151 Facts About Earl Dawson

Earl Phillip Dawson was a Canadian ice hockey administrator, politician and civil servant.

Earl Dawson rose to prominence in Canadian hockey when he served as president of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association from 1958 to 1963.

Earl Dawson established a council to reverse the decline of hockey in rural Manitoba and saw the association continually increase its registrations by spending more per player to develop minor ice hockey than other provinces in Canada.

Earl Dawson became vice-president of the CAHA in 1966 then served as its president from 1969 to 1971.

Earl Dawson faced internal issues from junior ice hockey teams in Western Canada who were upset with the imposed age limit and demanded greater financial compensation for players chosen in the National Hockey League Amateur Draft.

The Western Canada Hockey League played outside of the CAHA's jurisdiction for two seasons, when Earl Dawson negotiated a new deal that saw the league accept the age limit in exchange for increased financial compensation.

Earl Dawson oversaw the CAHA reorganize its executive to include vice-presidents for minor hockey, junior hockey and senior ice hockey to give each level of hockey a greater voice.

Earl Dawson oversaw the transition of both the Memorial Cup and the Allan Cup's formats from an east-versus-west final into a round-robin involving league champions.

Earl Dawson led the CAHA into the product endorsement business, released a logo for the CAHA, and used the money generated to reinvest into hockey in Canada.

Earl Dawson served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Army during World War II, then operated a dry cleaning business for 19 years in Rivers, Manitoba.

Earl Dawson was extensively involved in community service groups, was a town councilor from 1957 to 1965, and represented the Hamiota electoral district as a Manitoba Liberal Party member from 1966 to 1969.

Earl Dawson wanted to use the 1967 Pan American Games and the Canadian Centennial events to boost recreation in Manitoba and improve local infrastructure.

Earl Dawson sought to increase subsidies for rural students, to employ students locally and stop human capital flight.

Earl Dawson argued that medicare laws in Manitoba discriminated against rural citizens, and wanted to reduce medical costs and increase their services.

Earl Dawson supported the development of local resources to relieve rural industries and businesses from tax burden.

Earl Dawson served as a director for Sport Canada and the secretary of the Canada Games council from 1970 to 1987.

Earl Dawson oversaw the Canada Fitness Award Program and supported the Junior Olympics program.

Earl Dawson served as chairman of the 1975 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships hosted in Winnipeg which coincided with the Manitoba Centennial celebrations.

Earl Dawson aimed to increase the level of competition in women's sport across the country, and implemented testing for doping in sport in the Canada Games in 1984.

Earl Dawson summarized his career by stating, "I just seem to be the kind of person who gets involved in controversy, be it in hockey or politics", and the Winnipeg Free Press concurred that he "had controversy as his constant companion".

Earl Dawson was named Western Manitoba Sportsman of the Year by the Brandon Sun in 1964, and was posthumously inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995.

Earl Phillip Dawson was born on December 17,1925, in Saint Boniface, Winnipeg.

Earl Dawson was the son of Thomas and Irene Dawson, and was educated at.

Earl Dawson contracted polio at age 12 which prevented him from playing ice hockey.

Earl Dawson became a reserve officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and served with both the RCAF and the Canadian Army during World War II.

Earl Dawson married Madeline O'Callaghan on June 29,1949, with whom he had four sons and one daughter.

Earl Dawson moved to Rivers, Manitoba in 1951, where he operated a dry cleaning business for 19 years.

Earl Dawson was a town councilor for Rivers from 1957 to 1965, and was president of the local chamber of commerce.

Earl Dawson served as president of the local Royal Canadian Legion, and was the commanding officer of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets squadron in Rivers.

Earl Dawson served as president of the local Kiwanis Club, the Rivers Credit Union and the Rivers Liberal Association.

Earl Dawson was chairman of the financial committee for the Immaculate Conception Church in Rivers, and was chairman of the board of governors for the local hockey arena.

Earl Dawson became president of the Rivers Hockey Association in 1953 and served three consecutive terms until 1955.

