Constantine George "Gus" Mitges, B.V.Sc., D.V.M., V.S. (5 February 1919 – 1 November 2009) was a Greek-Canadian member of the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

from 1972 to 1993. By career, he was a

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

. Mitges was born in Psili Vrisi, Greece. He came to Canada at the age of six and grew up in

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...

. A veterinarian by profession, he entered politics when he served as a school board member. In 1966, he was elected as an alderman in

Owen Sound Owen Sound (2021 Canadian Census, 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat, seat of government of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi River, Pottawatomi and Sydenham River ...

, where he served until his election to the House of Commons. Mitges was elected to Parliament in the 1972 federal election for the Progressive Conservative Party in the riding of

Grey—Simcoe Grey—Simcoe was a federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1968 to 1988. It was located in the province of Ontario. This riding was created in 1966 from parts of Grey North, Grey—Bruce and Simcoe East ...

. He was subsequently re-elected for consecutive terms until the 1988 federal election, serving from the

29th 29 (twenty-nine) is the natural number following 28 and preceding 30. It is a prime number. 29 is the number of days February has on a leap year. Mathematics 29 is the tenth prime number. Integer properties 29 is the fifth primorial prime, ...

through the

34th Canadian Parliament The 34th Canadian Parliament was in session from December 12, 1988, until September 8, 1993. The membership was set by the 1988 federal election on November 21, 1988, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it w ...

s. After ridings were rearranged in 1987, Mitges sought re-election for his final political term in the Bruce—Grey riding. He left federal politics in 1993, not seeking re-election in that year's federal election. In 1986 Mitges introduced a private member's motion calling on the government to amend the Constitution of Canada to enshrine

fetal rights Fetal rights or foetal rights (alternatively prenatal rights) are the moral rights or legal rights of the human fetus under Natural law, natural and Civil law (common law), civil law. The term ''fetal rights'' came into wide usage after ''Roe v. ...

Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Section 7 of the ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' is a constitutional provision that protects an individual's autonomy and personal legal rights from actions of the government in Canada. There are three types of protection within the se ...

, which if enacted would constitutionally limit access to

abortion in Canada Abortion in Canada is legal throughout pregnancy and is publicly funded as a medical procedure under the combined effects of the federal '' Canada Health Act'' and provincial health-care systems. However, access to services and resources varie ...

. The motion was debated in 1987 and was defeated on a vote of 62 to 89. He was married twice: first to Velma Martin and later to Yolanda Odorico. Mitges was president of the Owen Sound Little Theatre and served as a director of Theatre Ontario in 1971. In 1995, he was named a Commander of the Greek

Order of the Phoenix Order of the Phoenix may refer to: *Order of the Phoenix (Greece), a medal conferred on Greek or foreign citizens * Royal Order of the Phoenix (Tonga), a knighthood order of the Kingdom of Tonga, founded in 2010 *Various uses related to the ''Ha ...

. On 1 November 2009, Mitges died at

Guelph General Hospital Guelph General Hospital is a medical care facility in Guelph, Ontario, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacif ...

, aged 90.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitges, Gus 1919 births 2009 deaths Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Canadian veterinarians Greek emigrants to Canada Canadian people of Greek descent Commanders of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece) People from Tegea Canadian anti-abortion activists 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada