Bill Domm

William Henry Domm (July 24, 1930 – January 8, 2000) was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1993. He was best known for his crusades against the metric system and in favour of capital punishment.[1]

Domm represented the riding of Peterborough, Ontario from the 1979 federal election until his defeat in the 1993 election.

Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Domm was the son of a United Church of Canada minister. He was educated at the Ryerson Institute of Technology and became a radio broadcaster in Peterborough.

Domm's campaign against Metric conversion in Canada was most vocal during the final Pierre Trudeau government of 1980 to 1984. In 1983, he and other Tory MPs illegally pumped gas using Imperial measurements at their "Freedom to Measure" gas station. The station was leased by the MPs in hopes of provoking the government into laying charges and thus allowing a legal challenge to mandatory use of metric. The government ignored the station and it closed after a year. When the Progressive Conservatives formed government following the 1984 federal election, Domm became parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, the government minister responsible for the metrification program. However, while the Metric Commission was disbanded and rules on enforcing metric were loosened, the "metrification" of the country was not reversed.[2]

Domm's lobbying for the death penalty resulted in a free vote being held in the House of Commons in 1988, however the motion to restore capital punishment was defeated.

He was more successful in his campaign for the restoration of Via Rail service on the Toronto-Peterborough-Havelock line. Domm also took stands against bilingualism, abortion and gun control voting against his party on several occasions.

Electoral record

1993 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalPeter Adams27,57547.6+17.3
ReformLen Bangma13,46023.2
Progressive ConservativeBill Domm11,62820.1-20.8
New DemocraticMerv Richards3,0725.3-22.2
NationalHerb Wiseman1,8583.2
Natural LawSandy Callender3680.6
Total valid votes 57,961 100.0
1988 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeBill Domm22,49240.9-11.8
LiberalBarry MacDougall16,69330.3+7.5
New DemocraticGill Sandeman15,14727.5+6.8
LibertarianMike Lantz2770.5-2.4
RhinocerosC. Fibber mcGee2380.4-0.2
GreenGeorge Kerr2080.40.0
Total valid votes 55,055100.0
1984 Canadian federal election: Peterborough
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeBill Domm27,12152.69
LiberalBarry MacDougall11,73722.80
New DemocraticLinda Slavin10,64820.69
LibertarianJohn Hayes1,4792.87
RhinocerosWashboard Hank Fisher3090.60
GreenSimon Shields1750.34
Total valid votes 51,469 100.00
Total rejected ballots 148
Turnout 51,617 76.52
Electors on the lists 67,458
1980 Canadian federal election: Peterborough
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeBill Domm19,41740.25
LiberalSylvia Sutherland17,20235.66
New DemocraticPaul Rexe10,77622.34
LibertarianSally Hayes4690.97
RhinocerosMark Elson2430.50
IndependentRobert J. Norris690.14
Marxist–LeninistRichard Anthony670.14
Total valid votes 48,243 100.00
Total rejected ballots 116
Turnout 48,359 73.16
Electors on the lists 66,097
Parliament of Canada
Preceded by
Hugh Faulkner
Member of Parliament for Peterborough
1979-1993
Succeeded by
Peter Adams

Archives

There is a Bill Domm fonds at Library and Archives Canada.[3] Archival Reference number is R3302 (Former Archival Reference number MG32-C93).

References

  1. "Abolition of death penalty upheld". June 30, 1987. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  2. "MPs protest mandatory metric system". October 1, 1983. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  3. "Finding Aid to Bill Domm fonds, Library and Archives Canada" (PDF).

Sources

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