Earl Dawson was invited to join the MAHA executive committee after expressing his grievances, and served as a convenor for the intermediate level from 1954 to 1957.

Earl Dawson was elected second vice-president of the MAHA in October 1955, and was elected first vice-president of the MAHA in October 1957.

Earl Dawson was elected president of the MAHA to succeed Curly Tyler in October 1958.

Earl Dawson planned to promote and raise funds for minor ice hockey with a Minor Hockey Week in January 1959.

Earl Dawson sought a financial arrangement with the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association if the Flin Flon Bombers were to affiliate with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League instead of the MJHL, and wanted to recuperate the MAHA's costs of developing minor hockey players and on-ice officials in Flin Flon that contributed to local talent.

Earl Dawson wanted consistent rules used in Western Canada that allowed replacement players for interprovincial playoffs, and was opposed to teams in the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association or Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association being given the advantage over the MAHA and SAHA.

The MAHA reached an agreement with the SAHA and Earl Dawson served an ultimatum to the Flin Flon Bombers to pay a flat rate of C$300 or be denied permission to play in the SJHL.

Earl Dawson felt that the Winnipeg Warriors team had a negative impact on junior ice hockey in Winnipeg and spoke up against professional teams encroaching upon MAHA territory.

Earl Dawson wanted to see updates to the MAHA constitution to deal with modern problems, and set up a committee to oversee issues specific to hockey in rural Manitoba.

Earl Dawson approved the request, but CAHA president Jack Roxburgh ordered the MJHL to revert to standard Canadian rules.

Earl Dawson was re-elected to a fifth term as president in October 1962.

Journalist Laurie Artiss stated that the Rural Minor Hockey Council established by Earl Dawson had succeeded in reversing the decline of hockey in rural Manitoba by enforcing geographical limits on where the bigger cities could claim players.

Earl Dawson completed his final term as president in October 1963.

Earl Dawson became involved in national hockey during his tenure of president of the MAHA and served on several committees of the CAHA.

Earl Dawson was secretary of the Western Canada intermediate senior hockey committee for three seasons, and sat on the CAHA leadership committee.

Earl Dawson later became chairman of the rules committee and organized the first nationwide clinic for referee instructors in 1964 to standardize the interpretation of hockey rules across Canada.

Earl Dawson was elected second vice-president of the CAHA on May 28,1966, serving under Fred Page as president.

Earl Dawson advocated for the Brandon Wheat Kings to remain in the MJHL amid negotiations for top-level junior teams to leave their provincial associations and join the new league.

Earl Dawson was named chairman of the minor hockey committee that oversaw promotions dedicated to the Canadian Centennial in 1967, and organized a Minor Hockey Week and the Midget Centennial Tournament.

Earl Dawson oversaw the Memorial Cup playoffs in Western Canada as vice-president.

In 1967, Earl Dawson became chairman of the CAHA committee to oversee the Canada men's national ice hockey team.

Canada was awarded hosting duties of the 1970 Ice Hockey World Championships and Earl Dawson sat on the planning committee.

Earl Dawson was elected first vice-president of the CAHA in May 1968.

Lloyd Pollock resigned as president in October 1968 due to business reasons, and Earl Dawson became the acting president.

In December 1968, John Munro, the Minister of Health and Welfare, stated a federal task force was looking into establishing such a corporation, and Earl Dawson felt that the government was taking credit for something which the CAHA had proposed.

Earl Dawson later suggested disbanding the national team program as it would not be financially viable without an annual $100,000 grant from the government.

Earl Dawson arranged for the Soviet Union national ice hockey team to tour Canada in January 1969, but his relationship became strained with what he called "childish problems" by the Soviets.

Frustrations grew when they arrived late for the first scheduled game on the tour which negated profits for the CAHA, and Earl Dawson was reported as wanting to see discipline handed out by the International Ice Hockey Federation against the Soviets.

Earl Dawson succeeded Lloyd Pollock as president at the CAHA executive meeting on January 27,1969.

Earl Dawson wanted to ensure that all players in Canada to had the opportunity to play on the national team.

