Cedric Cox (January 27, 1913 – May 10, 1993) was a technician and political figure in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. He represented

Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard In ...

in the

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia () is the deliberative assembly of the Legislature of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The other component of the Legislature is the lieutenant governor of British Columbi ...

from 1957 to 1963 as a

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF; , FCC) was a federal democratic socialism, democratic socialistThe following sources describe the CCF as a democratic socialist political party: * * * * * * and social democracy, social-democ ...

member. He was born in

Rossland, British Columbia Rossland is in the West Kootenay region of south central British Columbia. High in the Monashee Mountains, the city lies immediately east of the intersections of BC highways British Columbia Highway 3B, 3B and British Columbia Highway 22, 22. The f ...

. Cox worked as an industrial pattern maker in

Trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

and later worked for Heaps Engineering in

. He served in the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Cox married Eileen, the daughter of

Ernest Winch Ernest Edward (Ernie) Winch (March 22, 1879 – January 11, 1957) was a socialist British Columbia politician, trade unionist and organizer. He served eight terms as a BC Co-operative Commonwealth Federation MLA in the British Columbia Legi ...

. He was first elected to the assembly in a 1957 by-election held following his father-in-law's death and was reelected in

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...

. Cox was defeated when he ran for reelection in

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...

. Cox became the Chairman of the Vancouver

Fair Play for Cuba Committee The Fair Play for Cuba Committee (FPCC) was an activist group set up in New York City by Robert Taber in April 1960. The FPCC's purpose was to provide grassroots support for the Cuban Revolution against attacks by the United States government. I ...

in 1962 along with Phil Courneyeur who was elected Secretary. Cox was criticized for accepting a trip to

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

in January 1963, shortly after the

Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis () in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of Nuclear weapons d ...

, paid for by

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...

's government. Upon his return from Cuba Cox addressed a joint meeting of the Burnaby Constituency CCF-NDP and the Oil, Atomic and Chemical Workers Union where he answered critics of his trip and affirmed he would return to the Caribbean Island country if invited. The speech is available in print at http://www.socialisthistory.ca/Docs/1961-/Cuba/FourCanadians.htm With Dick Fidler, John Glenn and Charles Biesick, he contributed to ''Four Canadians Who Saw Cuba'', which was published by the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in 1963.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Cedric 1913 births 1993 deaths British Columbia Co-operative Commonwealth Federation MLAs 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia