Lincoln M. Alexander
Lincoln Alexander was born in 1922 in Toronto. He served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second Word War and was later educated at Hamilton’s McMaster University where he graduated in 1949. He graduated from Toronto’s Osgoode Hall School of Law in 1953 as found in Wikipedia. He received the designation as a Queen’s Counsel, Q.C. in 1965. Mr. Alexander became a partner in several Hamilton law firms from 1963 to 1979. He continued to live and work in Hamilton for the rest of his life. He was the first Black person to become a Member of Parliament in 1968 and served in the House of Commons until 1980. He was also the federal Minister of Labour from 1979-1980.
In 1985, Lincoln Alexander was appointed as Ontario’s 24th Lieutenant Governor and the first member of a visible minority to serve as the Queen’s representative in Canada. During his term in office, which ended in 1991, youth and education were hallmarks of his mandate. He remained extremely active for many years participating in a wide variety of foundations, charities and commissions including his acceptance as Chancellor of the University of Guelph. He died in October of 2012 at the age of 90. He is shown below meeting Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Hamilton in 2002, with our own Retired Inspector John Daniels in the background.
When he was a practicing lawyer in Hamilton, Linc made many lasting friendships with a good number of Hamilton police officers. While he represented the defence and the police represented the prosecution, he often joined the officers for a coffee to talk about issues of the day or the role of police in society. To this day many retired police officers recall his quick wit and fine sense of humour.
These Officers were usually the ones who escorted Linc around the City of Hamilton.
He arranged this photograph and he personally signed a photograph,
to be given to each officer, to thank them, according to retired Constable Bill Cumber.
John Daniels remembers that Linc often attended volunteering activities and charity events where police retirees participated, and spent many hours in friendly banter. He often said that reminiscing with the police retirees were some of his happiest occasions. He’d good naturedly tease them and they would reciprocate, but there was always an underlining deep mutual respect and admiration.
Retired Chief Ken Robertson remembers that in 2002 he had become particularly close to Lincoln, as a result of his support for the Chief during the planning and response to the Arson of the Hindu Temple. That incident and work with Lincoln lead to the establishment of the “Strengthening Hamilton’s Community Initiative” that helped rebuild our commitment to diversity in the City.
Lincoln wrote a book “Go to School, You’re a Little Black Boy: The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander: A Memoir” in which he highlighted the work he did with the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Police Service.
Lincoln had become an Honourary Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police by that time. Chief Robertson asked if he would be willing to be Honourary Chief in Hamilton and he agreed. With the support of the Hamilton Police Services Board, Linc received that honour in the same year. He is shown here on the right in his new uniform with Chief Robertson.
He is shown here (left) at a Christmas Dinner with the late Superintendent Cliff Jackson and Chief Colin Millar, Lincoln and the late Superintendent Larry Dawson around 1998.
On November 6, 2008, he attended the Fieldcote Memorial Park and Museum celebrating 175 years of policing in Hamilton and 50 years of women in policing in Hamilton. The Hamilton Police Historical Society and Museum displays a collection of his police, air force and military uniforms left to the Museum by Lincoln.
He is shown here during ceremonies when the Hamilton Police held a Consecration and Trooping of the Colours for their new flag, May 12, 2008.
On December 2013, the Province of Ontario proclaimed January 21
(Lincoln Alexander’s birthday as “Lincoln Alexander Day”
and the following year, the Day was nationally recognized.
By Dave Bowen, Retired Inspector, Hamilton Police Service