Dalton Arthur Bales
Section M, Lot 130
York Cemetery
Dalton Bales was born in Lansing, Ontario on February 21, 1920. He joined the law firm of McLaughlin, Soward in 1946, while he was still a law student. He was called to the bar in 1949 and, in time, became a partner in the firm. He entered Politics in 1958 when he was elected to the North York Town Council as an alderman for Ward 2. He was re-elected in 1962. In 1963 he entered provincial politics when he was elected in the riding of York Mills. He was re-elected in 1967 and 1971. In 1966 he was appointed Minister of Labour in the government of Premier John Robarts, In 1971 Bill Davis appointed him Minister of Municipal affairs, and in 1972 he was promoted to Attorney General. In 1972, along with several other cabinet ministers, Bales was accused of being in a conflict of interest over property he owned. Bales offered to resign from cabinet but his resignation was refused. However, the incident resulted in Davis issuing the province’s first conflict of interest guidelines for cabinet ministers and later parliamentary assistants to follow. Bales was dropped from cabinet in 1974 during a major cabinet shuffle. He cited declining health and a minor heart attack in 1973 as reasons for requesting a reduction in his responsibilities. He left politics the next year to return to his legal practice. Dalton Bales died on October 31, 1979 at the age of 59 when he was struck by a car as he was attempting to cross Bayview Avenue.