Charles Caccia

Charles L. Caccia
Member of Parliament for Davenport
In office 1968–2004
Preceded by	Walter L. Gordon
Succeeded by	Mario Silva
Personal details
Born	April 28, 1930 Milan, Italy
Died	May 3, 2008 (aged 78) Ottawa, Ontario
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Mildred (div), Iva
Profession	Professor

Charles L. Caccia, PC (April 28, 1930 – May 3, 2008) was a Canadian politician.

Caccia was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons. He represented the Toronto riding of Davenport between 1968 and 2004.

Caccia was born in 1930 in Milan, Italy. A professor of forestry at the University of Toronto, Caccia was best known for his strong pro-environment views on the left of the Liberal party. He was a co-founder of COSTI in Toronto. He served at various times as Minister of Labour, Minister of the Environment, Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Manpower and Immigration. He most recently was the Chair of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, and of the subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

One of the most left-leaning Liberal Members of Parliament (MPs) known for his stance on environmental issues and his staunch opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he was one of the few Liberal MPs to back Sheila Copps in the Liberal Party's 2003 leadership election. His left-leaning politics and support of Copps ended his political career when the more right-leaning Paul Martin became Liberal leader and prime minister in 2004. Martin backed former Toronto city councillor Mario Silva for the Liberal Party nomination in Davenport. When Silva seemed poised to win the Liberal nomination, Caccia withdrew, and after some talk, also chose not to run as an independent in the 2004 election.

Caccia's first wife, Mildred Caccia, was a candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party in a provincial election in the 1970s. They had two children, Nicolette and John, and were divorced. Caccia was survived by second wife Iva.

External links

• COSTI. A History in Progress by Adriana Suppa
• Charles Caccia - Parliament of Canada biography