Bennett H. Carr

CARR C.L.U., HOWARD BENNETT

insurance brokerage owner and property developer, school teacher and principal; b. 21 December 1929 in Wheatley, son of J. Howard Carr and May L. Crabbe; m. 11 May 1957 Mary Jean Coffin MacKay, and they had five children, Deborah Ann, Clive H. R, Alexis Jean, H. Darke, and B. Mark; Anglican. Carr, a Conservative, was elected to the Legislative Assembly in a by-election held 4 December 1972 for 2nd Queens. He was defeated in the general election of 1974. He served as the Opposition critic for Education, Labour and Housing. Carr was president of the Conservative party at the provincial and national levels. He was also the President of the Young Conservative Association of Canada. Carr served for over 20 years as a municipal councillor, treasurer, and chairman for the community of West Royalty. From 1935 to 1945, Carr received his early education at Wheatley School, and continued his studies at Prince of Wales College where he studied from 1946 to 1948. In 1951 Carr graduated from the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps School in Camp Borden, Ontario, and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Canadian Army. He served as an officer in the Prince Edward Island 17th Regiment RECCE and as a call-out officer in New Brunswick. In 1952 Carr returned to Prince of Wales College and graduated in 1953. He became a teacher and school principal. In 1977 he graduated from the University of Toronto's Institute of Chartered Life Underwriters of Canada and was granted the C.L.U. designation. Later Carr was the founder and general manager of Bennett Carr Insurance Limited. He opened Seawood Marina Ltd. (1971), a property ownership business. Carr has served as president of both the PEI Life Underwriters Association and the PEI Federation of Agents and Brokers, and as a director of both these national professional bodies. He co-authored an insurance textbook used in the Associate Insurance professional designation program, which was administered by the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada. Carr involved himself in community activities. He was a president of the Canadian Cancer Society, served as the provincial campaign chairman and was awarded the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope Citation. He was a member of the United States Trotting Association and served a double term as president of the Charlottetown Driving Park and the Provincial Exhibition Association. He served as a school board trustee for Charlottetown Rural High School. In 1960 Carr was the Canadian representative to the World Assembly of Youth in Africa. He was awarded the Canadian Commemorative Medal from the Governor General. In 1989 he was honoured as Citizen of the Year of West Royalty, and was declared Mr. West Royalty in his citation. Bennett Carr is a member of the Victoria Lodge of Charlottetown and a 32 degree Scottish Rite Mason. He has been head of both the Lodge and Chapter in the Summerside Valley of the Rite. He is a Shriner, a member and former president of the Commonwealth Society, a member of Charlottetown Rotary, the PEI Symphony Society, the University of Prince Edward Island Alumni Association, and a former L.O.L. member. Bennett Carr and his wife reside in West Royalty. Jean Carr, the daughter of Reginald Coffin and Sadie Jane MacKenzie, was born in Rollo Bay.