Background
The son of John Murphy and Gertrude Wadden, he was educated at Saint Bonaventure"s College.
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John Murphy
Edit ProfileCareer
Following the death of his father-in-law, Patrick Halley, in 1956, Murphy became president of the company and expanded its retail chain, The Arcade, to nine stores in the Saint John"s and Conception Bay South region. As of 1990, only two of the stores were still operating. Murphy ran unsuccessfully as a Liberal candidate in the 1966 provincial election and again in a by-election in 1970.
Elected to Saint John"s City council in 1973, he became deputy mayor.
In 1977, he ran unsuccessfully against incumbent mayor Dorothy Wyatt, but defeated her in 1981. During his tenure on council Murphy was successful in restoring downtown residential properties by lobbying federal and provincial governments for home improvement funds.
In 1990 Murphy tried to convince the provincial government to expand the city"s boundaries to include Mount Pearl, Paradise, Conception Bay South and Wedgewood Park.
Achievements
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He won by acclamation in 1985, did not run in the 1990 election, but was elected for again in 1993, and retired from city politics in 1997 after losing his bid for re-election as Mayor. The city also began a housing program which won several national awards. On June 24, 1985, Murphy was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada and in May 2005, Murphy received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa from the Memorial University of Newfoundland.
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Born
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Died
December 25, 2010 (aged 88) -
Nationality
Canada
Awards
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Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is the second highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada.The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is the second highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada.