{{Short description|Canadian lawyer and politician (1931–2022)}} {{distinguish|Bruce M. Owen}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Bruce Owen | image = | parliament = Ontario Provincial | term_start = 1987 | term_end = 1990 | predecessor = Earl W. Rowe | successor = Paul Wessenger | riding = Simcoe Centre | party = Liberal | birth_date = {{birth date|1931|5|24}} | birth_place = Chatham, Ontario, Canada | death_date = {{death date and age|2022|2|7|1931|5|24}} | death_place = Barrie, Ontario, Canada | spouse = Anne | children = 3 | profession = Lawyer }}

'''Bruce Owen''' (May 24, 1931 – February 7, 2022) was a Canadian lawyer and politician in Ontario. He served as a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1990, representing Simcoe Centre for the provincial Liberal Party.

==Early life== Bruce Owen was born in Chatham, Ontario, on May 24, 1931.<ref name="TA obit">{{cite web|title=Bruce Owen obituary|url=https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/23959444/bruce-owen|accessdate=February 11, 2022|publisher=Tribute Archive}}</ref> He studied at the University of Western Ontario and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, before obtaining a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Toronto. He later earned a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|title=Bruce Owen|date=March 16, 2015|url=https://www.owendickey.com/bruce-owen/|accessdate=February 11, 2022|publisher=Owen & Associates Law}}</ref> He specialized in real estate law and wills and estates.<ref name=Bruineman>{{cite news|title=Barrie community mourns 'passing of a legend'|url=https://www.barrietoday.com/local-news/barrie-community-mourns-passing-of-a-legend-5044825|first=Marg.|last=Bruineman|date=February 9, 2022|access-date=February 11, 2022|website=BarrieToday.com|publisher=Village Media}}</ref> Owen relocated to Barrie in 1959.<ref name=Roberts>{{cite news|title=Longstanding Barrie politician, Bruce Owen, dies at 90|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/barrie/article/longstanding-barrie-politician-bruce-owen-dies-at-90/|first=Dana|last=Roberts|date=February 10, 2022|access-date=February 11, 2022|publisher=CTV News}}</ref> In the 1960s, he served two terms as an alderman for Barrie City Council. He also served as a judge for the small claims court.<ref name=Bruineman/>

==Political career== Bruce Owen ran for the House of Commons of Canada three times as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada. He lost to P.B. Rynard of the Progressive Conservative Party (PC) in Simcoe North in the 1972 election, and to PC Ronald A. Stewart in Simcoe South in the elections of 1980 and 1984.<ref name="1972 results">{{cite news |title=How the 1,117 candidates fared across Canada |newspaper=The Toronto Star |date=October 31, 1972 |page=15}}</ref><ref name="1980 results">{{cite news |title=Election '80 |newspaper=The Toronto Star |date=February 19, 1987 |page=B7}}</ref><ref name="1984 results">{{cite news |title=How Canada voted |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 5, 1984 |pages=14–15}}</ref>

Owen ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1967 provincial election, but lost to PC candidate Arthur Evans by 2,530 votes in Simcoe Centre.<ref name="1967 Election Results">{{cite news |author=Canadian Press |title=Tories win, but... |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=October 18, 1967 |location=Windsor, Ontario |page=B2 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TDM_AAAAIBAJ&pg=3673%2C2835192 |accessdate=March 30, 2014}}</ref> He ran again in the 1981 election, and lost to PC candidate George Taylor by a wider margin.<ref name="1981 Election Results">{{cite news|author=Canadian Press |title=Winds of change, sea of security |newspaper=The Windsor Star |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0NtYAAAAIBAJ&pg=1444%2C1388326 |date=March 20, 1981 |location=Windsor, Ontario |page=22 |accessdate=April 1, 2014}}</ref> Owen was finally elected in the 1987 election, defeating PC incumbent Earl W. Rowe by 2,492 votes in Simcoe Centre.<ref name="1987 results">{{cite news |title=Results from individual ridings |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=September 11, 1987 |page=F2}}</ref> He served as a backbench member of David Peterson's Liberal majority government for the next three years. During his tenure as an MPP, he played a pivotal role in bringing a Honda car plant to Alliston, as well as obtaining site approval for the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre. He also tabled legislation to prohibit smoking in workplaces.<ref name=Simon>{{cite news|title='A true champion of the arts': Former Liberal MPP, ex-Barrie alderman and Kempenfest founder remembered|url=https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/10569544--a-true-champion-of-the-arts-former-liberal-mpp-ex-barrie-alderman-and-kempenfest-founder-remembered/|first=Chris|last=Simon|date=February 10, 2022|access-date=February 11, 2022|newspaper=Barrie Advance|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211204809/https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/10569544--a-true-champion-of-the-arts-former-liberal-mpp-ex-barrie-alderman-and-kempenfest-founder-remembered/|archivedate=February 11, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BarrieToday obit">{{cite news|title=Owen, Bruce – Obituary|url=https://www.barrietoday.com/obituaries/owen-bruce-5042125|date=February 8, 2022|access-date=February 11, 2022|website=BarrieToday.com|publisher=Village Media|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211203534/https://www.barrietoday.com/obituaries/owen-bruce-5042125|archivedate=February 11, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Liberals were defeated in the 1990 provincial election, and Bruce Owen lost his seat to Paul Wessenger of the NDP by almost 3,000 votes.<ref name="1990 results">{{cite news |title=Ontario election: Riding-by-riding voting results |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 7, 1990 |page=A12}}</ref> He attempted a comeback in the 1995 election, but lost to PC candidate Joe Tascona by 17,729 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=simcoe+centre&flag=E&layout=G |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 8, 1995 |accessdate=March 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402115727/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=simcoe+centre&flag=E&layout=G |archivedate=April 2, 2015 }}</ref>

==Outside politics== Owen was the programme chairman of the Barrie Concert Association, and has presented numerous programs of classical music in the city including the "Colours of Music" festivals.<ref>{{cite news |title=Barrie's festival of many colours |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=October 3, 2009 |page=E6}}</ref> He was a vocal soloist for several churches in Barrie, and performed a solo in the papal choir when Pope John Paul II visited the city and the nearby Martyrs' Shrine in 1984.<ref name=Bruineman/><ref name=Simon/>

Owen presented a plan to city council for a new arts theatre in 2005, noting that the existing Fisher Auditorium is showing signs of age. His plan has been supported by some figures in the tourism sector.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arts Council scales back plans for new theatre |last=Watt |first=Laurie |newspaper=Advance |location=Barrie, Ont |date=April 8, 2005 |page=1}}</ref>

==Personal life== Owen was married to Anne<ref name=Bruineman/> until her death in 2018. Together, they had three children: Trevor, Valerie, and Pamela. They resided in Shanty Bay.<ref name=Bruineman/>

Owen died at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, Ontario, on February 7, 2022, at the age of 90. He had suffered a heart attack prior to his death. A funeral was held for Owen at the Trinity Anglican Church in Barrie on February 12, 2022.<ref name=Bruineman/><ref name=Simon/>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Ontario MPP biography|id=bruce-owen}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, Bruce}} Category:1931 births Category:2022 deaths Category:Barrie city councillors Category:Canadian Anglicans Category:Ontario Liberal Party MPPs Category:Osgoode Hall Law School alumni Category:People from Chatham-Kent Category:University of Toronto alumni Category:University of Western Ontario alumni Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario