Editing Derwyn Shea

{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| name          = Derwyn Shea
| image         = 
| caption       = 
| office1       = [[Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario)|Ontario MPP]]
| term_start1   = 1995
| term_end1     = 1999
| predecessor1  = [[Elaine Ziemba]]
| successor1    = ''Riding abolished''
| constituency1 = [[High Park—Swansea]]
| office2       = Metro Councillor
| term_start2   = 1985
| term_end2     = 1994
| predecessor2  = ''New office''
| successor2    = [[David Miller (Canadian politician)|David Miller]]
| constituency2 = High Park
| office3       = City Councillor
| term_start3   = 1982
| term_end3     = 1985
| predecessor3  = [[William Boytchuk]] and David White
| successor3    = [[William Boytchuk]] (one city councillor)
| constituency3 = Ward 1 (High Park-Swansea)
| alongside3    = [[William Boytchuk]]
| party         = [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1937|9|1}}
| birth_place   = [[Hamilton, Ontario]]
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2015|8|15|1937|9|1}}
| death_place   = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]]
| spouse        = Julia (died 2009)
| occupation    = Church rector
}}
'''Derwyn Spencer Shea''' (September 1, 1937 – August 15, 2015) was an [[Anglican Church of Canada]] clergyman and [[politician]] in [[Ontario]], Canada. He was a municipal politician in the city of [[Toronto]] for 12 years, and sat as a [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative]] member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] from 1995 to 1999, representing the riding of [[High Park—Swansea]].

==Background==
Shea was born in [[Hamilton, Ontario]], but moved to Toronto at the age of two. He was educated at the [[University of Toronto]], the [[University of Western Ontario]], and [[Laurentian University]] receiving a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree (''magna cum laude''), a [[Master of Arts]] degree in urban history and structure, a Dip.Th (Huron College), a Th.B (American Divinity) and a [[Doctor of Divinity]] (Canada College), honoris causa. His pastoral clinical studies were taken at [[McMaster University]].

Shea was ordained in 1966 as an [[Anglican]] priest, and worked in the dioceses of [[Anglican Diocese of Saskatchewan|Saskatchewan]], [[Anglican Diocese of Algoma|Algoma]] and Toronto. He founded the Eastview Neighbourhood Association for [[latchkey kid|latchkey youth]] in Toronto's east end, and was co-author of the benchmark East Toronto Deanery Study. He was the first Canadian to receive a Fellowship from the Academy of Parish Clergy, and was involved in [[Uganda]]n relief efforts.<ref name=obit1>{{cite web |title=Obituary: Canon Derwyn Shea Memorial |publisher=Turner & Porter |date=August 2015 |url=http://turnerporter.permavita.com/site/CanonDerwynShea.html?s=20}}</ref>

==Municipal politics==
Shea was a member of the city of Toronto's Planning Board from 1972 to 1982 including 4 years as chairman, when he was elected in his first attempt as senior alderman in Toronto's ward 1.  From 1985 to 1994, he represented Toronto-High Park on the [[Metropolitan Toronto]] council. As a member of council he served with a number of agencies, boards and commissions. He was variously a [[Toronto Police Services Board|police commissioner]] and a commissioner of [[Toronto Hydro]] as well as president of the [[Canadian National Exhibition]], governor of [[Exhibition Place]] and chair of the [[O'Keefe Centre]] and served on a number of hospital boards including [[Toronto General Hospital|Toronto General]], [[Toronto Western Hospital|Toronto Western]], [[Princess Margaret Hospital (Toronto)|Princess Margaret]] and Runnymede Chronic Care.<ref name=obit/><ref name=obit1/>

==Provincial politics==
In the [[1995 Ontario general election|1995 provincial election]], Shea defeated [[New Democratic Party of Ontario|New Democratic Party]] cabinet minister and incumbent [[Elaine Ziemba]] by about 1,500 votes.<ref name="1995 results">{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=High+Park-Swansea&flag=E&layout=G |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150331064417/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=High+Park-Swansea&flag=E&layout=G |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 31, 2015 |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 8, 1995 |accessdate=2014-03-02 }}</ref>  He was a [[backbench]] supporter of [[Mike Harris]]'s caucus for the next four years, serving as [[parliamentary assistant]] for the [[Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Ontario)|Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing]] and then as parliamentary assistant for the [[Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (Ontario)|Citizenship, Culture, and Recreation]].

==Later life==
He retired from the legislature in 1999 and returned to his position as rector of St. Clement's (Riverdale) Anglican Church. In 2000, Shea initiated and was later elected founding chair of the Ontario Association of Former Parliamentarians. In 1999 Shea was inducted as [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] of St Hilda's parish in Toronto and Chairman and CEO of St Hilda's Towers, a 500-bed independent and assisted living seniors residence including extended convalescent care facilities. In 2002 he was installed as a [[canon (priest)|canon]] in the [[Anglican Diocese of Toronto|Diocese of Toronto]].

In 2004, Shea endorsed [[Frank Klees]]'s bid to lead the Ontario PC Party. In 2007 Shea was appointed by the government of Canada to the 9 member National Seniors Council and in the same year he completed his training with the International Elections Monitoring Institute.

A friend of Mike Harris's, he officiated the former Premier's wedding to Laura Maguire in 2005.<ref name=obit/>

Shea died of [[cancer]] at [[Toronto General Hospital]] on August 15, 2015, at age 77. He was predeceased by his wife, Julia, and survived by his partner, Christine Schubert.<ref name=obit>{{cite news |title=Longtime politician Derwyn Shea worked for his ward, his church and Mike Harris |newspaper=Toronto Star |first=Betsy |last=Powell |date=August 19, 2015 |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2015/08/19/longtime-politician-derwyn-shea-worked-for-his-ward-his-church-and-mike-harris.html#}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Woman, dead four years, billed for giving birth |url=http://www.thewhig.com/2013/11/09/woman-dead-four-years-billed-for-giving-birth |first=Christina |last=Blizzard |date=November 9, 2013 |newspaper=Kingston Whig-Standard |publisher=thewhig.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{Archival records|title=Derwyn Shea fonds|location=|inventory_number=Fonds 1197|description_URL=http://gencat.eloquent-systems.com/torontodetail.html?key=89299|dates=|access_conditions=}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Ontario MPP biography|id=derwyn-shea}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shea, Derwyn}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:Canadian Anglican priests]]
[[Category:Laurentian University alumni]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Toronto councillors]]
[[Category:Politicians from Hamilton, Ontario]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs]]
[[Category:Toronto city councillors]]
[[Category:University of Toronto alumni]]
[[Category:University of Western Ontario alumni]]
[[Category:Clergy from Hamilton, Ontario]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian municipal councillors]]