Howard I. Wetston CM KC (born June 3, 1947),[1] is a former Canadian Senator and retired public servant and lawyer who was formerly the Chairperson of the Ontario Securities Commission from 2010 to 2015.[2] Prior to the OSC, Wetson was the chair and CEO of the Ontario Energy Board and various other public organizations.
On October 31, 2016, his appointment to the Senate of Canada was announced.[3] Wetston was a member of the Independent Senators Group.[4]
Early Life
Wetston's parents were Jewish immigrants, fleeing Nazi persecution in Poland during the Second World War. His parents then fled to Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic and were then relocated to a displaced persons camp in Germany, where Howard was born. His family then settled in Sydney, Nova Scotia in 1949.[5]
Career
He graduated from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor of Science and later with a Bachelor of Law from Dalhousie Law School.[6] He was called to the bar in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Alberta[7] and worked as a Crown Counsel in his early career.
Federal judge
Wetston was a judge of the Federal Court of Canada from 1993 to 1999, and before that was Director of Investigation and Research with the federal Competition Bureau from 1989 to 1993.
Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission
Wetston was appointed as chair of the OSC in October 2010 to a 3-year term by Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.[8][9] His term was extended until 2015 when Wetston stepped down.
Honours
In 2016, he was awarded the Order of Canada for his contributions as a public servant, jurist, and regulator and in 2021 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He is also the recipient of honorary doctorate degrees from Dalhousie University and Cape Breton University.[7]
References
- ^ Senators
- ^ "OSC | About the OSC - The Commission - Members of the Commission". Osc.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ "Trudeau taps former banker, cop and judge for Senate". Toronto Star, October 30, 2016.
- ^ "Profile". lop.parl.ca. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ Canada, Senate of. "Senator Wetston's retirement caps public service trifecta". SenCanada. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
- ^ "Howard Wetston". Cape Breton University. Cape Breton University. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Senator Howard Wetston". web.archive.org. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
- ^ Spears, John (13 October 2010). "Howard Wetston named chairman of Ontario Securities Commission". The Star. Toronto.
- ^ "Howard Wetston named new OSC chair". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. 2 November 2010.
External links