John Aimers
John Lathrop Aimers (born in Dublin, Ireland in 1951) is founder and former long-time Dominion Chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada. He is an educator by profession and taught at a succession of private schools until 2006. He is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.
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[edit] Founding the Monarchist League
Aimers had been an activist in the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada's youth wing and became personally close to former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, serving as his administrative assistant from 1969 to 1970. The two shared a conviction that the government of Pierre Trudeau was undermining the status of the monarchy in Canada. In 1970 Aimers and others founded the Monarchist League of Canada in an attempt to galvanize monarchists and shore up support for the institution.[1]
Aimers served as its Dominion Chairman from 1970 to 1972 when he left to take a job on Parliament Hill. He resumed his duties as Dominion Chairman in 1975, and led the League until 2006. On February 4, 2006, Aimers announced that he would be stepping aside from public activities on behalf of the Monarchist League and on February 23, 2007, Robert Finch officially succeeded Aimers as Dominion Chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada.
[edit] Political activities
Politically, following his service to Diefenbaker, Aimers worked as administrative assistant to Progressive Conservative Members of Parliament Robert Coates in 1972 and Stanley Schumacher in 1973. He served as national president of the Progressive Conservative Youth Federation in 1977. Aimers resigned from the Progressive Conservative Party in 1978, joining the Liberals, to protest what he called "the shafting of Stan Schumacher" by the party. Schumacher, a 10-year veteran Member of Parliament lost his bid for renomination after he refused to give up his Bow River riding in favour of Tory leader Joe Clark who was losing his own riding due to redistribution. Aimers accused the party's national executive of directing a campaign against Schumacher's renomination bid in order to punish him.[2]
[edit] Claims of sexual abuse
In 2006, a lawsuit named Aimers, claiming that he sexually, emotionally and physically abused a student at Selwyn House. The suit claimed that Aimers plied members of the debating team with drugs and alcohol, and that he abused students on a regular basis.[3] In February 2008, Selwyn House offered an apology and a settlement of up to $5 million to the boys.[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Mulgrew, Ian (2 August 1984). "Monarchists see crown of office as election goal". The Globe and Mail: pp. page P5
- ^ Canadian Press (27 January 1978). "Ex-head of PC youth unit quits the party and will join Liberals". The Globe and Mail: pp. page A9
- ^ Harold Levy (4 February 2006). "Lawsuit claims teacher sexually abused student; Class action cites incidents from 1970s at Montreal school Target of suit now a part- time instructor at Toronto school". Toronto Star: p. A.07. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/981229351.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+04%2C+2006&author=Harold+Levy&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Lawsuit+claims+teacher+sexually+abused+student%3B+Class+action+cites+incidents+from+1970s+at+Montreal+school+Target+of+suit+now+a+part-+time+instructor+at+Toronto+school&pqatl=google. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ "Selwyn House offers settlement in sex-abuse class actions". Montreal Gazette. 20 February 2008. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=a613dca2-2fa4-4bdb-85c0-1ba97aa0b3d1. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
