About Arnold Peters
Lived 1922 – 1996 (aged 74). Arnold Peters was a Canadian politician, trade unionist and miner.
William Arnold Peters (May 14, 1922 – September 17, 1996) was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Timiskaming in the House of Commons of Canada from 1957 to 1980. He was originally elected as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, which became the New Democratic Party in 1961.
Peters, a hard rock miner and union organizer, served in the 124th Ferry Squadron in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. He also ran in the 1953 election against Karl Eyre in the Timmins riding, but was not elected.
In Parliament, Peters and his caucus colleague Frank Howard were responsible for reforming Canada's divorce laws. In many provinces, divorce proceedings once had to be presented to Parliament for approval; Peters and Howard tried to show the ridiculousness of this by reading each divorce petition into the Commons record in great detail. Peters was also active in prison reform, and regularly lobbied for fairer treatment of non-unionized government employees. He also prepared a private member's bill in 1964 to decriminalize homosexuality in Canada, although the bill never made it to a vote in the House of Commons.
In the 1980 election, Peters was defeated by Liberal candidate Bruce Lonsdale. Lonsdale died in office just two years later; Peters ran again in the resulting by-election, but was not re-elected.
On September 19, 1996, two days after his death, tributes to Peters were delivered in the House of Commons by Bill Blaikie, Diane Marleau and Ed Harper.
Electoral record Liberal Karl EYRE
Co-operative Commonwealth Arnold PETERS
Progressive Conservative Maurice BÉLANGER
Co-operative Commonwealth Arnold PETERS
Liberal Ann SHIPLEY
Progressive Conservative C. Foster RICE
Co-operative Commonwealth Arnold PETERS
Progressive Conservative C. Foster RICE
Liberal Ted J. MIRON
New Democratic Party Arnold PETERS
Progressive Conservative Joseph MAVRINAC
Liberal Ann SHIPLEY
New Democratic Party Arnold PETERS
Liberal Mervyn LAVIGNE
Progressive Conservative John CRAM
New Democratic Party Arnold PETERS
Liberal Mervyn LAVIGNE
Progressive Conservative Bruce BESLEY
New Democratic Party Arnold PETERS
Liberal Louis-R. VANNIER
Progressive Conservative George L. CASSIDY
New Democratic Party Arnold PETERS
Liberal Dick DUFF
Progressive Conservative Alf GUPPY
New Democratic Party Arnold PETERS
Liberal Guy IANNUCCI
Progressive Conservative Murray WATTS
Liberal Bruce LONSDALE
New Democratic Party Arnold PETERS
Progressive Conservative Grant SIROLA
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Important facts
People in Arnold Peters's life
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Arnold Peters?
Canadian politician (1922-1996)
When was Arnold Peters born?
Arnold Peters was born on 14 May 1922 in Harley.
When did Arnold Peters die?
Arnold Peters died on 17 September 1996 in Ottawa.
What was Arnold Peters's occupation?
Arnold Peters was a politician, trade unionist and miner.
What nationality was Arnold Peters?
Arnold Peters was Canadian.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Arnold Peters (politician)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Arnold Peters. https://biography.guide/arnold-peters/
MLA: "Arnold Peters." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/arnold-peters/.
Chicago: "Arnold Peters." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/arnold-peters/.
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