 robert stanley kemp "bob" welch,  (july 13, 1928 â july 29, 2000) was a canadian politician. he served in the legislative assembly of ontario from 1963 to 1985 as a member of the progressive conservative party, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of john robarts, bill davis and frank miller. ==early life== welch was born in st. catharines, the son of a railway brakeman. he received a bachelor of arts degree from mcmaster university in hamilton, and a bachelor of laws degree from osgoode hall law school in toronto. he worked as a barrister and solicitor after his graduation, and was a member of that st. catharines board of education from 1955 until 1963. welch was also a lay preacher in the anglican church, and served as chancellor of the anglican diocese in niagara from 1965 to 1992. ==political career== he was elected to the ontario legislature in the 1963 provincial election, winning a convincing victory in the rural, southwestern ontario constituency of lincoln. after serving as a backbench supporter of the robarts government for two years, he was named to cabinet on november 24, 1966 as provincial secretary (ontario) and minister of citizenship. welch was re-elected by a landslide in the 1967 provincial election, and was retained in both portfolios. ==leadership campaign== when robarts retired, welch ran to succe
1928_births 2000_deaths Attorneys_General_of_Ontario Canadian_Anglicans Deputy_premiers_of_Ontario Officers_of_the_Order_of_Canada People_from_St._Catharines Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Ontario_MPPs Provincial_Secretaries_of_Ontario