24 Facts About Elie Martel

Elie Walter Martel was born on November 26,1934 and is a former politician in Ontario, Canada.

Elie Martel served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1987, as a member of the New Democratic Party.

Elie Martel represented the Sudbury East electoral district from its inception in 1967 until he retired in 1987.

Elie Martel was on the party's labour left-wing and had conflicts with party leadership, including future premier Bob Rae.

Elie Martel was born in Capreol, Ontario, into a French speaking family and was educated at an English-speaking boarding school that forced him to stop speaking his family's native language.

Elie Martel quit school three times to work on the railroad, and at Inco.

Elie Martel finally completed secondary school and then went to Laurentian University to major in history.

Elie Martel worked as a teacher and high school principal in the Sudbury area before entering politics.

Elie Martel was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1967 election, defeating Progressive Conservative candidate Cecil Fielding by 1,146 votes in the new Northern Ontario electoral district of Sudbury East.

Elie Martel was on the left-wing of the New Democratic Party, and was strongly supported by its trade-union base.

In 1974, Elie Martel supported the striking uranium miners at Elliot Lake who were demanding improved safety and support from employers.

Early in his career, Elie Martel pressed then education minister, Bill Davis to support full funding for Catholic high schools in late 1968.

Elie Martel was re-elected by comfortable margins in the elections of 1971,1975,1977,1981 and 1985, and served as an opposition member for his entire legislative career.

Elie Martel was House Leader of the NDP for seven years, from 1978 to 1985.

Elie Martel stepped down from that position after being left-off the NDP's negotiating team that eventually brokered the accord between the Liberals and the NDP to form a stable minority government in May 1985.

NDP leader Bob Rae thought that Elie Martel was "too much of a lone wolf," to negotiate the deal.

Elie Martel encouraged Bob Rae to seek the provincial NDP leadership in 1981, but began developing his own organization when Rae delayed his entry.

Elie Martel eventually withdrew from the contest to support Rae's candidacy, but his personal and professional relationship with Rae deteriorated when the campaign was over.

Elie Martel stood down as a Member of Provincial Parliament in 1987, and was succeeded in Sudbury East by his daughter Shelley Elie Martel after a bitter battle for the riding's NDP nomination between her and Rev William Major.

Shortly after his retirement, Elie Martel was named vice-chair of the Environmental Assessment Board by Liberal Premier of Ontario David Peterson.

Elie Martel finished second to Liberal incumbent Ray Bonin the in Nickel Belt electoral district.

Shelley Elie Martel was named as minister for Northern Development and government house leader.

Shelley Elie Martel continued to represent that constituency provincially until her retirement in 2007, ending the family's forty-year run of representing the greater Sudbury area.

Elie Martel is married to Howard Hampton, former leader of the Ontario New Democrats.