Commissioners' Biography
THE RT. HON. HERB GRAY, P.C., C.C., Q.C., Chair, Canadian Section
 Herb Gray was born in Windsor, Ontario, on May 25th, 1931, the son of the late Harry and Fannie Gray. After graduating from Victoria School and Kennedy Collegiate in Windsor, he graduated from the School of Commerce of McGill University (Montreal) and Osgoode Hall Law School (Toronto). He is a member of the Ontario Bar.
The Rt. Hon. Herb Gray represented the Federal riding of Windsor West in the House of Commons from June 1962 to January of 2002. Mr. Gray was elected thirteen consecutive times and was a member of the House of Commons for 39 years, six months and 26 days.
Prior to September 1984, Mr. Gray served as Chair of the House of Commons Committee on Finance, Trade and Economic Affairs, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, Minister without Portfolio working with the Minister of Finance, Minister of National Revenue, Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, Critic on Finance for the Official Opposition, Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce, Minister of Regional Economic Expansion and President of the Treasury Board.
From September 1984 to February 1990, he served as Opposition House Leader. From January, 1989 to February 1990, he was also Deputy Leader of the Opposition. From February 6, 1990 to December 21, 1990, he was Leader of the Opposition. From February 1991 to November 1993, he served again as Finance Critic for the Official Opposition.
On November 4th, 1993, he was appointed Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada which meant he was responsible for federal law enforcement activities. He was also named Political Minister for Ontario. On June 11th, 1997, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, the first to occupy that position as a full time cabinet post.
On September 24th, 1997, in addition, he was assigned responsibility for development of the Government of Canada's activities to mark the new millennium. On March 12, 1998, Mr. Gray was designated as the Minister responsible for the Millennium Bureau of Canada. On September 11th, 2000, he was appointed by the Prime Minister as special representative to deal with the longstanding issue of Indian residential schools. He was the designated Minister responsible for the Office of Indian Residential Schools Resolution of Canada which was created in June 2001.
Mr. Gray ceased to be Deputy Prime Minister and resigned from the House of Commons on January 14, 2002 to become the full-time Chair of the Canadian Section of the International Joint Commission - an autonomous international organization based on the Boundary Waters Treaty between Canada and the United States dealing with their transboundary issues concerning water and air.
On January 15, 2002 the Governor General bestowed on Mr. Gray the title "Right Honourable". He is now one of only six Canadians currently to hold the title, in addition to the eleven present and former Prime Ministers, Governors General, and Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada - 16 in total.
When Mr. Gray was first appointed a Minister in 1969, it was the first time in Canadian History that someone of the Jewish faith was appointed to the Federal Cabinet.
Mr. Gray worked extensively as a Minister and as an M.P. in the fields of parliamentary affairs, economic and industrial development, foreign investment, finance, consumer protection, competition, international trade, federal law enforcement, the environment and climate change, and Canada-US border issues.
Mr. Gray, who is bilingual, took part in the work of a number of community organizations in the Windsor area prior to his election to Parliament, including the Jaycees (Windsor President 1961-62), B'nai Brith and the Club Richelieu. He is a member of the Machzikei Hadas Synagogue in Ottawa.
On July 23, 1967, he married Sharon Sholzberg, a lawyer (B.Sc. and B.C.L. - McGill), originally from Ville St. Laurent (Montreal), Quebec. They have a son, Jonathan David and a daughter, Elizabeth Anne. Their son and his wife, Rachel Sheffrin, presented them with their first grandchild, a daughter, Levana Feya, on September 1, 2002, and their second grandchild, a daughter, Ziva Malka, on December 11, 2004.
Mr. Gray is a Companion of the Order of Canada - the highest designation of the Order of Canada- bestowed by the Governor General on up to only 165 outstanding Canadians recognizing their special contribution to Canada.
Among the honours Mr. Gray has received are:
Designation as "The Right Honourable"
P.C., Privy Councillor
C.C., Companion of the Order of Canada
Q.C., Queens Counsel
LL.D. (Hon.), University of Windsor
LL.D. (Hon.), Assumption University (Windsor)
Doctor (Hon.), Catholic University of Lublin (Poland)
LL.D. (Hon.), McGill University
Doctor (Hon.), University of Ottawa
Ordre de la Pléiade (Officier)
B'nai Brith Award of Merit
Negev Dinner honouree (Windsor & Ottawa)
Honourary Graduate - St. Clair College, Windsor
Centennial Medal
Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal
Canada 125 Medal
Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal
The first John Fraser Award for Environmental Achievement presented by The Sierra Club of Canada
Hon. Member Rotary Club of Windsor (1918)
Hon. Member Royal Canadian Legion Balfour Branch #362
Honorary Colonel 21st (Windsor) Service Battalion - Installed January 28, 2005
Mr. Gray resides in Ottawa, where the Canadian Headquarters of the IJC is located.
Mr. Gray can be contacted at: The International Joint Commission, 234 Laurier Ave. West, 22nd Floor, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 6K6 Tel.: 613-992-2417 Fax.: 613-947-9386.
Speeches
|