Earl Dawson increased the number of annual executive meetings from two to three due to disagreements with National Hockey League and increasing dissent from branches of the CAHA.

Hockey Canada took over control of the national team from the CAHA in June 1969, although Earl Dawson committed the CAHA to arrange international exhibition tours for the team.

Earl Dawson attended the IIHF general meeting in July 1969, and lobbied for the open use of professionals at the Ice Hockey World Championships.

Earl Dawson hoped to convince Europeans that they were competing against second-rate amateur talent from the United States and Canada, and that an open competition would be truly representative of the world's best hockey.

Earl Dawson felt the change was sufficient but Hockey Canada wanted to pursue open competition with unlimited use of professionals.

Earl Dawson then announced the cancellation Canadian tours to Sweden and Finland in response to the two countries not supporting the Canadian proposal for open competition.

Earl Dawson went ahead with plans to host the 1970 World Championships and was in favour of using professionals reinstated as amateurs for international competition but noted that would require co-operation from all levels of professional hockey.

Earl Dawson was confident that Soviet Union would play despite the threat of a boycott, and declined to make any changes to the schedule.

Earl Dawson attended the meeting and argued that national teams participating in Izvestia Trophy tournaments had played against professionals, but were still eligible for the Olympics and the same should apply to the World Championships.

Earl Dawson made the suggestion to consider the 1970 event an invitational tournament instead of a World Championships to avoid the wrath of the IOC, but the IIHF declined the notion.

Earl Dawson withdrew the Canadian national team from international competitions against European hockey teams until Canada was allowed to use its best players.

Earl Dawson stated the CAHA would enter a team of amateurs at the 1972 Winter Olympics, then question the eligibility of all other hockey teams.

Earl Dawson accused Ahearne of not doing enough to stand up to the opinions of Brundage.

Earl Dawson felt that Sweden and the Soviet Union combined to sabotage the Canadian attempt to host the 1970 World Championships, because Sweden wanted to host the event and the Soviets did not want to lose the gold medal.

Earl Dawson felt that even if the CAHA accepted not using any professionals, the Europeans would have found some other reason to prevent the tournament from being played in Canada.

Earl Dawson criticized the Soviets for refusing to play on consecutive days in Canada, but accepting the same schedule after the event was switched to Sweden.

Earl Dawson wanted to avoid compromising the 1976 Winter Olympics bid by Vancouver, but felt that it would be impossible for a Canadian hockey player not to have played against a professional at one time.

The IIHF declined and instead invited the Canadian national team to play in Group B Dawson declined and stated that Canada's stance on professionals at the World Championships remained unchanged.

Earl Dawson proposed terms for the WCHL to rejoin the CAHA in August 1969, but he was doubtful that the WCHL would agree to a limit on the number of players it could import to the league or restrictions on moving teams from one city to another without CAHA approval.

Earl Dawson terminated negotiations but welcomed individual teams to apply for CAHA membership.

The WCHL took legal action seeking payments for players chosen in the NHL Amateur Draft, after Earl Dawson stated that no money would be paid by the CAHA to teams not under its jurisdiction.

In March 1970, a meeting between the CAHA and the WCHL to resolve their differences ended after 15 minutes when Earl Dawson reportedly wanted the WCHL to accept the same conditions as other junior leagues under CAHA jurisdiction.

Earl Dawson subsequently received a unanimous vote of confidence from CAHA executives, despite reports to the contrary from the WCHL.

Earl Dawson felt it was time that the CAHA caught up to other sports in the endorsement business, and to use the money generated to develop the game in Canada.

Earl Dawson recommended that Canada remain out of international competition until professionals became eligible for the World Championships, and that what he referred to "state-sponsored amateurs" were not allowed in the Olympic Games.

Earl Dawson stated that Canada would not compete in a B-pool to qualify for the Olympics.

Earl Dawson stated there would be no exchange visits between Canada and Europe, but did not rule out competitions versus the United States men's national ice hockey team.

Earl Dawson attended the 1971 Ice Hockey World Championships and met with the Soviets, Swedes and IIHF executives in an effort to host an international tournament using professionals.

