bowmanville, Ontario.

He was chairman of the Skate '88 committee, a group to raise money for a new recreation Centre in Bowmanville, going on to raise 1.8 million dollars.[2]

Rickard died on June 23, 1994, at the age of 79.[2] Funeral services were held on June 27, 1994 at the Newcastle United Church. The Bowmanville Recreation Complex, which he had helped raise money for, was renamed in his honour in a ceremony held October 28, 1994, to the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex.[6]

Politics

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Rickard was first appointed as Darlington councillor in 1949.[7][8] He was elected as Deputy Reeve of Darlington Township in 1953, winning with 761 votes over 571 against Harold Skinner.[9] In 1957, he ran for the position of Warden for United Counties of Northumberland and Durham.[10] In 1959, he was elected as Reeve for Darlington Township, defeating the incumbent Roy Nichols.[11][12] Rickard was re-elected by acclamation, in 1960 and 1961.[13][14] In 1963, he left his position as Reeve to run for Member of Parliament for Durham, but ultimately lost to Russell Honey.[15] He ran again in 1965, but was yet again unsuccessful.[16]

Rickard returned to municipal politics in 1970, when he was elected Deputy Reeve of Darlington Township.[17] In 1972 he was elected Reeve for Darlington Township, defeating the incumbent Carl Down.[18] He held this position for one year, until he was appointed mayor of the newly established township of Town of Newcastle, in January 1974.[19][20]

On December 20, 1982, he was invested into the Order of Canada. He was appointed to the order on April 20, 1983, by Governor General Ed Schreyer, for his contributions to agriculture.[21][22]

Electoral record

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Town of Newcastle Mayoral Election (1982)[23]
Candidate Votes %
Garnet Rickard 5700 50.6
Harry Wade 4255 37.8
Thomas Vanderende 1292 11.4
Town of Newcastle Mayoral Election (1980)[24]
Candidate Votes %
Garnet Rickard 5031 53.9
Bill Hulsman 4290 46.0
Town of Newcastle Mayoral Election (1978)[25]
Candidate Votes %
Garnet Rickard 6657 58.6
Robert Dykstra 4693 41.3
Town of Newcastle Mayoral Election (1976)[26]
Candidate Votes %
Garnet Rickard 5771 61.3
Kenneth Lyall 3643 38.7
Darlington Township Reeve Election (1972)[27]
Candidate Votes %
Garnet Rickard 1096 53.91
Carl Down 937 46.09
Darlington Township Deputy Reeve Election (1970)[28]
Candidate Votes %
Garnet Rickard 955 68.85
Richard Gibbs 432 31.15


1965 Canadian federal election: Durham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%}
Liberal Russell Honey 8,017 42.49 -3.73
Progressive Conservative Garnet Rickard 6,725 35.64 -7.21
New Democratic John Anthony Cheyne Ketchum 3,948 20.93 10.85
Social Credit Wilbur N. Grandall 177 0.94 0.08
Liberal hold Swing 1.74
1963 Canadian federal election: Durham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%}
Liberal Russell Honey 8,720 46.22 2.06
Progressive Conservative Garnet Rickard 8,084 42.85 0.17
New Democratic Eileen Ethel Coutts 1,901 10.08 -2.21
Social Credit Wilbur N. Crandall 161 0.85 -0.02
Darlington Township Reeve Election (1959)[29]
Candidate Votes %
Garnet Rickard 1510 63.87
Roy W. Nichols 854 36.13

References

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  1. ^ "Orono Weekly Times, 29 Jun 1994, p.1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. June 29, 1994. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 25 Jun 1994, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Garnet Baker Rickard". Ontario Agriculture Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  4. ^ "Canadian Statesmen, Sep 11 1941, pg. 5" (PDF). Canadian Statesmen. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  5. ^ "1994 Proceedings". archive.org. Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Canada. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  6. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 2 Nov 1994, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  7. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 2 Dec 1948, p. 13". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  8. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 10 Feb 1949, p. 10". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  9. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 11 Dec 1952, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  10. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 3 Jan 1957, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  11. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 10 Dec 1959, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  12. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 14 Jan 1960". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  13. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 8 Dec 1960, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  14. ^ "Orono Weekly Times, 30 Nov 1961, p. 2". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  15. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 3 Oct 1962, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  16. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 10 Nov 1965, p. 4". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  17. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 9 Dec 1970, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  18. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 6 Dec 1972, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  19. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 3 Oct 1973, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  20. ^ "Orono Weekly Times, 2 Jan 1974, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  21. ^ "ORDER OF CANADA - MEMBERS". Collection Search. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  22. ^ "List of Members of Order of Canada December 1984". archive.org. Government of Canada. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  23. ^ "1982 Election Results". Clarington. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  24. ^ "1980 Election Results". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  25. ^ "1978 Election Results". Clarington Votes. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  26. ^ "1976 Election Results". Clarington Votes. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  27. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 6 Dec 1972, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  28. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 9 Dec 1970, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  29. ^ "Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 10 Dec 1959, p. 1". Clarington Digital Newspaper Collection. CPL / CMA. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
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