Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Fraser, John
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1931-
History
The Hon. John Fraser was born in Yokohama, Japan and raised in Vancouver. He graduated from the University of British Columbia and practised law until his election to the House of Commons. During his years in Parliament, John Fraser served in key positions, including Minister for the Environment and Minister of Fisheries. He was the first person to have been elected Speaker of the House of Commons by his peers, a practice instituted in 1986. In 1994, John Fraser was selected to head the Fraser River Sockeye Public Review Board investigating the salmon fishery. He subsequently represented Canada as Ambassador for the Environment, responsible for Canadian follow-up to commitments made at the United Nations Rio Conference on Environment and Development. John Fraser is a Queen's Counsel, an officer of the Order of Canada, and a member of the Order of British Columbia and he holds the Canadian Forces Decoration. In 1999, he was awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees by Simon Fraser University and St. Lawrence University for his contributions to environmental causes.