{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Roger Grimes | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} | image = Roger_Grimes_cropped.jpg | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|05|02|mf=yes}} | birth_place = Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland, Canada<ref name="Newfoundland and Labrador votes 2003">{{cite news|year=2003|publisher=CBC News|accessdate=2008-11-13|url=http://www.cbc.ca/nlvotes2003/parties/grimes.html|title=Newfoundland and Labrador votes 2003; Roger Grimes, leader of the Liberal Party}}</ref> | death_date = | death_place = | order = 8th | office = Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador | term_start = February 13, 2001 | term_end = November 6, 2003 | monarch = Elizabeth II | lieutenant_governor = Arthur Maxwell House<br>Edward Moxon Roberts | predecessor = Beaton Tulk | successor = Danny Williams | office2 = Leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador | term_start2 = February 3, 2001 | term_end2 = May 30, 2005 | predecessor2 = Beaton Tulk | successor2 = Gerry Reid | office3 = Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly for Exploits | term_start3 = April 20, 1989 | term_end3 = May 30, 2005 | predecessor3 = Hugh Twomey | successor3 = Clayton Forsey | party = Liberal Party | | alma_mater = Memorial University, B.S., B.Ed., M.Ed.<ref name="Newfoundland and Labrador votes 2003"/> | spouse = Mary Ann Lewis }} '''Roger D. Grimes''' {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} (born May 2, 1950) is a Canadian politician from Newfoundland and Labrador. Grimes was born and raised in the central Newfoundland town of Grand Falls-Windsor.
Grimes is a former leader of the province's Liberal Party and was its eighth premier from February 2001 until November 2003.
A teacher by profession, Grimes was elected president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association in 1985, a position he held for two years.
==Politics== In 1989, Grimes was elected to the House of Assembly representing Exploits district.<ref name="Nfld.'s Grimes resigns">{{cite news|date=May 30, 2005|publisher=CBC News|accessdate=Jun 23, 2015|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nfld-s-grimes-resigns-1.530248|title =Nfld.'s Grimes resigns}}</ref>
Grimes entered the cabinet of Premier Clyde Wells in 1991 as Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, followed by service as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Newfoundland's new premier pledges to heal wounds |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-s-new-premier-pledges-to-heal-wounds-1.286278 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=May 17, 2021 |date=Feb 5, 2001}}</ref> Under Premier Brian Tobin, Grimes was by now a senior Minister and served in the portfolios of Education, Mines and Energy, and Health and Community Servies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetelegram.com/Living/2009-04-15/article-1454573/Roger-Grimes-made-honorary-member-of-NLTA/1|title=Roger Grimes made honorary member of NLTA|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810221751/http://www.thetelegram.com/Living/2009-04-15/article-1454573/Roger-Grimes-made-honorary-member-of-NLTA/1|archivedate=Aug 10, 2016|website=The Telegram.com|publisher=The St John's Telegram|accessdate=June 14, 2016}}</ref>
=== 2001 NL Liberal Leadership Convention === Grimes won the 2001 Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador Leadership to become Party Leader, defeating John Efford by 14 votes in a fierce and divisive contest in Mount Pearl. Efford and fellow leadership contestant Paul Dicks subsequently left provincial politics saying they could not work under the leadership of Grimes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/dumaresque-gives-grimes-last-chance-to-say-he-s-sorry-1.284450|date=Feb 16, 2001 |title=Dumaresque gives Grimes last chance to say he's sorry|publisher=CBC News|accessdate=May 17, 2021}}</ref>
===Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador=== Grimes was sworn in as Premier on February 13, 2001.<ref name="Nfld.'s Grimes resigns"/> The same year he became Premier, the name of the province was officially changed to Newfoundland and Labrador.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-s-name-change-now-official-1.279040|title=Newfoundland's name change now official|publisher=CBC News|date=Dec 6, 2001|accessdate=May 17, 2021}}</ref>
In 2002, Grimes called for a review of the Act of Union by which the province had become a part of Canada and on July 2, 2003, the findings of the Royal Commission on Renewing and Strengthening Our Place in Canada were released.<ref>{{cite web |title=Proud Canadian submits report |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/proud-canadian-submits-report-1.376039 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=May 17, 2021 |date=Jun 30, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.exec.gov.nl.ca/royalcomm/finalreport/default.html|date=2002|title=Final Report of the Royal Commission on Renewing and Strengthening Our Place in Canada|accessdate=May 17, 2021|publisher=Government of Newfoundland and Labrador }}</ref> It noted the following stressors in the relationship between the province and Canada:
*The huge impact on the province by the destruction of the cod stocks. *Hydroelectricity resources in Labrador have primarily benefited Quebec. *Chronically high unemployment; the highest in Canada. *Lowest per-capita income in Canada. *The highest tax rates in the country. *The most out-migration of any province in Canada.
