Sinclair Stevens
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The Honourable Sinclair Stevens PC |
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| Member of the Canadian Parliament for York—Simcoe |
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In office 1972–1979 |
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| Preceded by | John Roberts |
| Succeeded by | riding dissolved |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for York—Peel |
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In office 1979–1988 |
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| Preceded by | first member |
| Succeeded by | riding dissolved |
| President of the Treasury Board | |
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In office 1979–1980 |
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| Preceded by | Judd Buchanan |
| Succeeded by | Donald Johnston |
| Leader of the Progressive Canadian Party | |
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Assumed office December 1, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Tracy Parsons |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sinclair McKnight Stevens February 11, 1927 Esquesing Township, Ontario) |
| Died |
November 30, 2016 King Township, Ontario |
| Political party | Progressive Canadian Party |
| Other political affiliations |
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (until 2003) |
| Residence | King Township, Ontario |
| Profession | businessman, politician, lawyer |
Sinclair McKnight Stevens, PC (February 11, 1927 - November 30, 2016) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman and former parliamentarian.
He was born in Esquesing Township (today part of Halton Hills, Ontario), the third child of Northern Irish immigrants Robert Murray Stevens and Anna Bailey McKnight. The family later moved near Kleinburg, Ontario.
He attended Weston Collegiate Institute and later, the University of Western Ontario, class of 1950. He was active in the student newspaper and the model Parliament. He entered Osgoode Hall Law School, where he met his fellow student and future wife Noreen Mary Terese Charlebois. Noreen was one of just five women in their class. They graduated in 1955 and married in 1958. From his university days until he articled, he was a part-time reporter for the Toronto Star. Stevens articled with Toronto law firm Fraser & Beatty. He later formed his own firm Stevens, Hassard & Elliot.
In 1958 his first development, The Cardiff, was under way. This was followed up with several other development projects.
In 1962 he formed York Trust and Savings Co. Former Bank of Canada governor James Coyne became chairman in 1963. Stevens had interests in several other small trust companies. Unusual for the time, his branches were located in working class areas and Loblaws stores, featuring extended service hours. York Trust grew at four times the rate of other trust companies.
By 1964 Stevens controlled 23 companies with assets of $130 million, having started in 1961 with just $215,000.
From 1963 through 1967 Stevens was embroiled in an attempt to form the first new Canadian chartered bank in fifty years, Westbank. This caused resentment in several quarters: Westerners saw it as yet another eastern-controlled firm; Conservatives were put off by the association with Coyne; and the feathers of the establishment banks were ruffled. The affair led to a falling-out with Coyne, and later with businessman Marc Bienvenu.John Diefenbaker reportedly "loathed" Stevens over the issue.
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