Earl Dawson was committed to a best-on-best tournament and opposed a recommendation by Alberta Golden Bears coach Clare Drake to have a university all-star team represent Canada internationally.

Earl Dawson felt that the CAHA was perceived as focused on junior hockey and neglecting senior hockey.

Earl Dawson wanted to introduce private sponsorships for the national finals to generate profits which could be used to cover travel expenses for six to eight regional champion teams.

Earl Dawson stated that if the experiment was successful, the same would be done for Eastern Canada the following year.

Earl Dawson announced on June 24,1970, that the CAHA and the WCHL signed a two-year agreement which included 14 clauses to reunite the organizations.

Earl Dawson later threatened to have the WCHL expelled when it broke several terms in the agreement; specifically the number of over-age players and importing players from the Ontario Hockey Association.

Earl Dawson faced escalating tensions which threatened to cancel the 1971 Memorial Cup and interrupted the George Richardson Memorial Trophy finals for the Eastern Canada junior hockey championship.

Earl Dawson declared the series forfeited when he received a written statement that St Catharines would not play in Quebec City.

Earl Dawson arranged a shortened best-of-three series for the 1971 Memorial Cup, with all games played in Quebec City.

Earl Dawson declined to accept a fourth term as president and was succeeded by Joe Kryczka in May 1971.

Earl Dawson summarized his time as president in an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press by stating, "I just seem to be the kind of person who gets involved in controversy, be it in hockey or politics".

Earl Dawson advocated for more full-time employees within the CAHA since it had too big for volunteers, and felt it should be operated by a commissioner with more authority.

Earl Dawson felt that the CAHA had made its point to the IIHF and that it was time to reconsider international games.

Earl Dawson served as chairman of the 1972 Memorial Cup playoffs.

On December 1,1965, Earl Dawson was nominated as the Manitoba Liberal Party candidate for the Hamiota riding in the upcoming 1966 Manitoba general election.

Earl Dawson was elected to the 28th Manitoba Legislature with 2,194 votes, compared to 2,043 for the incumbent Conservative Party candidate Barry Strickland.

Earl Dawson criticized the Fitness and Amateur Sport Department leadership, and stated that Manitoba was far behind in taking advantage of federal government subsidies compared to Saskatchewan and Alberta, and was failing to keep Manitoba's physical education students employed locally in recreational programs.

Earl Dawson sought for Manitoba to retain skilled professionals trained at the province's expense and to stop losses due to human capital flight.

Earl Dawson supported legislation in 1967 to allow for languages other than English to be taught in Manitoba schools.

Earl Dawson sought increased subsidies for rural students attending college or university in big cities due to additional costs of travel, room and board, and stated that rural students paid twice as much as an urban student.

When Sterling Lyon, the Minister of Tourism and Recreation, forecasted a record-high year for tourism, Earl Dawson noted that Dominion Bureau of Statistics data showed that Manitoba received only 3 per cent of national tourism dollars.

Earl Dawson wanted to use the 1967 events to boost recreation in Manitoba, and proposed legislation for low-interest loans to communities for installation of artificial ice in hockey and curling rinks.

Earl Dawson stated that similar legislation existed in Ontario and it had positively impacted ice sports.

Earl Dawson argued that the government was discriminating against smaller towns which did not have an ophthalmologist by excluding coverage.

Earl Dawson recommended combining hospitals and medicare into the same administration to save money and increase services.

Earl Dawson argued for more availability of doctors to provide services, and that premiums being too expensive for the average income in Manitoba.

Earl Dawson wanted to implement ability-to-pay options for people with varying income such as farmers.

Earl Dawson criticized the 45 per cent increase in education taxes on agricultural lands after reassessments of property values in March 1968.

Earl Dawson felt that mineral, timber and agricultural resources were underdeveloped, and advocated for cattle raising similar to Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Earl Dawson sought for changes in the Manitoba Development Fund for these causes and to relieve rural industries and businesses from tax burden.

Earl Dawson sat as a member on a special committee to investigate legislation on the sale and use of farm machinery and repairs in Manitoba, and legislation for artificial insemination of livestock under the Animal Husbandry Act.

