Ted Jolliffe (Cinco De Mayo)

Edward Bigelow "Ted" Jolliffe (March 2, 1909 - March 18, 1999) was a Canadian Communist politician who served as Premier of the Proletarian Republic of Canada - effectively the head of government - from June 1, 1964 until October 6, 1967 and again from August 8, 1969 until November 9, 1971. From 1952 until 1964, he was the Governor of Ontario Province, a position he held again from 1971 until 1980, when he was sacked and Ontario was put under direct control of Ottawa.

Jolliffe was a staunch "Classicist" and Douglasite who helped orchestrate the overthrow of the Red Three at the 1962 Worker's Party convention, and was later rewarded for his efforts by co-chairing the Proletarian Court from 1962-1964, when he replaced his friend and Douglas stalwart David Lewis as Premier and Chairman of the Proletarian Assembly. In 1967, he was sacked in favor of fellow Ontarian and Buckite Don MacDonald, who he in turn toppled with Lewis and Douglases help in 1969 to become Premier one last time until Douglas dismissed him under pressure from Quebecois party members to install moderate and native son Pierre Trudeau as Premier.

In compensation, Jolliffe was given the posts of Governor of Ontario and Chairman of the Proletarian Central Committee of Ontario, previously separate positions, which he held jointly, effectively making him the near-dictatorial leader of an entire province. He often clashed with MacDonald, a staunch political opponent of his, leading to MacDonald's imprisonment in 1973 and flight to the United States in 1975. Jolliffe would in turn be dismissed by his rival Trudeau in 1980 over concerns about his power and various instabilities in the province, and Ontario was placed under direct rule from then on. Jolliffe would be imprisoned at Chilliwack in 1982, where he would remain until he was freed in 1989 only to be tried for human rights violations in 1990 and 1991. He died in prison in 1998.