Gilbert Ralph Clements

CLEMENTS, HONOURABLE GILBERT RALPH, electrical contractor, merchant, realtor, and insurance agent; b. 11 September 1928 in Victoria Cross, son of Robert Kelly Clements of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Mary Ruth Stewart of Kensington; m. 8 July 1953 Wilma Catherine MacLure, and they had three children, Robert, David, and Gail; United. Clements, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1970 for 4th Kings. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1974, 1979, 1982, 1986, 1989, and 1993. He was defeated in the general election of 1978. From 1974 to 1978, Clements served as Minister of Municipal Affairs, Environment, Tourism, Parks and Conservation. He served as Opposition critic for finance and energy from 1979 to 1986. From 1986 to 1989, Clements was Minister of Finance and Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs. He held the positions of Minister of Finance and Minister of the Environment from 1989 to 1993. For two terms Clements chaired the Canadian Council of Environment Ministers. While Minister of the Environment, he received the Crandall Award from the Travel Industry Association of Canada for the greatest contribution by an elected person to preserving the environment in Canada. In 1992 Clements was an official member of the Canadian delegation to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. During his time in government he attended conferences on the environment in England, the USSR Venezuela and Alaska. In 1981 Clements served as interim Leader of the Liberal Party, and in October of the same year ran for the Liberal leadership, but lost to Joseph Ghiz*. He served on the Montague Town Council for two terms prior to 1970 and twice ran unsuccessfully for the Mayor's seat. He also served as a President of the Prince Edward Island Young Liberals Association. Clements was appointed Lieutenant-Governor 30 August 1995, and served until May 2001. He received his early education at Montague Memorial School, and, from 1944 to 1945, attended Mount Allison Academy. In 1944 Clements was employed by the Canadian General Electric Company Limited in Halifax, and a year later was transferred to Toronto. From 1949 to 1970, he operated and owned the Montague Electric Company Ltd., a successful electrical contracting and appliance sales business. Clements has worked as a fire and automobile insurance agent, and owned and operated Southern Kings Real Estate Incorporated. In 1970 Clements was appointed magistrate for the town of Montague, and in 1972 he was appointed a notary public. He served as a school trustee on the boards of the regional high school, elementary school, and the consolidated school in Montague. Clements was a firefighter, a president and founding member of the Garden of the Gulf Museum Incorporated, and assisted in the establishment of the Montague Junior Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Prince Edward Island Fish and Wildlife Association, a Red Cross volunteer, and a volunteer for the Montague Community Welfare League. In August 1996 Clements was appointed Chancellor of the Order of Prince Edward Island, and in October of that year he was made a Knight of the Order of Saint John. Clements belongs to the St. Andrews Masonic Lodge No. 13 A.F. and A.M. and the United Church Men's Club. Gilbert Clements and his wife reside in Montague. Wilma Clements is the daughter of Benjamin MacLure and Mary "Mamie" MacKinnon of Montague.