Robert Layton (politician)

The Honourable
Robert Layton
PC
The Honourable Robert Layton PC
Minister of State (Mines)
	In office; September 17, 1984 – June 29, 1986
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Minister	Pat Carney
Preceded by	Bill Rompkey
Succeeded by	Gerald Merrithew (as Minister of State (Forestry and Mines))
Member of Parliament; for Lachine—Lac-Saint-Louis; (Lachine; 1984–1988)
	In office; September 4, 1984 – October 25, 1993
Preceded by	Roderick Blaker
Succeeded by	Clifford Lincoln
Personal details
Born	Robert Edward John Layton; December 25, 1925; Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died	May 9, 2002 (aged 76); Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Resting place	Wyman United Church, Hudson, Quebec, Canada
Political party	Progressive Conservative
Spouse	Doris Elizabeth Steeves
Children	4 (including Jack Layton)
Parent	Gilbert Layton (father);
Residence	Montreal
Alma mater	McGill University
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Consulting engineer

Robert Edward John Layton PC (December 25, 1925 – May 9, 2002) was a Canadian politician who served as the minister of State from 1984 to 1986.

Early career

Robert Layton was born in Montreal, the son of Norah Lestelle (née England) and former Quebec cabinet minister Gilbert Layton. He graduated from McGill University in 1947. He spent much of his professional career running an engineering consulting business in Montreal.

He became a political activist for the Liberal Party of Canada, running unsuccessfully in 1972 for the party's nomination for the riding of Vaudreuil.

Member of Parliament

In the 1980s, he joined the Progressive Conservative Party, and was elected to the Parliament of Canada in the 1984 election from the Quebec riding of Lachine, covering suburban communities on the west end of the island of Montreal.^[1] He was re-elected in the 1988 election. Layton served as Minister of State for Mines in the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney from 1984 to 1986, after which he served as National Caucus Chairman until 1993 when he decided to retire from politics after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Family

Layton married Doris Elizabeth Steeves, a grand-niece of Father of Confederation William Steeves.

Robert Layton had three sons and a daughter. His eldest son, Jack Layton became a leader of the federal New Democratic Party and Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons. He is the grandfather of Toronto City Councillor Mike Layton.

Layton died in Montreal on May 9, 2002.

References

^ Whittaker, Stephanie (September 5, 1984). "Layton trounces Roberts ends 30-year 'tradition'". The Gazette. Montreal. p. 41. Retrieved June 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[1] Whittaker, Stephanie (September 5, 1984). "Layton trounces Roberts ends 30-year 'tradition'". The Gazette. Montreal. p. 41. Retrieved June 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[1]