Jim Peterson was a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1980 to 1984 and again from 1988 to 2007, representing the northern Toronto riding of Willowdale.
19 Facts About Jim Peterson
1.
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Jim Peterson served in the cabinets of Jean Chretien, as Secretary of State, and Paul Martin, as Minister of International Trade.
3.
Jim Peterson was one of three sons of Clarence and Laura Marie Jim Peterson, who were both from Saskatchewan.
4.
Jim Peterson was elected an alderman on London City Council in the early 1950s and was the provincial Liberal candidate in London North in 1955 against future Premier of Ontario John Robarts, and again as a federal Liberal candidate in 1963 in London.
5.
Jim Peterson was married to Heather Jim Peterson, who served as a regional liaison officer in the Prime Minister's Office of Pierre Trudeau and as the national director of John Turner's successful 1984 leadership campaign.
6.
Jim Peterson had consulted for the United Nations Development Programme in Malaysia and Sudan.
7.
Jim Peterson ran as a candidate for the Liberal Party in the 1979 election but was defeated.
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Jim Peterson ran again in the 1980 election and won.
9.
Jim Peterson served as a backbencher under Pierre Trudeau and as a parliamentary secretary from 1981 to 1983.
10.
Jim Peterson supported John Turner's successful bid to succeed Trudeau in the 1984 Liberal leadership contest but lost his seat in the 1984 election.
11.
Jim Peterson was returned to Parliament in the 1988 election and was re-elected in each subsequent election until his retirement in 2007.
12.
Jim Peterson was mentioned as a potential candidate during the 1990 Liberal leadership contest, but opted to support Paul Martin.
13.
In 1997, Chretien appointed him to the Ministry as the Secretary of State, but Jim Peterson was sent back to the backbench in 2002.
14.
Jim Peterson returned to serve in the cabinet of Paul Martin, whom Peterson had long supported.
15.
Jim Peterson was mentioned as a potential interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, following the resignation of Paul Martin; however, Bill Graham was named to the position.
16.
Jim Peterson did not take a critic's portfolio in the Liberal Party's Shadow Cabinet formed by Graham or by Martin's permanent successor, Stephane Dion.
17.
On March 8,2007, Jim Peterson announced that he would not be a candidate in the next federal election.
18.
On November 20,2007, Jim Peterson joined the international law firm of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin as counsel.
19.
Jim Peterson died from a heart attack at his farm near Orangeville, Ontario, on May 10,2024, at the age of 82.