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LEVEL OF DESCRIPTION: Fonds
No.: PR3247
TITLE: Jack Shields Fonds
CREATOR: Jack Shields
DATE RANGE: 1939-1993 [1980-1993 predominant]
EXTENT: 3.25 M of textual records -- 1699 photographs -- 3619 negatives -- 10 VHS cassettes -- 4 ¾ video cassettes.
ADMINISTRATIVE
HISTORY/BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: John (Jack) Wendele Shields was born in Grande Prairie, AB, on December 25, 1929. After High school he worked in the oil fields until 1947, when he joined the army serving in the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry parachute battalion and fought in the Korean War for two years between 1950-1953. Following the war he obtained a Bachelors of Education at the University of Alberta and after some post graduate work at the University gained an assistant superintendent position with the Northland School Division. In the 1960's he became the founding president of the Alberta Vocational Centre, now Keyano College, and helped to establish vocational schools in Lac La Biche, Kikino, and Fort Chipewyan. After leaving the government, he opened a restaurant in Fort McMurray and became a partner in the McMurray Concrete Company. He also served as the president of the chamber of commerce, and a founding member and president of the Kinsmen Club. He entered local politics as a member of the School Board in Fort McMurray between 1974-1977, and the Chairman between 1977-1979. In 1980 he ran and was elected as Member of Parliament for Athabasca, running as a Progressive Conservative. During his time in government he served on numerous committees, as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (1984-1986), Assistant Critic for Energy, Mines, and Resources (1983-1984), and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy, Mines, and Resources (1986-1989), Minister for International Trade (1989-1991), Minister of Employment and Immigration (1991-1993), and the Minister of Labour (1993), before he was defeated in the 1993 election. During his time in office he was a prominent supporter of Oil Sands Development and Aboriginal Rights. Jack Shields died in 2004.
CUSTODIAL HISTORY:The records were deposited at the Provincial Archives by Pat Shields, the wife of Jack Shields, in July 2007.
SCOPE AND CONTENT: The fonds consists of correspondence, newspaper articles, election materials, day planners, photographs, negatives, video cassettes, and other materials relating to Jack Shields political career and private life. The majority of the materials relate to his time in the House of Commons (1980-1993).
PHYSICAL CONDITION: Some of the photographs and negatives were damaged by water and mold.
GENERAL NOTE: Information for the administrative history/biographical sketch was sourced from Jack Shield's Parliamentary File (accessed May 6, 2009, http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=a8b48b77-419f-4e41-a8a0-05bd7730f8f3&Language=E&Section=Publications), House of Commons Debates, Vol. 140, number 036, 1st Session, 38th Parliament, Wednesday, December 1, 2004., "Beyond the Hill: The Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians"; pp. 21, winter 2005., biography for Jack Shields located in the materials.


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