View source for Dorian Baxter

{{Short description|Canadian bishop}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| honorific-prefix = [[His Grace]]
| name = Dorian Arthur Baxter
| honorific-suffix =
| archbishop_of = The Federation of Independent Anglican Churches of North America
| image =
| caption =
| province =
| diocese =
| see = 
| enthroned = 
| ended =
| predecessor =
| successor = 
| ordination = 15 May 1983
| consecration = 9 March 2003
| other_post = 
| birth_name = Dorian Baxter
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1950|4|3}}
| birth_place = [[Mombasa Island]], [[Kenya Colony|Kenya]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| buried = 
| nationality = [[Canadians|Canadian]]
| religion =
| residence =
| parents =
| spouse =
| children = 2
| occupation =
| profession =
| alma_mater = [[York University]], [[University of Toronto]]
| signature =
}}

'''Dorian Baxter''' (born 3 April 1950) is a Canadian religious minister and musician and a [[perennial candidate]] for political office in [[Newmarket, Ontario]], Canada. He was consecrated as a bishop in the Federation of Independent Anglican Churches in 2003.

==Ministry==
In 1996, Baxter began incorporating the music and look of Elvis Presley into his services. That year, he won the Canadian Showstopper at the [[Collingwood, Ontario|Collingwood]] Elvis Festival. In 1997 he won the Grand Champion of Showstoppers at that same festival. After that year, festival founder Billy Cann was ousted and control given to the town's business groups, a decision which Baxter objected to before Collingwood Town Council. Baxter joined Cann to establish a competing Elvis festival in [[Orillia]] and refused to return to the Collingwood festival.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.simcoe.com/simcoe/article/638576 | title=Hail to the King: Elvis festival celebrates 15th anniversary | date=22 July 2009 | publisher=Simcoe.com / [[Metroland Media Group]] | access-date=5 April 2011 }}</ref>

In 2002, the church revoked his invitation to be the keynote preacher at a Masonic service in a Toronto Anglican church (although he did eventually attend). Baxter has said he found this particularly difficult, as he has been a Freemason for more than 25 years.<ref name="anglicanjournal.com">[http://www.anglicanjournal.com/issues/2003/129/feb/02/article/elvis-imitator-decides-its-now-or-never/print.html]{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In 2003, he set up an independent church, Christ the King Graceland Independent Anglican Church of Canada, in [[Newmarket, Ontario]], where he continues to conduct services using Presley's music, with his signature Elvis pompadour and sideburns. Baxter was consecrated on 9 March 2003 in Newmarket by the Rt. Rev'd Christopher Andrew Jukes of Calgary, Alberta, who at that time was a bishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches, using the traditional ordinal of the Book of Common Prayer (1962 Canada). He also established the Federation of Independent Anglican Churches of North America with himself as self-styled archbishop; this organisation was incorporated by Federal Canadian Letters Patent on 1 October 2003.<ref name="anglicanjournal.com"/>

==Political life==

Baxter has run for federal Parliament four times in the riding of [[Newmarket—Aurora (federal electoral district)|Newmarket-Aurora]], under the [[Progressive Canadian Party]] banner. In the [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004 federal election]], he received 1,079 votes, placing last out of five candidates. In the [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006 election]] he received 729 votes, and in the [[2008 Canadian federal election|2008 election]] he received 1,004 votes. He placed fifth out of six candidates in both 2006 and 2008. In the [[2011 Canadian federal election|2011 election]], he received 1,001 votes, placing fifth out of six candidates, surpassing only Yvonne Mackie of the Animal Alliance Environment party. Baxter also ran in the 2010 by-election in the riding of [[Vaughan (federal electoral district)|Vaughan]], finishing seventh of out eight candidates with 110 votes. He ran in the by-election for [[Markham—Thornhill (federal electoral district)|Markham—Thornhill]] on 3 April 2017, placing fourth out of seven candidates.

He founded NAPPA (The National Association for Public and Private Accountability)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadacourtwatch.com|title=Canada Court Watch - Promoting Accountabily, Transparency and the Administration of Justice for All Canadians|website=Canadacourtwatch.com|access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref> on the heels of his successful lawsuit against the Durham Region Children's Aid society.  (See judgement by Justice Somers, 22 March 1994.  Baxter versus Durham Region Children's Aid Society).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1041811719908_26/|title=CTV News - Elvis-impersonating preacher rocks Ont. church|date=28 January 2010|access-date=12 October 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128095706/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1041811719908_26/|archive-date=28 January 2010}}</ref>

