"The Old Man Ontario" Virtual Cache

Leslie Miscampbell Frost, Premier of Ontario, 1949-61 

The Honorable Leslie Frost, Ontario’s 16th premier was born in Orillia in 1895.  

Orillia had a profound impact on Mr. Frost. His interest in and approach to politics was influenced by his family life and by the many lively political discussions that took place around the dinner table in the Frost home. 

The First World War also influenced Leslie Frost’s concept of public service and duty. He enlisted as a provisional lieutenant in the 157th Battalion of the Simcoe Foresters in the spring of 1915 and served in France and Belgium.  

Mr. Frost was discharged from the military with the rank of Captain in 1918, following a serious injury, the impact of which he felt for the rest of his life. His wartime experiences fostered in him a passion for the political process and military history, and an ongoing concern for the welfare and well-being of veterans, which he carried with him throughout his time in political office.  

His respect for his comrades in the Great War, is described in his book, Fighting Men, that describes his experiences on the battlefield and his time in hospital recovering from his war wound reinforced his belief in community and the value he placed on it. 

On his return to Canada after the war, Leslie Frost enrolled in law school at Osgoode Hall and was called to the bar in 1921. He and his brother Cecil bought a law practice in Lindsay that same year. In 1926, Les married Gertrude Jane Carew and they happily spent the majority of their married life in this community. 

Mr. Frost was first elected to the legislature in 1937, representing Victoria-Haliburton, and was consistently re-elected until his retirement in 1963, having given 26 years of consecutive parliamentary electoral service to the people of Ontario.  

Leslie Frost was chosen as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in 1949 and was sworn in as Premier and Provincial Treasurer in May of that year. 

During his 12 years as Premier, Leslie Frost led the province through a challenging period of incredible post-war expansion. Ontario was growing and industrializing, and Mr. Frost recognized the value of, and the need for, growth within the context of fiscal responsibility. At the same time, he fostered a progressive, state-interventionist style of conservatism, which took a more caring approach to the needs of Ontario’s citizens, as evidenced by his government’s introduction of assistance for persons with disabilities and public hospital insurance, as well as by his great work in education. A thoughtful Conservative in dress and manner, and in his approach to matters, he was very much progressive in thought and practice, moving the province ahead in its social programs aimed at community well-being. 

Leslie Frost was deeply committed to the protection and advancement of human rights. He was the master architect of much of Ontario’s fundamental human rights legislation. In 1951, his government passed an Act to Promote Fair Employment Practices in Ontario and an Act to Ensure Fair Remuneration for Female Employees. Fair Accommodation Practices Legislation followed in 1954 and, in 1955, the Frost government extended voting rights to Aboriginal people in Ontario. Under his steadfast leadership, the province of Ontario became the first province or state in North America to establish a human rights code and a human rights commission. 

Mr. Frost did not lose sight of the importance of preserving our natural heritage and resources. He acted decisively to ensure that Ontario’s resources would not be destroyed or “auctioned off for a quick buck” through his preservation of and respect for natural spaces, and his establishment of the Ontario Water Resources Commission. 

During the years that he was premier, new elementary and secondary schools were opened across the province, and plans were put in place for the establishment of a number of new post-secondary institutions.

Leslie Frost played a major part in the creation of Trent University and when it opened, he agreed to serve as its first Chancellor in 1967. He had a special concern for the development of Canadian studies at the university. A special fund was established by Leslie and Gertrude Frost at Trent in 1969 to encourage teaching and research in the subject. The Frost Centre for graduate studies and research in Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies at Trent University is appropriately named in his honour. 

Mr. Frost also served as one of the most active founding governors of Sir Sandford Fleming Community College, which named its campus in Lindsay in his honour. He also served as a member of the province’s University Affairs Committee. 

Mr. Frost cared deeply about the history of the province – and about the history of Victoria, Peterborough, and Haliburton Counties in particular. His books – Forgotten Pathways of the Trent, and Pleasant Point Story: A History of Pleasant Point – are testament to his passion for the history of this region. 

Mr. Frost’s political career demonstrates how the values of leadership, respect, collegiality, integrity and care and concern for the individual citizen, and for community, can contribute to a successful and productive life in public service, even in the most challenging of times. In this regard, Mr. Frost’s career serves as an important reminder to us all of what politics can be. 

To get credit for this Virtual cache you must visit the site of his memorial in Riverside cemetary in Lindsay and find the answers to the following questions then message me..

1) How many legs are on the plaque?
2) How many leaves do you see?
3) Provide a photo of yourself clearly showing the "FROST" headstone (you do not have to show your face) at the coordinates with a thumbs up, or a personal item to confirm you were there .