# Jim Hewitt > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jim_Hewitt > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jim_Hewitt.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hewitt > Source revision: 1349974889 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | name = Jim Hewitt | caption = | constituency_AM1 = [Boundary-Similkameen](/source/Boundary-Similkameen) | assembly1 = British Columbia Legislative | term_start1 = December 11, 1975 | term_end1 = December 10, 1987 | predecessor1 = [Frank Richter, Jr.](/source/Frank_Richter%2C_Jr.) | successor1 = [Bill Barlee](/source/Bill_Barlee) | alongside1 = [Ivan Messmer](/source/Ivan_Messmer) (1986-1987) | party = [Social Credit](/source/British_Columbia_Social_Credit_Party) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1933|1|28}} | birth_place = [Toronto, Ontario](/source/Toronto), Canada | spouse = {{marriage|Sheila Hewitt||1980|reason=div.}}
{{marriage|Dorothy Merle Barber|1980|February 28, 2021|reason=died}} | occupation = }} '''James J. Hewitt''' (born January 28, 1933) is a retired [Canadian](/source/Canadians) politician who represented the riding of [Boundary-Similkameen](/source/Boundary-Similkameen) in the [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia](/source/Legislative_Assembly_of_British_Columbia) from 1975 to 1987.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LegUAAAAYAAJ&q=%22HEWITT,+James+J.+%E2%80%94+Minister+of+Agriculture,+Province+of+British+Columbia,+Parliament+Buildings,+Victoria,+British+Columbia.+Born+Toronto+******%22|title = Who's who in Canada: An Illustrated Biographical Record of Men and Women of the Time|year = 1977 | last1=Parker | first1=Charles Whately | last2=Greene | first2=Barnet M. }} A member of the [Social Credit Party](/source/British_Columbia_Social_Credit_Party), he held several ministerial roles in the [Executive Council of British Columbia](/source/Executive_Council_of_British_Columbia) under [premiers](/source/Premier_of_British_Columbia) [Bill Bennett](/source/Bill_Bennett) and [Bill Vander Zalm](/source/Bill_Vander_Zalm). ==Biography== Hewitt was born and raised in [Toronto](/source/Toronto), then moved to [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver) in 1962 where he attained his accounting designation.{{Cite news|url=https://www.summerlandreview.com/news/former-mla-and-wife-give-back-to-community-4166900|title = Former MLA and wife give back to community|publisher=Summerland Review |date=2019-02-06 |accessdate=2025-10-27 }} He settled in the [Okanagan](/source/Okanagan) in 1967, and worked as a manager at the [Penticton and District Credit Union](/source/Valley_First); he was elected [Penticton](/source/Penticton) alderman in 1969. He ran as a [Social Credit](/source/British_Columbia_Social_Credit_Party) candidate in the [1975 provincial election](/source/1975_British_Columbia_general_election), and was elected member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for [Boundary-Similkameen](/source/Boundary-Similkameen).{{cite web |url=https://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf |title=Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871-1986 |pages=323, 333, 341 |publisher=[Elections BC](/source/Elections_BC) |accessdate=2025-10-27}}{{rp|323}} Initially without a cabinet post, he was named Minister of Agriculture in October 1976 by [Premier](/source/Premier_of_British_Columbia) [Bill Bennett](/source/Bill_Bennett), then served as Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources from December 1978 to November 1979.{{cite web|url=https://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/pubdocs/bcdocs/47984/execouncil.pdf|title=British Columbia Executive Council Appointments: 1871-1986|first1=Judith Antonik |last1=Bennett|first2=Frederike |last2=Verspoor|pages=69|publisher=British Columbia Legislative Library|year=1989|accessdate=2025-10-18}} After winning re-election in [May 1979](/source/1979_British_Columbia_general_election),{{rp|333}} he regained the agriculture portfolio, which was re-titled to Minister of Agriculture and Food in August 1980. He was re-assigned as Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs in August 1982, and kept that post following his re-election in [1983](/source/1983_British_Columbia_general_election) before becoming Minister of Education in February 1986.{{rp|341}} Hewitt was named Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries after [Bill Vander Zalm](/source/Bill_Vander_Zalm) became premier in August 1986.{{cite web|title=Vander Zalm Cabinet: 33rd-34th Parliament 1986–1991 |url=http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/vanderzalmcabinet.pdf|publisher=[Legislative Assembly of British Columbia](/source/Legislative_Assembly_of_British_Columbia)|accessdate=2025-10-23}} Boundary-Similkameen became a two-member district in [that October's election](/source/1986_British_Columbia_general_election); Hewitt was re-elected there alongside [Ivan Messmer](/source/Ivan_Messmer).