W. Donald Cousens (born July 20, 1938 in Vankleek Hill, Ontario) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1994, and briefly served as a cabinet minister in the government of Frank Miller. Since 1994, he has served as the mayor of Markham. July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Vankleek Hill is a town in Champlain township in eastern Ontario, situated south of Hawkesbury on Highway 34. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal it began, loyal it remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th)  - Land 917,741 km²  - Water 158,654 km² (14. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics. ... The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party (PC Party of Ontario) is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. ... The Ontario Legislature Building at Queens Park The Legislative Assembly of Ontario, is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Alternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation) A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... This article is about Frank Miller, the Canadian politician. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... A mayor (from the Latin maÄ«or, meaning larger,greater) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ... Markham is a town in York Region, directly north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

Cousens was educated at Queen's University and Knox College at the University of Toronto. An officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, he served as an executive with Honeywell Ltd. before entering political life, and later became a chair of the York Technology Association. He was a member of the York County Board of Education from 1972 to 1979, eventually serving as chair. In 2003, he was award a Queen's Jubilee Medal. Queens University, or simply Queens, is a coeducational, non-sectarian university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, on the edge of Lake Ontario. ... Knox College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Galesburg, Illinois. ... Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada and one of the most important scholarly publishers in North America. ... Canadian Forces Flag The Canadian Armed Forces (Fr. ... York County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Cousens was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1981 provincial election, defeating Liberal Alf Strong by fewer than 2,000 votes in the riding of York Centre. He served as a backbench supporter of Bill Davis's government for four years, and became parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Citizenship and Culture on February 25, 1985, when Miller replaced Davis as Premier of Ontario. William Daviss Progressive Conservatives finally won a majority government after winning only minorities in the 1975 and 1977 elections. ... The Ontario Liberal Party is a centrist provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. ... York Centre is a federal riding of Canada, a provincial riding of the province of Ontario and two municipal wards of the city of Toronto. ... William (Bill) Grenville Davis (born July 30, 1929 in Brampton, Ontario) was the Progressive Conservative Premier of Ontario from 1971 to 1985. ... In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to appoint parliamentary secretaries (in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, parliamentary assistants) from their caucus to assist cabinet ministers with their work. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dalton McGuinty The Premier of Ontario is the first minister for the Canadian province of Ontario. ...

Although Cousens was re-elected with an increased plurality in the 1985 provincial election, the Progressive Conservatives were reduced to an unstable minority government. Cousens was appointed Minister of Correction Services on May 17, but accomplished little of consequence before the Miller government was defeated in the house on June 26. Along with other members of the Tory caucus, Cousens then moved to the opposition as Liberal David Peterson became Premier. David Petersons Liberals, with support from Bob Raes New Democrats, form a minority government despite having fewer seats than Frank Millers Progressive Conservatives. ... For minority régime, see Apartheid. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... W*nkers ... The Honourable David Robert Peterson, PC , LL.B , BA (born December 28, 1943 in Toronto, Ontario) was the twentieth Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. ...

The Progressive Conservatives were reduced to only 16 seats in the 1987 provincial election. Cousens was able to defeat Liberal Gail Newall by under 1,000 votes in the new riding of Markham, although he held no official critic positions in the parliament which followed. David Petersons Liberals were returned to power with a large majority. ... Markham was a former federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons, and located in the province of Ontario. ...

In the 1990 provincial elections, Cousens scored an impressive victory over Liberal Frank Scarpitti, winning by more than 10,000 votes. The Progressive Conservatives as a whole managed only a modest recovery, however, increased their caucus size from sixteen to twenty. Cousens served as his party's critic for Environment, Finance, and Citizenship, Race Relations and Human Rights at various times in next parliament. He also became a leading opponent of Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) John Sola in 1991, after Sola made comments about Canadian Serbs that were generally regarded as racist. Sola was later expelled from the Liberal Party. As a result of serious scandals, David Petersons Liberal government was defeated by a large protest vote. ... For the U.S. cannabis reform organization, see Marijuana Policy Project. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On one occasion during his time as an MPP, Cousens brought forward a private member's bill to outlaw smoking in public places.

A Red Tory by inclination, Cousens played little role in the party's drift to the right under Mike Harris. He resigned his seat in the legislature on September 30, 1994 to run for mayor of Markham. He was the only member of the 1990 Ontario PC caucus not to seek re-election to the legislature in 1995. Red Tory is a nickname given to a political tradition in Canadas conservative political parties. ... Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945, in Toronto, Ontario) was the twenty-second Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 92 days remaining, as the final day of September. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Markham is a diverse community with a thriving economy, and has grown significantly under Cousens's watch. The city is debt free, and has gained many jobs in the software field. Unlike Mike Harris's provincial government, Cousens has been a supporter of photo radar to discourage speeding.

There is a Don Cousens Charitable Foundation within Markham.