Arthur Samuel Wakim (13 February 1937 – 4 December 2022) was a Canadian lawyer and Progressive Conservative party member of the House of Commons of Canada. A member of the Queen's Counsel, he practised law in Toronto, Ontario.[1]

Samuel Wakim
Member of Parliament
for Don Valley East
In office
1979–1980
Preceded byNew riding
Succeeded byDavid Smith
Personal details
Born(1937-02-13)13 February 1937
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Died4 December 2022(2022-12-04) (aged 85)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Political partyConservative

Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Wakim earned his undergraduate degree at St. Francis Xavier University (B. Sc., 1959) where he met future prime minister Brian Mulroney. The two became close friends.[2] He earned his law degree at the University of New Brunswick in 1962, and was called to the bar in the same year. In Ontario, he was called to the bar in 1965.

He represented Ontario's Don Valley East electoral district which he won in the 1979 federal election. After serving his only term, the 31st Canadian Parliament, he was defeated in the 1980 federal election by David Smith of the Liberal party.

In 2007, he represented Brian Mulroney in litigation with businessman Karlheinz Schreiber. He also represented the former Prime Minister in litigation with the journalist Peter C. Newman.[3] Wakim died on 4 December 2022, aged 85.[4][5]

Electoral record edit

1980 Canadian federal election: Don Valley East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal David Smith 21,944 44.6 +4.8
Progressive Conservative Sam Wakim 21,119 43.0 -4.2
New Democratic Saul Paton 5,713 11.6 -0.7
Libertarian Gordon Keys 286 0.6 0.0
Independent Arthur V. Wright 98 0.2
Total valid votes 49,160 100.0


1979 Canadian federal election: Don Valley East
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative Sam Wakim 25,352 47.2
Liberal Mike Smith 21,428 39.9
New Democratic Saul Paton 6,595 12.3
Libertarian Nick Moldovanyi 301 0.6
Marxist–Leninist Donna Gordon 56 0.1
Total valid votes 53,732 100.0

References edit

  1. ^ Weir Foulds profile
  2. ^ The Politics of Ambition, by John Sawatsky, 1991
  3. ^ Weir Foulds - Notable Mandates
  4. ^ NB lawyer who was Mulroney’s best friend dies aged 85
  5. ^ "Remembering the life of Arthur Samuel Wakim Q.C."

External links edit