# Jack Riddell

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**John Keith Riddell** (December 10, 1931 – January 23, 2024) was a Canadian politician in Ontario. He served as a [Member of the Provincial Parliament](/source/Member_of_Provincial_Parliament_(Canada)) (MPP) in the [Legislative Assembly of Ontario](/source/Legislative_Assembly_of_Ontario) from 1973 to 1990, representing [Huron](/source/Huron%E2%80%94Bruce_(provincial_electoral_district)) and Huron—Middlesex for the provincial [Liberal Party](/source/Ontario_Liberal_Party). He was also [Minister of Agriculture and Food](/source/Ministry_of_Agriculture,_Food_and_Rural_Affairs_(Ontario)) from 1985 to 1989 in the government of [David Peterson](/source/David_Peterson).

## Early life

Riddell was born in [London, Ontario](/source/London,_Ontario),[1] on December 10, 1931.[2] He was educated at the Ontario Agricultural College in [Guelph](/source/Guelph), and worked as a high school teacher, livestock sales owner, and operator-auctioneer.[1][3]

## Political career

Riddell was first elected to the Ontario legislature in a by-election on March 16, 1973, defeating [Progressive Conservative](/source/Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Ontario) candidate Don Southcott by 2,968 votes in the riding of [Huron](/source/Huron_(electoral_district)).[4] He was re-elected by somewhat narrower margins in the elections of [1975](/source/1975_Ontario_general_election),[5] [1977](/source/1977_Ontario_general_election),[6] and [1981](/source/1981_Ontario_general_election), in the redistributed riding of [Huron—Middlesex](/source/Huron%E2%80%94Middlesex).[7]

The Liberals formed a [minority government](/source/Minority_government) following the [1985 provincial election](/source/1985_Ontario_general_election), after having been out of power for 42 years. Riddell, re-elected without difficulty,[8] was appointed [Minister of Agriculture and Food](/source/Minister_of_Agriculture_and_Food_(Ontario)) on June 26, 1985,[9] succeeding [Ross Stevenson](/source/K._Ross_Stevenson).[10] In that capacity, Riddell helped establish the Ontario Family Farm Interest Rate Reduction program to lower interest payments (which were more than 20%),[3][11] and also created over 30 new programs for farmers.[3] He expressed his concern that the 1988 [Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement](/source/Canada%E2%80%93United_States_Free_Trade_Agreement) would be detrimental to farmers in Ontario, estimating that they could lose [C$](/source/Canadian_dollar)95 million, as well as lower food quality.[12] During his tenure as minister, he frequently clashed with the [Ontario Federation of Agriculture](/source/Ontario_Federation_of_Agriculture) (OFA) over its efforts to establish a funding mechanism for general farm groups and amend the farm property tax rebate program.[13] The OFA also disputed Riddell's statement to the legislative assembly that the government was adequately consulting the farm sector on the latter issue.[14]

Riddell was on the traditionalist, right-of-centre faction of the Liberal Party and represented agricultural interests in the legislature.[15] He apologized to the legislative assembly in July 1985, after opining that [Larry Grossman](/source/Larry_Grossman_(politician)) (who was Jewish and running to be leader of the Progressive Conservatives) would find it challenging to garner support in rural Ontario because "there still is a racist feeling" in those areas, but resisted calls to resign.[16] Two years later, Riddell tabled a private "right-to-farm" bill – the *Farm Practices Protection Act* – in an attempt to protect farmers against urban incursion and related matters.[3][17] Easily re-elected again in the [1987 provincial election](/source/1987_Ontario_general_election),[18] he remained agriculture minister until August 2, 1989,[19] when he was replaced by [David Ramsay](/source/David_Ramsay_(Ontario_politician)).[13] Riddell announced in June 1990 that he was not going to run for re-election in the [snap election that September](/source/1990_Ontario_general_election). At the time, he was the second-longest serving Liberal MPP after [Robert Nixon](/source/Robert_Nixon_(politician)), having spent 17 years in the provincial legislature.[20]

## Later life

After retiring from politics, Riddell intended to serve in a new ambassadorial post to instruct American lawmakers on the complexities of agriculture in the province, which was to be established by Premier [David Peterson](/source/David_Peterson) before the Liberals' unexpected defeat in the 1990 election.[20] In September 1996, Riddell co-chaired a provincial fundraising committee in a bid to keep the [Ontario Agriculture Museum](/source/Country_Heritage_Park) in [Milton](/source/Milton,_Ontario) open, after its funding from the provincial government was slashed.[21] He was president of the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame Association from 2003 to 2004 and was also president of the Ontario Institute of Agrologists.[3]

