Gordon Osbaldeston

The Honourable Gordon Osbaldeston PC CC
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet
In office December 10, 1982 – August 11, 1985
Prime Minister	Pierre Trudeau John Turner Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Michael Pitfield
Succeeded by	Paul Tellier
Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs
In office 1982
Minister	Mark MacGuigan Allan MacEachen
Preceded by	Allan Gotlieb
Succeeded by	Marcel Massé
Deputy Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce
In office 1976–1978
Minister	Jean Chrétien Jack Horner
Preceded by	Gerald Stoner
Succeeded by	Marshall A. Cohen
Secretary of the Treasury Board
In office 1973–1976
Minister	Charles Drury Jean Chrétien Bob Andras
Preceded by	Albert Wesley Johnson
Succeeded by	Maurice LeClair
Deputy Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
In office 1972–1973
Minister	Bob Andras Herb Gray
Preceded by	James Grandy
Succeeded by	Michael Pitfield
Personal details
Born	(1930-04-29)April 29, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario
Died	March 6, 2019(2019-03-06) (aged 88) London, Ontario
Nationality	Canadian
Alma mater	St. Michael's College, Toronto University of Western Ontario

Gordon Francis Joseph Osbaldeston PC CC (April 29, 1930 – March 6, 2019) was a Canadian civil servant.

Early life

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto in 1952 and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario in 1953. He was the gold medalist at St. Michaels College, the University of Toronto and the gold medalist at the Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario. He has received honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario (1984), York University(1984), Dalhousie University(1985), and Carleton University (1987).

In 1981 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1997.

In 1953, he married Geraldine Margaret Keller of Kitchener, Ontario (deceased). They have four children Stephen, David, Robert and Catherine.

He joined the public service of Canada in 1953. He was posted to São Paulo, Brazil, Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California as a Canadian Government Trade Commissioner. On return to Ottawa in 1964, he served consecutively as Assistant Director, Personnel, Assistant Director, Planning and Executive Director of the Canadian Government Trade Commissioner Service. In 1968, he was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the newly formed Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs. In 1970, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Board in charge of the Program branch. From 1972 to 1973, he was Deputy Minister of the Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs. From 1973 to 1976, he was Deputy Minister of the Treasury Board. From 1976 to 1978, he was Deputy Minister of the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce. In 1978, he was appointed Secretary, Minister of State for Economic Development. In 1982, he was Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs. From 1982 to 1985, he was the Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet. As such, he served three Prime Ministers, namely, the Right Honourables Pierre Elliott Trudeau, John Turner, and Brian Mulroney.

In 1986, he joined the faculty of the Ivey School of Business and in 1995 he was appointed as a Professor Emeritus.

In 1981, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service. In 1990, he received the Vanier Medal from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada in recognition of outstanding contribution in the field of public administration. In 1977, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal. In 1992, he was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation and in 2002, he was awarded The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and in 2012 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

He has been a director of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., National Film Board of Canada, Export Development Corporation, Federal Business Development Bank, DeHavilland Aircraft Co., International Development Research Center, The Molson's Co. Ltd., Canada Packers Co. Ltd., DuPont Canada Ltd., Rockwell International Canada, National Bank of Canada, Bell Canada, London Medical Association, Bow Valley Energy Corp., Ellis-Don Ltd., Life Imaging Systems Inc., Great West Lifeco Inc., London Life Insurance Co., Canada Life Insurance Co., and Honorary Director of "Let's Talk Science".

He is the author of Keeping Deputy Ministers Accountable(1988) and Organizing to Govern (1992).

Osbaldeston died on March 6, 2019, in London, Ontario

Honours

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Order of Canada (CC)	Companion 17 April 1997 Officer 14 December 1981
	Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal	1977 Canadian Version of this Medal
	125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal	1992
	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal	2002 Canadian Version of this Medal
	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal	2012 Canadian Version of this Medal

• He was sworn in as a Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada on 13 February 1986 entitling him to the honorific The Honourable and the post-nominal letters "PC" for Life.
• He has received several Honorary degrees. These include

Honorary Degrees

Country	Date	School	Degree
Ontario	15 June 1984	University of Western Ontario	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Ontario	Spring 1984	York University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Nova Scotia	1985	Dalhousie University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Ontario	1987	Carleton University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)

References

• "Robarts Council". Robarts Research. Archived from the original on March 7, 2005. Retrieved March 17, 2005.

External links

• Order of Canada Citation