View source for John Allen Fraser

{{Short description|Canadian politician (1931–2024)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Honourable]]
| name                = John Allen Fraser
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|OC|OBC|CD|KC|size=100%}}
| image               = John A Fraser 1987.jpg
| caption             = Fraser in 1987
| office              = 32nd [[Speaker of the House of Commons (Canada)|Speaker of the House of Commons]]
| term_start          = September 30, 1986
| term_end            = January 16, 1994
| predecessor         = [[John Bosley (politician)|John Bosley]]
| successor           = [[Gilbert Parent]]
| office1             = [[Ministers of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard|Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]]
| term_start1         = September 17, 1984
| term_end1           = September 23, 1985
| primeminister1      = [[Brian Mulroney]]
| predecessor1        = [[Herb Breau]]
| successor1          = [[Erik Nielsen]] (interim)
| office2             = [[Minister of Environment and Climate Change|Minister of the Environment]]
| term_start2         = June 4, 1979
| term_end2           = March 2, 1980
| primeminister2      = [[Joe Clark]]
| predecessor2        = [[Leonard Marchand]]
| successor2          = [[John Roberts (Canadian politician)|John Roberts]]
| riding3             = [[Vancouver South (federal electoral district)|Vancouver South]]
| parliament3         = Canadian
| term_start3         = October 30, 1972
| term_end3           = October 25, 1993
| predecessor3        = [[Arthur Laing]]
| successor3          = [[Herb Dhaliwal]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1931|12|15}}
| birth_place         = [[Yokohama]], [[Empire of Japan]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2024|4|7|1931|12|15}}
| death_place         = [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], Canada<ref name="globeObit" />
| nationality         = 
| spouse              = 
| party               = [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]]
| relations           = 
| children            = 
| residence           = 
| alma_mater          = 
| occupation          = 
| profession          = 
}}

'''John Allen Fraser''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|OC|OBC|CD|KC}} (December 15, 1931 – April 7, 2024) was a Canadian politician who was [[Speaker (politics)|speaker]] of the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] from 1986 to 1994. He also served as Canada's [[Minister of the Environment (Canada)|Minister of the Environment]], [[Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada)|Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]] and Ambassador to the United Nations for the Environment.

==Life and career==
Fraser was born on December 15, 1931, in [[Yokohama]], Japan,<ref name="speaker" /> where his father was working as a lumber salesman. His parents returned to [[British Columbia]] when Fraser was four years old.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1080/00022470.1979.10470918 | volume=29 | title=The Environmental Partnership in North America | journal=Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association | year=1979 | pages=1212–1213| last1=Fraser | first1=The Hon. John A. | issue=12 }}</ref> He grew up and was educated there and graduated from the [[University of British Columbia Faculty of Law]] in Spring 1954.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.ubc.ca/files/pdf/alumni/magazine/AlumniMag_winter09.pdf |title=The Honourable John A. Fraser |date=2009 |last=Cholmondeley |first=Penny |work=UBC Law Alumni Magazine |publisher=[[University of British Columbia]] |pages=16–17 |access-date=May 29, 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118124006/http://www.law.ubc.ca/files/pdf/alumni/magazine/AlumniMag_winter09.pdf |archive-date=November 18, 2011 }}</ref> Fraser first won a seat in [[Parliament of Canada|Parliament]] in the [[1972 Canadian federal election|1972 general election]] as a [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] from [[Vancouver]].<ref name="speaker">{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=5017|nolist=yes}}</ref> He stood as a candidate at the [[1976 Progressive Conservative leadership election|1976 Progressive Conservative leadership convention]] to replace [[Robert Stanfield]], but did poorly and withdrew after the first ballot.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=February 23, 1976 |title=Wagner led on every ballot – except the last one |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-wagner-led-on-every-ballot/147964262/ |work=[[The Gazette (Montreal)|The Gazette]] |page=11 |agency=[[The Canadian Press]] |location=Ottawa, Ontario |access-date=May 23, 2024}}</ref> He was re-elected in [[1974 Canadian federal election|1974]], [[1979 Canadian federal election|1979]], [[1980 Canadian federal election|1980]], [[1984 Canadian federal election|1984]], and [[1988 Canadian federal election|1988]].<ref name="speaker"/>

In 1979, Fraser became [[Minister of the Environment (Canada)|Minister of the Environment]] in the short-lived government of [[Joe Clark]], returning to the [[Opposition (parliamentary)|Opposition]] benches in 1980. He returned to the [[Cabinet of Canada|Cabinet]] in the wake of [[Brian Mulroney]]'s landslide victory in the 1984 federal election and became [[Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada)|Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]]. He was forced to resign in 1985 as a result of the "[[tunagate|Tainted Tuna]]" affair.<ref name="speaker"/>

In 1986, he became [[Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada]], the first to be elected by fellow [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Members of Parliament]], and served in that capacity until his retirement from politics in 1993.<ref name="speaker"/>

In January 1994, Fraser was appointed as Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations for the Environment, a post he served until December 1997.<ref name="speaker" />

Fraser died in Vancouver on April 7, 2024, at the age of 92.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Flag of Canada half-masting notices|date=May 3, 2018 |quote=Additionally, the flag on the Peace Tower will fly at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on the day of the funeral or the memorial service (date to be determined) of the late John Allen Fraser, who passed away on April 7, 2024.|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/half-masting-notices.html|access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=John Allen Fraser, first House Speaker elected by secret ballot, has died|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/john-fraser-former-speaker-dies-1.7168762|publisher=CBC News|date=April 9, 2024|access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref><ref name="globeObit">{{cite web |url=https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/john-fraser-obituary?id=54856908 |title=John Fraser |date=April 12, 2024 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413180545/https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/john-fraser-obituary?id=54856908 |archive-date=April 13, 2024 |via=[[Legacy.com]] |access-date=April 13, 2024}}</ref>

==Honours==
In 1995, he was made an Officer of the [[Order of Canada]].<ref>{{OCC|3469}}</ref> In 2002, he was the recipient of the [[Vimy Award]], which recognizes a Canadian who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of our nation and the preservation of our democratic values.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cda-cdai.ca/cdai/the-vimy-awards/2002-john-fraser |title=2002 Vimy Award Recipient – The Honourable John A Fraser |publisher=Conference of Defence Associations Institute |access-date=October 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709190723/http://cda-cdai.ca/cdai/the-vimy-awards/2002-john-fraser |archive-date=July 9, 2012 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.rmcclub.ca/everitaswp/?p=1430#more-1430 e-Veritas » Blog Archive » Misc<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207122811/http://www.rmcclub.ca/everitaswp/?p=1430 |date=December 7, 2008 }}</ref>

{{Infobox COA wide
|escutcheon = Azure on a chevron between three fraises Argent three roses Gules
|crest = Issuant from a coronet rim Argent set with maple leaves Gules alternating with thistle flowers Argent a demi cougar Azure holding in its dexter forepaw the baton of office of the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada that is a rod Vert at either end tipped and dovetailed inwards Argent ensigned with a lion sejant Argent its dexter forepaw resting on a coronet érablé Argent the rim set with twelve jewels Gules
|supporters = On a grassy mound strewn with shamrocks Vert two cougars Sable semé of fraises Or gorged with wing collars Argent;
|badge = A cougar's head erased Azure gorged with a coronet erablé Or the rim charged with three fraises Gules;
|motto = NOUS SOMMES PREST (We Are Ready) <ref>{{Cite web | url=http://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=1627&ShowAll=1 |title = Fraser, John Allen &#91;Individual&#93;| date=November 12, 2020 }}</ref> }}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}

{{Mulroney Ministry}}
{{Clark Ministry}}
{{Speakers of the Canadian House of Commons}}
{{CA-Ministers of Fisheries}}
{{CA-Ministers of the Environment}}
{{CA-Postmasters General}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, John Allen}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:Canadian Anglicans]]
[[Category:Canadian King's Counsel]]
[[Category:Lawyers in British Columbia]]
[[Category:Members of the 21st Canadian Ministry]]
[[Category:Members of the 24th Canadian Ministry]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia]]
[[Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Peter A. Allard School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:Politicians from Vancouver]]
[[Category:Politicians from Yokohama]]
[[Category:Postmasters general of Canada]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidates]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Speakers of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:Ministers of the environment of Canada]]