In the summer of 1971 a young businessman, who arrived in Cornwall a few years earlier to run a soft drink plant, and without any political experience, decided to run for mayor.
A few months later, Ed Lumley became, at age 32, Cornwall’s youngest mayor.
It was the start of an incredible political journey that would see him become a much-respected cabinet minister in first the Pierre Trudeau government and later the John Turner short-lived regime.
He grew up in Windsor where he graduated from Assumption University (University of Windsor). He was the star quarterback.
During the summer he worked at the Windsor Coca-Cola plant. One of his co-workers was another university student, Paul Martin Jr., who became Canada’s 21st prime minister. They remained life-long friends.
After receiving a bachelor of Commerce degree, he joined Coca-Cola in North Bay, became regional manager and, by chance, ended up in Cornwall.
The new owners of the Coke plant – Cornwall Bottling – on Amelia Street were looking for someone to run the operation. They were told by the Coke brass that Lumley was just what they needed. He was hired and given a piece of the action, as they say.
He founded a junior football team which he ended up coaching and managing. Unknown to most was the fact that he poured thousands of his own money into the team.
His election as mayor was one of the best things to happen to Cornwall. In two years, he turned the city around. The Crown jewel was his acquisition of a provincial-federal infrastructure grant that poured $14 million into the city. The major project was construction of the Cornwall Civic Complex.
When the infrastructure rules didn’t allow for an arena, Ed got around that with a convention centre that just happened to include a 5,000-seat arena.
His success caught the eye of Ontario Premier William Davis who tried to get the young mayor to run for the provincial Conservatives with the promise of a key cabinet post. The federal Liberals also came knocking. He answered.
He played a key role in construction of Nav Canada, working behind the scenes to help assemble the large parcel of land the school needed. As minister of the department of regional economic expansion (DREE), he steered millions in investments into the riding. The riding never had it so good.
There was talk that he was in the queue to become the next Liberal leader and perhaps prime minister.
Then in 1984 the fickle finger of fate reared its ugly head. He lost to a Conservative challenger. It was an undeserved back-handed slap in the face.
It was back to the private sector where large corporations – Bell, CNR, Air Canada, BMO and Magna International – gave him a seat around their board tables.
During this time, Maclean’s Magazine called him one of the most powerful back-room players in corporate and political circles.
His alma mater, University of Windsor, made him chancellor and named a centre of excellence after him.
He was named to the Order of Canada. He was nominated by Bill Davis.
Ed had a soft side.
Once, while in Washington on business, he received word that the wife of one of his junior football team players had died. He booked a flight to Montreal, and drove directly to the player’s house in Cornwall.
Retired teacher/author Andy Petepiece, who played football for Ed and became a close family friend, said there were other times when the former coach would go above and beyond to check in on his “guys.”
But most important to Ed, was his family.
“His love and devotion to his family were his priorities,” said retired city CAO Paul Fitzpatrick who was part of his staff on the Hill and remained a close friend.
Fitzpatrick said when Ed introduced him to somebody, it was always “Paul works with me” never “Paul works for me.”
Friends were important too.
“If Ed was your friend, you were fortunate,” said Fitzpatrick.
I was, for the last 55 years, one of the fortunate ones.
RIP Ed.
HITS AND MISSES: A Toronto Raptors fan won a season ticket for sinking a half-court shot. Season ticket? Are you kidding? The Raptors – worst team in the NBA this season – should have signed him up..At this writing, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has one home run and a .277 batting average in 94 at-bats. Not what a team expects from a guy who signed a contract that will pay him $700 million Canadian over the next 14 seasons…Fate has not been kind to the federal NDP. The party has never recovered from the loss of Jack Layton…A year ago nobody dared suggest that folksy Doug Ford – described by one American journalist as a cross between Chris Farley and John Candy – would be more popular in voter-rich Ontario than Double P.
BACK IN APRIL 1934 – Cornwall on April 3, celebrated its 100th anniversary as an incorporated municipality. The first council meeting was held on April 3, 1834…Council approved the purchase of 12 white uniforms for street cleaning staff…Cornwall Police Force hired former Toronto police officer Hugh Omar. Starting salary was $1,000 a year…The Standard-Freeholder purchased the Gillet Furniture Store building at 44 Pitt St. It would be torn down for construction of a modern newspaper plant…Three teenagers were charged with stealing 200 pounds of butter from the East Side Dairy plant. The youths sold the butter for $5 a case, $10 less than retail price…For breaking into and stealing food from the Hollister Store on First Street West, a city man was slapped with a two-year term in Kingston Pen. The man told the judge that he was unemployed and was given a choice of either begging for food or stealing it…Joseph Edmunds of Quebec City lived up to his reputation as the world’s strongest man. In one of his strongman acts staged on Pitt Street, a 100-pound rock was placed on his stomach and local taxi driver Edward Lauzon was recruited to try and smash the rock with a 20-pound sledge hammer. In a final act, Edmunds rammed his head against a hotel stone wall with no visible sign of injury.
TRIVIA: In the 1997 Stormont-Dundas federal election – won by Bob Kilger – this future mayor of Cornwall along with a current city councillor ran for the Progressive Conservatives and New Democratic Party, respectively.
QUOTED: “Elections have become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even to be defeated.” – Will Rogers