The report called for:
*more collaborative federalism; *an action team to deal with the fishery in waters surrounding Newfoundland; *collaboration between Canada, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador on the development of the Gull Island hydro site on the lower part of the Churchill River; *revision of the Atlantic Accord, negotiated by the provincial and federal governments in the 1980s, to ensure that offshore oil and gas royalties primarily benefit the province (this recommendation was one of the earliest priorities of Grimes' successor, Danny Williams); *immediate and realistic negotiations on joint management of the fishery.
Also in 2003, the federal government declared a moratorium<ref>{{cite web|title=The Grimes Government - Heritage Newfoundland|url=http://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/grimes-government.php|website=heritage.nf|publisher=Heritage Newfoundland|accessdate=14 June 2016}}</ref> on the last remaining cod fishery in Atlantic Canada in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Newfoundland and Labrador was again the most directly affected province{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}}. As Grimes was dealing with this issue, and others facing the province, time was soon running out on his tenure{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}}.
Despite his attempts to strike an image as a fresh government{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}}, Grimes and his Liberals were defeated in the October 2003 provincial election by the Progressive Conservatives under Danny Williams, bringing an end to 14 years of Liberal rule in Newfoundland and Labrador.<ref name="Tories sweep">{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tories-sweep-to-power-in-newfoundland-and-labrador-1.392308 |title=Tories sweep to power in Newfoundland and Labrador |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=October 22, 2003 |accessdate=March 13, 2014}}</ref>
==Retirement and later life== On May 30, 2005, Grimes resigned the seat he had held in the legislature for 16 years and stepped down as the leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.<ref name="Nfld.'s Grimes resigns"/> He is quoted as saying that the time was right for him to retire from provincial politics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grimes resigns from political life |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/grimes-resigns-from-political-life-1.561023 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=May 17, 2021 |date=May 30, 2005}}</ref> Gerry Reid became interim leader<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/n-l-opposition-parties-choose-new-leaders-1.600046 "N.L. opposition parties choose new leaders"]. CBC News, May 29, 2006.</ref> after Grimes announced his retirement.
In March 2011, the provincial Liberals held their first fundraiser of the year. The event was a roast of Grimes, called “Grimes and Punishment” and was held in St. John's.<ref>{{cite web |title=Liberals roasting Grimes to raise money |url=http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2011-02-18/article-2252868/Liberals-roasting-Grimes-to-raise-money/1 |publisher=The Telegram |access-date=May 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183925/http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2011-02-18/article-2252868/Liberals-roasting-Grimes-to-raise-money/1 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |date=February 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ex-premier-grimes-all-business-at-party-roast-1.1100454|title=Ex-premier Grimes all business at party roast|publisher=CBC News|date=March 2, 2011|access-date=May 17, 2021}}</ref>
Grimes was critical of the Lower Churchill Project and fellow Liberal Premier Dwight Ball.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/grimes-criticizes-liberals-budget-1.3549461|title=Roger Grimes criticizes Liberal budget, wants 'Muskrat Falls levy' eliminated|publisher=CBC News|date=April 22, 2016 |accessdate=May 17, 2021}}</ref> In June 2016, he was banned from the Capital Hyundai Arena after he made negative comments about the former Chair of Nalcor's Board of Directors, Ken Marshall (who had been involved in a scandal regarding payments from the provincial government). Marshall's brother, Steve Marshall, is the owner of the rink and made the decision following Grimes's comments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/roger-grimes-ken-marshall-1.3628582|title=Roger Grimes barred from hockey rink after comments about Ken Marshall|first=Geoff|last=Marshall|publisher=CBC News|date=April 22, 2016 |accessdate=May 17, 2021}}</ref>
Grimes was appointed to the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board for a six-year term effective April 10, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2019/nr/0711n02/|title=Appointment Made to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board|publisher=Government of Newfoundland and Labrador|date=July 11, 2019|accessdate=May 17, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Former premier Roger Grimes is new chair of N.L.'s offshore regulator |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/roger-grimes-chair-c-nlopb-1.5210335 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=May 17, 2021 |date=July 12, 2019}}</ref>
==Honours== * Canadian Version of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002).<ref>{{cite web |title=Roger Grimes' Golden Jubilee Medal Citation |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/125-28484 |website=The Governor General of Canada |date=2002 |access-date=2 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref> * Canadian Version of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012).<ref>{{cite web |title=Roger Grimes' Diamond Jubilee Medal Citation |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/126-249294 |website=The Governor General of Canada |date=2012 |access-date=2 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref> * Member of the Order of Canada (CM) 22 November 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Roger Grimes' Order of Canada Citation |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/146-16458 |website=The Governor General of Canada |date=22 November 2019 |access-date=2 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/order-of-canada-january-2020-1.5409261 |title=Nobel laureate Donna Strickland, James Cameron, Inuk actor Johnny Issaluk among Order of Canada appointees |last=Zimonjic |first=Peter |date=27 December 2019 |website=CBC News Politics |access-date=2 September 2022 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{NLPremiers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grimes, Roger}} Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:Premiers of Newfoundland and Labrador Category:Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador MHAs Category:People from Grand Falls-Windsor Category:20th-century members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Category:21st-century members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Category:Ministers of labour of Newfoundland and Labrador