Henry Joseph Maloney

Father Henry Joseph Maloney (15 April 1915 to 7 July 1987) was a priest, a school and college governor, and community leader based in Bancroft, Ontario, Canada who persuaded the Canadian prime minster John Diefenbaker sell uranium mined in Bancroft to the United Kingdom. As a result of his lobbying and negotiations, the closure of the two mines was postponed, allowing the community 18 moths of time to plan new economic activities.
== Early life ==
Henry Maloney was born in Eganville, Ontario on 15 April 1915 to a politician father, Dr Martin James Maloney. His mother was Mary Margaret Maloney. He studied at the University of Toronto where he enjoyed music, drama, running, lacrosse and conservative politics.
== Career ==
=== Pastoral work ===
Maloney worked as an religious assistant at Eaganville before being ordained as a catholic priest, in 1941. He received his first pastoral assigned to Bancroft on 8 September 1957.
For 29 years, Father Maloney worked for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pembroke, based at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Bancroft. Maloney is credited with being responsible for causing Bancroft to be connected to the Canadian telephone network.
=== Educational governance ===
Maloney founded Our Lady of Mercy Separate School and chaired the board of directors that governed Sir Sandford Fleming College in Peterborough, Ontario.
Maloney served on the board of directors of Loyalist College and was the first chairman of the board. As per the bylaws, he should have been required to resign after eight years on the board, but his significant popularity at the time influenced the Government of Ontario to permit him to stay on for an extra year until 1976 when he was aged 60 years.
=== Government relations ===
In the 1960s, the Canadian government cancelled contracts to buy uranium from Faraday Uranium Mines Limited. The company owned and operated Greyhawk Mine, and Faraday Mine, and was the largest producer of uranium in the region, at a time when uranium was Canada's largest mineral export. An industrial commission was set up to deal with the unexpected closure, and Maloney was appointed as the chairman. Maloney led the community demands for support from the Government of Ontario and Government of Canada and met with Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. The prime minister was concerned by the rising influence of a catholic priest in a region that was traditionally dominated by protestant Christians. The Prime Minister discovered and enforced a previously-forgotten contract with the United Kingdom obliging the UK to buy uranium from Canada, prolonging the uranium trade by eighteen months, giving the Bancroft community time to plan for new economic activities. Maloney resigned from the commission in 1972, but rejoined it in 1976 when Faraday Mine was reopening as Madawaska Mine.
=== Criminal allegations ===
In 2016, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported allegations made by Mike Fitzgerald that Maloney had sexually assaulted him in 1973 while Fitzgerald was 17 years old. 
The Eganville Leader newspaper also reported the allegations and that the Diocese of Pembroke settled a civil compensation claim.
The Diocese of Pembroke publicly rejected these claims and made a financial settlement in 2015 that came with terms prohibiting Fitzgerald from speaking publicly about the details. During legal negotiations, Fitzgerald 's lawyers learned that a second lawsuit alleging abuse by Maloney in the late 1940's had been filed.
== Death ==
Father Maloney died 7 July 1987, and was buried in St. James Cemetery, Eganville.
== Family ==
Henry Maloney had three brothers James Anthony Maloney, the Ontario Minister of Mines from 22 December 1958 to 1 October 1961, Dr Patrick J Maloney, and Arthur Maloney|Arthur Maloney Q.C. who was the Ontario Ombudsman|Ontario ombudsman. His sisters were Margaret Goden, Mary Anthony Bonfield, Elanor and Anna Lyons, and Frances French.
Category:1915 births
Category:1987 deaths
Category:Canadian priests
Category:Canadian politicians