Paul Hellyer dead at 98

TORONTO — Paul Theodore Hellyer, the influential former federal defence minister, has died. He was 98.

Hellyer fell and struck his head on June 19, losing the ability to walk and temporarily losing the ability to speak. He convalesced at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto for about a month before returning home. He died there on Aug. 8.

Born near Waterford, Ont., Hellyer took an interest in aviation at a young age, serving as an artillery gunner in the Canadian Army late in the Second World War.

Hellyer was elected to Parliament in 1949 just shy of his 26th birthday, and in the same year he earned his bachelor’s degree. His interest in defence matters led to serving as parliamentary assistant to the defence minister and then associate minister of national defence in the government of Louis St. Laurent. Hellyer was briefly unseated after the 1957 election, but returned to the House of Commons after a byelection in 1958.

Hellyer’s time in cabinet led to a brief friendship with U.S. president John F. Kennedy. His lifelong fascination with aircraft and cutting-edge technology led president Lyndon B. Johnson to invite Hellyer to fly in Air Force 1 for a demonstration of the aircraft’s state-of-the-art communications equipment.

Hellyer also holds the distinction of having challenged both Trudeau and Joe Clark for the leadership of the Liberal and Progressive Conservative parties, in 1968 and 1976, respectively.

In addition to his political career, Hellyer was active in journalism, becoming one of the early investors in the Toronto Sun and writing a column for the newspaper from 1974 to 1984. He was also a panellist on the CBC’s “Front Page Challenge,” and wrote approximately 20 books. In his later years, Hellyer became an outspoken and influential voice in the global community of UFO enthusiasts, speaking openly about his belief that UFOs were likely of extraterrestrial origin and that extraterrestrials were visiting the planet.

The Canadian Press