Robert Pow

{{short description|Canadian politician and sportsman}} [[File:Robert Barclay Pow.jpg|thumb|Pow in 1933]] {{MedalTop}} {{MedalSport|Men's [[Curling at the Winter Olympics|Curling]]}} {{MedalGold|[[1932 Winter Olympics|1932 Lake Placid]]|''[[Curling at the 1932 Winter Olympics|Curling (demonstration)]]''}} {{MedalBottom}}

'''Robert Barclay "Bart" Pow''' (July 7, 1883 – April 25, 1958) was a politician in [[Ontario]], Canada. He served as mayor of [[Fort William, Ontario|Fort William]] from 1933 to 1936.<ref name=mayor/>

He was born in [[Emerson, Manitoba]] and was educated in Manitoba. He began work at the Northern Elevator Company in Emerson and moved to Fort William in 1908, continuing to work with [[grain elevator]] companies. He was promoted to superintendent, then manager and finally director.<ref name=mayor/>

Pow was named to the team that represented the [[Manitoba Curling Association]] at the [[1932 Winter Olympics]]. That year, [[curling]] was a [[demonstration sport]]. Pow was second for the team which took first place in the event. The Manitoba team was undefeated, winning all four of its games at the Olympics.<ref name=gold>{{cite news |url=http://www.chroniclejournal.com/content/news/local/2014/03/27/fort-william-mayor-won-olympic-gold |title=Fort William mayor won Olympic gold |newspaper=Chronicle-Journal |last=Imrie |first=Diane |date=March 27, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140913002534/http://www.chroniclejournal.com/content/news/local/2014/03/27/fort-william-mayor-won-olympic-gold |archivedate=September 13, 2014 }}</ref> In 2004, the team was inducted into the [[Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum|Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.halloffame.mb.ca/honouredmembers/inductee.php?id=318&criteria_sort=name |title=1932 W.H. Burns Curling Team |work=Honoured Members Database |publisher=Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913171209/http://www.halloffame.mb.ca/honouredmembers/inductee.php?id=318&criteria_sort=name |archivedate=2014-09-13 }}</ref>

Pow served six years on the Fort William public school board. He was a member of Fort William council from 1929 to 1932 and 1937 to 1940. He ran for mayor again in 1941, losing to [[Chisholm Ross|Chisholm Mackenzie Ross]]. During his term as mayor, a white cross was erected on [[Mount McKay]] to commemorate the contribution of [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] soldiers during [[World War I]]. Pow also convinced the [[Ontario Municipal Board]] to reverse their decision to not allow an airport in Fort William.<ref name=mayor/> In 1945, he ran unsuccessfully for the [[Fort William (federal electoral district)|Fort William]] seat in the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative, finishing third behind [[Dan McIvor (politician)|Dan McIvor]] and [[Wilfred Carson McKenzie|Wilfred McKenzie]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/FederalRidingsHistory/hfer.asp?Include=Y&Language=E&rid=223&Search=Det |title=Fort William, Ontario (1924–1976) |work=History of Federal Ridings since 1867 |publisher=Library of Parliament}}</ref> Pow also served as president of the Fort William Conservative Party Association.<ref name=gold/>

He died in Fort William at the age of 74.<ref name=mayor>{{cite web |url=http://www.thunderbay.ca/City_Government/Your_Council/Past_Councils/Fort_William_City_Councils_1930-1939/Mayor_Robert_Barclay_Pow.htm |title=Mayor Robert Barclay Pow |work=Fort William City Councils 1930-1939 |publisher=City of Thunder Bay}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pow, Robert}} [[Category:1883 births]] [[Category:1958 deaths]] [[Category:Mayors of Fort William, Ontario]] [[Category:Curlers at the 1932 Winter Olympics]] [[Category:Olympic curlers for Canada]] [[Category:Curlers from Manitoba]] [[Category:Curlers from Thunder Bay]] [[Category:People from Emerson, Manitoba]] [[Category:Canadian sportsperson-politicians]] [[Category:20th-century mayors of places in Ontario]]