{{Cite web|url=https://thetyee.ca/Election/Battleground/2005/04/04/Okanagan/print.html|title = The Okanagan, a Liberal Stronghold|publisher=[The Tyee](/source/The_Tyee) |first=Will |last=McMartin |date=2005-04-04 |accessdate=2025-10-27 }} He was not given a [cabinet](/source/Vander_Zalm_ministry) position, and resigned as MLA in December 1987 over disagreements with Vander Zalm;{{cite web |title=A checklist of members of the Legislature of British Columbia |url=http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/checklist_of_mlas.pdf |publisher=Legislative Library of British Columbia |access-date=2022-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627222059/http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/checklist_of_mlas.pdf |archive-date=2013-06-27 |date=2013-05-16 |url-status=dead}} he subsequently served seven years as chairman of the [Farm Credit Corporation](/source/Farm_Credit_Canada). Although retired from elected politics, Hewitt actively campaigned against the province's [2009 electoral reform referendum](/source/2009_British_Columbia_electoral_reform_referendum).{{cite news |title=A political shock to the system |url=http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/pentictonwesternnews/news/43394512.html |publisher=Penticton Western News |first=Steve |last=Kidd |date=April 21, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513033051/http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/pentictonwesternnews/news/43394512.html |archive-date=2009-05-13 }} He met Dorothy Barber when she worked on his campaign in 1979; they were married in 1980.{{Cite web|url=https://www.everdenrust.com/obituaries/Dorothy-Merle-Hewitt?obId=20164335|title = Dorothy Merle Hewitt Obituary |accessdate=2025-10-27 }} He has four children with his first wife Sheila.{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ndVAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Jim+Hewitt%22&pg=PA12&article_id=2432,65392|title = Agricultural minister loses family because of politics|newspaper=[Regina Leader-Post](/source/Regina_Leader-Post) |agency=[Canadian Press](/source/Canadian_Press) |date=1980-02-01 |accessdate=2025-10-28 }} ==References== {{reflist}} {{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | before = ''himself'' | title = Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of British Columbia | after = [John Savage](/source/John_Savage_(British_Columbia_politician)) | years = August 14, 1986 – November 6, 1986 }} {{succession box | before = [Thomas Waterland](/source/Thomas_Waterland) | title = Minister of Agriculture and Food of British Columbia | after = ''himself'' | years = August 7, 1986 – August 14, 1986 }} {{succession box | before = [Jack Heinrich](/source/Jack_Heinrich) | title = Minister of Education of British Columbia | after = [Anthony Brummet](/source/Anthony_Brummet) | years = February 11, 1986 – August 14, 1986 }} {{succession box | before = [Peter Hyndman](/source/Peter_Hyndman) | title = Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs of British Columbia | after = [Elwood Veitch](/source/Elwood_Veitch) | years = August 10, 1982 – February 11, 1986 }} {{succession box | before = [Cyril Morley Shelford](/source/Cyril_Morley_Shelford) | title = Minister of Agriculture and Food of British Columbia
Minister of Agriculture (1979-1980) | after = [Harvey Schroeder](/source/Harvey_Schroeder) | years = June 5, 1979 – August 10, 1982 }} {{succession box | before = [Bill Bennett](/source/Bill_Bennett) (Energy)
[James Chabot](/source/James_Chabot) (Mines and Petroleum Resources) | title = Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources of British Columbia | after = [Bob McClelland](/source/Bob_McClelland) | years = December 5, 1978 – November 24, 1979 }} {{succession box | before = [Don Phillips](/source/Don_Phillips_(Canadian_politician)) | title = Minister of Agriculture of British Columbia | after = [Cyril Morley Shelford](/source/Cyril_Morley_Shelford) | years = October 29, 1976 – December 5, 1978 }} {{s-end}} {{Vander Zalm Ministry}} {{Bill Bennett Ministry}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Hewitt, Jim}} Category:1933 births Category:Living people Category:British Columbia municipal councillors Category:British Columbia Social Credit Party MLAs Category:Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia Category:Ministers of education of British Columbia Category:People from Penticton Category:Politicians from Toronto Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jim Hewitt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hewitt) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hewitt?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.