Toby Sexsmith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Legislative Assembly of Manitoba member for Portage la Prairie | |
| In office November 27, 1933 – August 23, 1943 | |
| Preceded by | Fawcett Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Charles Greenlay |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Raymond Sexsmith August 23, 1885 Napanee, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | August 23, 1943 (aged 58) Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada |
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association president |
| Awards | King's Counsel (1938) |
William Raymond "Toby" Sexsmith KC (August 23, 1885 – August 23, 1943) was a Canadian politician and ice hockey administrator. He was elected three times as a Progressive Conservative Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba representing the Portage la Prairie riding from 1933 to 1943. He served as president of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association from 1921 to 1923, and sat on the association's executive committee for 25 years. He served as president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) from 1922 to 1924, and set a precedent that future CAHA presidents would also be given two-year terms.
The Allan Cup was formally recognized as the senior ice hockey championship of Canada while Sexsmith was CAHA president, and eligibility rules were expanded to allow more teams to compete for the title. Profits from the Allan Cup playoffs were invested into amateur and minor ice hockey and the Canada men's national ice hockey team. He began the efforts to establish a standard set of national ice hockey rules and amateur competitions between the United States and Canada. He sought to grow youth interest in the game and encourage sportsmanship, and spoke out against growing professionalism in the sport. He was the first president of the Portage Rink Company. He led efforts to build an arena and establish a team in Portage la Prairie in 1919, and oversaw construction of a second arena when the original was destroyed by fire in 1936.
Sexsmith was a lawyer before entering politics and was a partner with Arthur Meighen, the future Prime Minister of Canada. Sexsmith wanted improvements to infrastructure for drainage districts. He defended small businesses against the efforts of the Canadian Performing Rights Society, sought to reintroduce the 12-man jury system and the daytime speed limit in Manitoba, and supported using a compromise between representation by population and district representation. He was named a King's Counsel on January 1, 1938, in recognition of his legal career. He died in office on his 58th birthday, and was credited by the Winnipeg Free Press as a person who tackled contentious issues, and gave sound advice and constructive criticism.