Jack Hawkins (politician)

The Honourable
Jack Hawkins
ECNS
Hawkins, c. 1973
MLA for Hants East
In office
1970–1978
Preceded byAlbert Ettinger
Succeeded byG. Patrick Hunt
In office
1980–1984
Preceded byG. Patrick Hunt
Succeeded byCora Etter
In office
1988–1993
Preceded byCora Etter
Succeeded byBob Carruthers
Personal details
Born (1932-05-05) 5 May 1932
Halifax, Nova Scotia
PartyNova Scotia Liberal Party
Residence(s)Enfield, Nova Scotia
Occupation
  • Professor
  • author

Walter John "Jack" Hawkins (born 5 May 1932) is a Canadian author and politician from Nova Scotia. He served as a Liberal member for Hants East in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly across three non-consecutive terms from 1970 to 1993, holding Executive Council roles such as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of the Environment. Hawkins has authored several books, including the popular Deer Hunting in Eastern Canada (1981) and various historical works about Nova Scotia.

Early life and education

Jack Hawkins was born on 5 May 1932 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to parents Walter John and Dorothy Marguerite Hawkins (née Hartnett).[1] He was raised in Enfield,[2] and attended the E. H. Horne School.[3] Hawkins graduated from St. Mary's College High School, where he received awards for his academic performance in English, French, and Latin.[3] He was an active sportsman in his youth, playing baseball and ice hockey in senior leagues.[3] After graduating from high school, he earned his Bachelor of Arts from Saint Mary's University and completed Canadian Army officer training.[3] He served in the army as a lieutenant from 1955 to 1960,[1] including a two-year tour in Europe.[3] He went on to earn a Master of Arts in English from the University of New Brunswick before returning to Nova Scotia to continue his studies at Dalhousie University.[2][3]

Career

After finishing his education, Hawkins became an English professor at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro. He worked in radio doing commentary for CBC Maritimes and a local station,[2] and wrote a column for the Truro News entitled "Plain Talk".[3] He began his career in politics in 1963, serving as a municipal councillor in East Hants until 1967.[2][1] In 1970, Hawkins was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Hants East.[3] He served in Executive Council as Minister of Agriculture from 1972 to 1978 and as Minister of the Environment from 1975 to 1976. Hawkins also served as chair of the Nova Scotia Treasury Board from 1975 to 1978 and Chair of the Liberal caucus from 1981 to 1983.

Hawkins wrote two books on the subject of politics, the first of which being The Life and Times of Angus L. (1969), concerning the Nova Scotia politician Angus L. MacDonald. His book Recollections of the Regan Years: A Political Memoir (1990) discusses his political career during the premiership of Gerald Regan.[2] His most popular book is Deer Hunting in Eastern Canada (1981) which has been republished at least 10 times; on account of its positive reception, he subsequently wrote More About Hunting Deer and Rabbits in Eastern Canada (1993).[2] His historical works include Renfrew Gold: the Story of a Nova Scotia Ghost Town (1995), concerning the gold mining town of Renfrew,[2] and Captains, Mansions and Millionaires: The Remarkable Story of Maitland, Nova Scotia (1996), which discusses the history of Maitland.

Personal life

Hawkins married his wife, Monique Marie Roach, in 1956. They had three children together, and live in Enfield.[2] His wife, who goes by Mona, assisted him throughout his political career. Like her husband, she was active in community affairs, serving as president of the Enfield and Hants County Home and School Associations and as honorary president of the Women's Institute of Nova Scotia.[3]