==Electoral record==

===Federal===
{{2021 Canadian federal election/Newmarket—Aurora}}
{{2019 Canadian federal election/Newmarket—Aurora}}
{{2019 Canadian federal by-elections/York—Simcoe}}
{{2017 Canadian federal by-elections/Markham—Thornhill}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2015|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|[[Kyle Peterson (politician)|Kyle Peterson]]|25,508|45.18|+21.47|&ndash;}}
{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|[[Lois Brown]]|24,057|42.61|−11.45|&ndash;}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Yvonne Kelly|4,806|8.51|−7.28|&ndash;}}
{{CANelec|CA|Green|Vanessa Long|1,331|2.36|−2.03|&ndash;}}
{{CANelec|CA|Progressive Canadian|Dorian Baxter|762|1.35| |&ndash;}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|56,464|100.00|&nbsp;|$219,391.75}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|257|0.45|&ndash;}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|56,721|68.25|&ndash;}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|83,108}}
{{CANelec/gain|CA|Liberal|Conservative|+16.46}}
{{CANelec/source|Source: [[Elections Canada]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/candidates?L=e&ED=35065&EV=41&EV_TYPE=1&PC=&PROV=ON&PROVID=35&MAPID=&QID=8&PAGEID=17&TPAGEID=&PD=&STAT_CODE_ID=-1|title=Voter Information Service - Who are the candidates in my electoral district?|website=Elections.ca|access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand%2Fcanlim&document=index&lang=e|title=Elections Canada Online - Preliminary Candidates Election Expenses Limits|date=15 August 2015|access-date=12 October 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815061116/http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand%2Fcanlim&document=index&lang=e|archive-date=15 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Election Night Results|url=http://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx?lang=e|website=Elections Canada|access-date=20 October 2015}}</ref>}}
{{end}}

{{2013 Canadian federal by-elections/Toronto Centre}}
{{2012 Canadian federal by-elections/Toronto—Danforth}}
{{2011 Canadian federal election/Newmarket—Aurora}}
{{2010 Canadian federal by-elections/Vaughan}}
{{2008 Canadian federal election/Newmarket—Aurora}}
{{2006 Canadian federal election/Newmarket—Aurora}}
{{2004 Canadian federal election/Newmarket—Aurora}}

===Provincial===
{{2018 Ontario general election/Newmarket—Aurora}}

{{CANelec/top|ON|2014|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|[[Chris Ballard (politician)|Chris Ballard]]|22,942|43.80|+8.18}}
{{CANelec|ON|PC|Jane Twinney|19,510|37.25|-9.99}}
{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Angus Duff|6,092|11.63|-2.73}}
{{CANelec|ON|Green|Andrew Roblin|2,167|4.14|+1.37}}
{{CANelec|ON|Canadians' Choice|Dorian Baxter|925|1.77|}}
{{CANelec|ON|Libertarian|Jason Jenkins|579|1.11|}}
{{CANelec|ON|Trillium|Bob Yaciuk|164|0.31|}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 52,379 |100.00 }}
{{CANelec/gain|ON|Liberal|PC|+9.09}}
{{CANelec/source|Source: [[Elections Ontario]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=053 |author=Elections Ontario |title=General Election Results by District, 053 Newmarket-Aurora |access-date=13 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614002620/http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=053 |archive-date=14 June 2014}}</ref>}}
{{end}}

===Municipal===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#ddf; width:200px;"| 2014 Newmarket Mayoral Election<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newmarket.ca/en/townhall/2014RegisteredCandidates.asp |title=2014 Registered Candidates |publisher=Newmarket.ca |access-date=16 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022071644/http://www.newmarket.ca/en/townhall/2014RegisteredCandidates.asp |archive-date=22 October 2014 }}</ref>
! style="background:#ddf; width:50px;"| Vote<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/4947524-newmarket-mayor-tony-van-bynen-regional-councillor-john-taylor-convincingly-win-re-election/|title=Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen, Regional Councillor John Taylor convincingly win re-election|last=Simon|first=Chris|newspaper=[[The Newmarket Era|Newmarket Era]]|date=27 October 2014|access-date=29 October 2014}}</ref>
! style="background:#ddf; width:30px;"| %
|-
| [[Tony Van Bynen]] (X) || 10,816 || 54.01
|-
| Chris Campbell || 7,804 || 38.97
|-
| Dorian Baxter || 1,407 || 7.03
|}

==See also==
* [[Elvis impersonator]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.christthekinggraceland.ca Christ the King Graceland]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baxter, Dorian}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Canadian Anglican priests]]
[[Category:Progressive Canadian Party candidates in the 2004 Canadian federal election]]
[[Category:Progressive Canadian Party candidates in the 2006 Canadian federal election]]
[[Category:Kenyan emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:University of Toronto alumni]]
[[Category:York University alumni]]
[[Category:Canadian federal political party presidents]]
[[Category:Elvis impersonators]]