Earl Dawson was mentioned as a possible replacement for Gildas Molgat, who resigned as leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party in March 1969.

Earl Dawson was nominated as the Liberal Party candidate in the riding of Virden against its Conservative Party incumbent Morris McGregor.

Earl Dawson was defeated with 1,571 votes compared to 2,161 votes for McGregor.

Earl Dawson became a civil servant in April 1970, when he was hired as a part-time consultant and liaison by the Fitness and Amateur Sport Directorate of Canada working under national director Lou Lefaive.

Earl Dawson went on to serve for 17 years as a full-time national sport director and secretary of the Canada Games council.

The new office was in the same building as the Fitness and Amateur Sport Directorate of Canada, and Earl Dawson stated that the CAHA would spend $40,000 less per year and take advantage of the federal funding project for amateur sports announced by John Munro.

Earl Dawson oversaw funding programs to assist athletes and promote amateur sports, which included the Canada Fitness Award Program at the 1972 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, and grants to communities of First Nations in Canada to operate recreational programs.

Earl Dawson sat on the committee for the Master Plan for Sport led by the Manitoba Sports Federation, and represented the Government of Canada on the board of directors for the 1974 Manitoba Games.

Earl Dawson served as chairman of the 1975 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships hosted in Winnipeg, which coincided with the Manitoba Centennial celebrations.

Earl Dawson was relocated to the Recreation and Sport Canada offices in Ottawa in January 1976 and focused on developing the Canada Summer and Winter Games.

The Winnipeg office was reopened in March 1978, and Earl Dawson was assigned to oversee programs in Manitoba and Saskatchewan while remaining a senior consultant to Ottawa.

Earl Dawson was the federal liaison and advisor for the 1979 Canada Winter Games in Brandon, Manitoba, and felt the event to be the biggest Canada Games to date.

Earl Dawson had wanted to bring to games to Brandon since 1973, and was hopeful for government investment to create an infrastructure legacy project in his home province.

Earl Dawson attempted to level the playing for hockey at the 1979 Canada Winter Games, and negotiated different rules of player eligibility for each provincial amateur hockey association.

Sport Canada wanted to increase the level of competition in women's sport across the country, and Earl Dawson introduced women's team handball and softball at the 1981 Canada Summer Games in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Earl Dawson arranged talks with provincial sports bodies in 1983 to decide on the future of the Canada Games amid disagreements on whether events should be for amateurs or to develop elite athletes for international sports.

Earl Dawson implemented testing for doping in sport in the Canada Games in 1984, and planned for reductions in the number of sports by the 1989 Canada Summer Games.

Earl Dawson died at home in Winnipeg on March 28,1987, due to a year-long battle with lung cancer.

Earl Dawson was interred at Glen Eden Memorial Garden in West St Paul, Manitoba.

At the 1963 CAHA awards banquet, Dawson was named an honorary deputy mayor of Brandon, Manitoba, by its mayor S A Magnacca.

Earl Dawson received a citation award from the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States in 1970, for contributions to international ice hockey.

Earl Dawson was appointed a life member of the CAHA in May 1973.

Earl Dawson was posthumously inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995.

Pawley stated that, "Earl Dawson served his constituents' interests well, through tireless hours of work on behalf of groups and individuals who sought his assistance and received it in an unstinting way".

Fellow MLA Harry Enns felt that redistribution of electoral districts shortened Earl Dawson's political career, and that "Earl Dawson was an aggressive member, and no doubt would have excelled, had political fate been kinder to him".

The Winnipeg Free Press stated that, Earl Dawson was "remembered as a pleasant, outgoing personality who had controversy as his constant companion".

Earl Dawson is the namesake of two honours given by the MAHA.

The Earl Dawson Award was established in 1986, and is given for "outstanding contribution toward the development of hockey in Manitoba".

The Earl Dawson Shield is awarded to the team that wins the MAHA Pee-Wee division championship.

Earl Dawson is the namesake of the Earl Dawson Award given by the Winnipeg office of the Canadian Cancer Society.