Aug. 9, 2021

When I arrived at Queen’s Park in 1982, the Big Blue Machine captained by Bill Davis, who died Sunday, was firing on all cylinders. The Progressive Conservative dynasty, at that point four decades long, seemed invincible and, from a political opponent’s perspective, undefeatable.

Political scientists and historians will have their view of why, once Bill Davis retired as premier in 1984, the wheels fell off the Tory machine and a year later they were relegated to the opposition benches. But I have no doubt that had he decided to contest his fifth election as premier, having won the past four, he would have cruised to victory. He was absolutely at the top of his game.

It’s been my privilege to have known several prime ministers and premiers, and I am unabashedly a huge Bill Davis fan. Like all politicians, his record has some blemishes. Few in the public spotlight for decades would be different.

But his accomplishments, both policy and political, are legendary. For those of us at Seneca, and our colleague colleges, he is literally our creator. It was his vision, his drive, his determination that created the Ontario college system in 1965 over the objections at the time of, among others, universities and the Liberals (as he often delightedly recalled).

As education minister, and later as premier, he put the Progressive in Conservative. His ability to read the public mood, and divine the needs of a modernizing province, got better and better the longer he was in office. I wasn’t a fan of everything he did, but I always admired how he went about it.

Seneca awarded Mr. Davis (I would never, ever call him Bill) our first-ever honorary degree in 2006 as a gesture of thanks for his role in creating the college system.

And I was privileged to welcome him on campus for our 50th anniversary celebration where we showered him with honours: only the second person (after our founding president William T. Newnham) to receive the Order of Seneca, we renamed the Don Mills entry road Premier Davis Boulevard and registered one of our new planes with his initials in the call sign.

I wouldn’t presume to call Bill Davis my friend, but once I came to Seneca we reconnected and would talk occasionally. Something in the news would trigger a call, and he loved to get caught up on what we were doing.

Every conversation – spiked with his great sense of humour and a little political gossip – had one common element: he would recall my previous political life and observe that, despite the fact that I had been “philosophically misguided,” I seemed to turn out all right. I heard that many times, and never tired of it. Getting an okay from Mr. Davis was, well, awesome.

But those conversations had another common element: his genuine interest in Seneca. As I would boast of the exploits of our students and employees, even over the phone I could tell he was beaming.

Along with the founding of TVO, I believe the establishment of the college system was his proudest achievement.

Yes, it’s a different time, and politics has changed, but it has to be said that we will not see the likes of Bill Davis again. Thoroughly decent, hugely accomplished, truly modest. In the best sense of the phrase, a Canadian giant.

Thank you, Mr. Davis.