Riddell was inducted into the Ontario Agriculture Hall of Fame on June 11, 2017.[22] Two years later, his family established a scholarship in his honour for [seniors](/source/Senior_(education)) in the [Avon Maitland District School Board](/source/Avon_Maitland_District_School_Board) who demonstrate "academic and leadership skills in their community" and will study agriculture in Canada.[23]

## Personal life

Riddell was married to Leone Bryan for almost three decades until 1981. Together, they had five children and lived on a farm in [Exeter, Ontario](/source/Exeter,_Ontario), from 1967 onwards.[15] After they divorced, he married Anita Morta,[24] who worked as his secretary at the Ontario legislature.[15] They remained married until her death in September 2023.[3][24]

Riddell died on January 23, 2024, at a nursing home in Exeter at age 92.[1][24]

## Notes

1. Huron: 1973–1975; Huron—Middlesex: 1975–1987; Huron: 1987–1990.[2]

## References

1. Williams, Brian (January 24, 2024). ["Jack Riddell, former Ontario agriculture minister, dies at age 92"](https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/jack-riddell-former-ontario-agriculture-minister-dies-at-age-92). *The London Free Press*. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. ["John Keith Riddell"](https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/john-keith-riddell). Legislative Assembly of Ontario. March 15, 1973. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. Rolph, Dan (January 24, 2024). ["Jack Riddell, former Ontario agricultural minister, dies at 92"](https://www.lakeshoreadvance.com/news/jack-riddell-former-ontario-agricultural-minister-dead-at-92). *[Exeter Lakeshore Times-Advance](/source/Exeter_Lakeshore_Times-Advance)*. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. Webster, Norman (March 16, 1973). "30-year reigns end: Liberals thump PCs in St. George, Huron". *The Globe and Mail*. p. 1.

1. "Table of vote results for all Ontario ridings". *The Globe and Mail*. September 19, 1975. p. C12.

1. "Ontario provincial election results riding by riding". *The Globe and Mail*. June 10, 1977. p. D9.

1. Canadian Press (March 20, 1981). ["Election results for Metro Toronto ridings"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0NtYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QlIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6285%2C1391429). *The Windsor Star*. p. 22. Retrieved March 6, 2014.

1. "Results of vote in Ontario election". *The Globe and Mail*. May 3, 1985. p. 13.

1. "Liberals pledge reform as they take over in Ontario". *The Gazette*. June 27, 1985. p. B1.

1. McMonagle, Duncan (July 5, 1985). ["Ontario Liberal's take the reins, win first vote"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/386317594). *The Globe and Mail*. p. P4. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. ["John (Jack) Keith Riddell"](https://www.oahf.on.ca/inductee/john-jack-keith-riddell/). Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame Association. July 9, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. Welsh, Larry (February 10, 1988). ["Riddell fears farmers' cost in free trade"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/435721193). *Toronto Star*. p. H6. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. Vansickle, Janice (August 3, 1989). ["New agriculture minister an unknown in farm circles"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/253824794). *Windsor Star*. p. A10. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. ["OFA raps Riddell's lack of consultation"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/253791069). *Windsor Star*. June 8, 1989. p. D9. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. Hickl–Szabo, Regina (April 24, 1986). ["Agriculture minister is haunted by African famine"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/386134764). *The Globe and Mail*. p. A3. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. ["New minister regrets rural racism remarks"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/386284958). *The Globe and Mail*. July 3, 1985. p. P3. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. ["Nuisance suits against farms to be barred under new bill"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/435687746). *Toronto Star*. December 21, 1987. p. C7. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. "Results from individual ridings". *The Windsor Star*. September 11, 1987. p. F2.

1. Allen, Gene (August 3, 1989). "Veterans bear load as 8 ministers cut in Peterson shuffle". *The Globe and Mail*. p. A1.

1. ["Ex ag minister calls it quits"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/253853595). *Windsor Star*. June 12, 1990. p. D7. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. Calleja, Frank (September 26, 1996). ["Campaign to save museum gets boost"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/437536138). *Toronto Star*. p. BR1. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. Proulx, William (March 22, 2018). ["Former MPP inducted into hall of fame"](https://www.southwesternontario.ca/community-story/7196371-former-mpp-inducted-into-hall-of-fame/). Metroland Media Group Ltd.. Exeter Times-Advocate. Retrieved June 29, 2018.[dead link]

1. ["Jack Riddell Family Fund established"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/2351245436). *Lakeshore Advance*. January 16, 2019. p. A12. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

1. ["Obituary of Jack Riddell – T. Harry Hoffman & Sons Funeral Home"](https://hoffmanfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/1716/Jack-Riddell/obituary.html). *hoffmanfuneralhome.com*. Retrieved January 25, 2024.

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