Publications

  • — (1965). The Life and Fiction of Thomas H. Raddall (Thesis). University of New Brunswick. OCLC 436382739.
  • — (1969). The Life and Times of Angus L.. Windsor, N.S.: Lancelot Press. OCLC 1867550.
  • — (1981). Deer Hunting in Eastern Canada. Hantsport, N.S.: Lancelot Press. ISBN 0-8899-9149-9.
  • — (1990). Recollections of the Regan Years: a Political Memoir. Hantsport, N.S.: Lancelot Press. ISBN 0-8899-9453-6.
  • — (1993). More About Hunting Deer and Rabbits in Eastern Canada. Hantsport, N.S.: Lancelot Press. ISBN 0-8899-9519-2.[4]
  • — (1995). Renfrew Gold: the Story of a Nova Scotia Ghost Town. Hantsport, N.S.: Lancelot Press. ISBN 0-8899-9573-7.[5]
  • — (1996). Captains, Mansions and Millionaires: The Remarkable Story of Maitland, Nova Scotia. Hantsport, N.S.: Lancelot Press. ISBN 0-8899-9642-3.
  • — (1999). The Founding of Halifax. Halifax, N.S.: Goldcloth Publishing. ISBN 0-9685-6890-4.
  • — (2000). The Halifax Military Establishment. Halifax, N.S.: Goldcloth Publishing. ISBN 0-9685-6891-2.
  • — (2002). Trout Fishing in Nova Scotia. Halifax, N.S.: Goldcloth Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9685-6892-7.
  • — (2016). The Name of Horne: Jacob Horn and His Descendents. Enfield, N.S.: [s.n.] ISBN 978-0-9958-0330-5.[6]
  • — (2017). Snow: A Book of Verse. Halifax, N.S.: Goldcloth Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9685-6893-4.

Electoral record

1988 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Jack Hawkins 4,502 47.09
Progressive Conservative Cora Etter 3,977 41.60
New Democratic Richard Preeper 1,082 11.32
Total valid votes 9,561
Total rejected ballots 44
Turnout 9,605
Eligible voters 13,047
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[7]
1984 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative Cora Etter 3,730 48.57
Liberal Jack Hawkins 3,192 41.57
New Democratic Herbert H. Radley 757 9.86
Total valid votes 7,679
Total rejected ballots 26
Turnout 7,705
Eligible voters 11,604
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[8]
1981 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Jack Hawkins 3,041 39.13
Progressive Conservative G. Patrick Hunt 2,983 38.39
New Democratic Harry McNeil 1,747 22.48
Total valid votes 7,771
Total rejected ballots 26
Turnout 7,797
Eligible voters 10,246
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[9]
1978 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative G. Patrick Hunt 4,035 51.63
Liberal Jack Hawkins 3,294 42.15
New Democratic Clair White 486 6.22
Total valid votes 7,815
Total rejected ballots 53
Turnout 7,868
Eligible voters 9,657
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[10]
1974 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Jack Hawkins 3,322 49.88
Progressive Conservative Avard Ettinger 2,690 40.39
New Democratic Clair White 549 8.24
Independent John G. Stanhope Sr. 99 1.49
Total valid votes 6,660
Total rejected ballots 57
Turnout 6,717 81.33
Eligible voters 8,259
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[11]
1970 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Jack Hawkins 3,115 52.73
Progressive Conservative Albert Ettinger 2,793 47.27
Total valid votes 5,908
Total rejected ballots 39
Turnout 5,947
Eligible voters 7,147
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c Elliott, Shirley B. (1984). The Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, 1758–1983: A Biographical Directory. Public Archives of Nova Scotia. p. 92. ISBN 0-8887-1050-X. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h [NS Archives]. "Walter John ("Jack") Hawkins". Halifax, N.S.: Nova Scotia Archives. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i [Hants East Record] (August 1978). "Know Your MLA". Hants East Liberal Association. The Hants East Record. Vol. 1, no. 1. Mailman Publishing Company. p. 3.
  4. ^ [Daily Gleaner] (4 December 1993). "More about Hunting Deer and Rabbits in Eastern Canada". The Daily Gleaner. p. 143. Retrieved 7 October 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Wilbur, Richard. "Renfrew Gold: The Story of a Nova Scotia Ghost Town". Canadian Book Review Annual Online. University of Toronto Libraries. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  6. ^ [Weekly Press] (2016). "Historian chronicles old East Hants family". Enfield Weekly Press. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Election Returns" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1988. p. 94. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  8. ^ "Election Returns" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1984. p. 90. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  9. ^ "Election Returns" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1981. p. 86. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  10. ^ "Election Returns" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1978. p. 83. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  11. ^ "Election Returns" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1974. p. 85. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  12. ^ "Election Returns" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1970. p. 56. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.