Eugene Whelan

Eugene Francis "Gene" Whelan (11 July 1924 – 19 February 2013) was a Canadian farmer and Liberal politician. He served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1962 to 1984 and was minister of agriculture from 1972 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984.

Early years Eugene Whelan was born in Amherstburg, Ontario, He was educated in Windsor and Walkerville. At 16, Whelan quit school and worked for a time as a welder and tool and die maker

In 1960, Whelan married Elizabeth Pollinger and they had a family. One daughter went into politics (see Family below). His brother Edward Charles Whelan made his life in Saskatchewan. He also went into politics, being elected and serving in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

Political career Whelan (centre), pictured with fellow MPs Herb Gray and Paul Martin in 1962. Whelan entered municipal politics at age 21 He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Ontario assembly in 1959.

During that time, he supported himself as a farmer and became active in farm issues and groups. He became a director and president of the Harrow Farmer's Co-operative, served on the boards of United Co-operatives of Ontario and the Co-operators Insurance Company, and was a founding member of the Ontario Wheat Producers' Marketing Board and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. Whelan ran to succeed Trudeau at the 1984 Liberal leadership convention, but came in last.

As Minister, Whelan promoted the extension of national marketing boards first implemented with the creation of the Canadian Dairy Commission in 1970 to eggs in 1972, turkey in 1974, and chicken in 1978. These were placed under the supervision of the National Farm Products Council. For those commodities not under supply management, he fought to maintain a level playing field in world markets at a time when other countries strongly subsidized such products. He was successful in getting the Canadian government to increase its support for farmers, through amendments to the Agricultural Stabilization Act and the introduction of the Western Grain Stabilization Act. In 1977, the Advance Payments for Crops Act was passed, which guaranteed loans to producers requiring advance payments for perishable crops. He opened markets in the Soviet Union for Canadian wheat, and established legislation to protect fruit and vegetable growers from processor bankruptcies.

His green stetson hat became well-known and Whelan was seen as an ardently vociferous advocate for the agricultural sector, with a habit for plain-spokenness (which occasionally got him in trouble). In response to complaints voiced over the cost of food, when he wanted to stress the average farmer's narrow profit margin, he said:

Catalyst for Russian perestroika During his last term as Minister of Agriculture, Whelan became good friends with Aleksandr Yakovlev, then the USSR's Ambassador to Canada, as both men were ardent agriculturalists. The relationship became so close that Pierre Trudeau called him in to get assurance that Whelan had not divulged any national secrets, as the minister was a member of the Cabinet defence committee. When Mikhail Gorbachev, then Soviet Minister of Agriculture, came to Canada in 1983, Yakovlev connected Gorbachev with Whelan, who arranged a three-week tour across Canada for both Soviet officials, accompanied personally by Whelan.

In 2013 Jean Chrétien recalled Whelan introducing Gorbachev to Canadian life when the tour came to Windsor:

At the end of that tour, the Whelans hosted a farewell reception for Gorbachev at their Amherstburg home on the evening of 19 May 1983. Whelan was delayed in arriving. In what has since been called "the walk that changed the world", Yakovlev and Gorbachev walked in a nearby orchard, strolled among saplings and past fields of corn, soy and wheat, had an earnest discussion, and resolved that the old ways in the USSR had to end.

According to Yakovlev, this was where perestroika was born, with 80% of its features discussed while visiting Whelan's farm.

In an interview years later, Yakovlev recalled:

Broadcasting Whelan was once host of the Agricultural Hour on CFRA in Ottawa.

International appointments He served as president of the United Nations World Food Council from 1983 to 1985. In 1976, he was made honorary colonel of the 21st (Windsor) Service Battalion. In 1986, the Freedom Award from the Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival. In 2001, induction into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame. In 2001, induction into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame. Honorary life member of the Agricultural Institute of Canada and the Ontario Institute of Agrologists. In 2012, he was awarded the Canadian version of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He was awarded the Canadian Forces' Decoration for 12 years service in the Canadian Forces as an Honorary Colonel of 21 (Windsor) Service Battalion. This gave him the Post Nominal Letters "CD" for life.

In 1984, the Woodslee soil substation of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Greenhouse and Processing Crops Research Centre, located at Woodslee, Ontario, was renamed as the Honourable Eugene F. Whelan Experimental Farm. In 2008, the Whelan ancestral home, where Eugene was born, was relocated for preservation to the Canadian Transportation Museum and Historical Village in Essex, Ontario.

Family Whelan and his wife Elizabeth had three daughters. Susan Whelan went into politics and was elected to the House of Commons in 1993 in her father's old riding. In 2001 she was appointed as Minister of International Trade in Chrétien's cabinet. She was dropped from Cabinet with the change of administrations when Paul Martin became prime minister.

Death and funeral He died at his home in Amherstburg on February 19, 2013, following complications from heart disease and colon cancer. His funeral was held on February 23, 2013, at St. John The Baptist Church in Amherstburg, and he was buried in the church cemetery. Jean Chrétien, Herb Gray and Remo Mancini were among the people that gave eulogies at the service.

Electoral record Essex South

Essex-Windsor

Archives There is a Eugene F. Whelan fonds at Library and Archives Canada.