Barnett Jerome "Barney" Danson, (February 8, 1921 – October 17, 2011) was a Canadian politician and Cabinet minister. Family Barnett Jerome "Barney" Danson was born to a Jewish family in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood. He joined The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada in 1939 as the Second World War broke out. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant and served until he was severely wounded, losing an eye, in the Battle of Normandy. His ailment created an interest in the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and its library for the blind and visually impaired, which he maintained until his death. He returned to Canada and joined his family's insurance business before entering the plastics industry with his own company, the Danson Corporation. He also served as president of the Society of the Plastics Industry of Canada. In 2002, his autobiography, Not Bad for a Sergeant: The Memoirs of Barney Danson, was published. His son, Tim Danson, is a Toronto lawyer known as a victim's rights advocate and for having represented the families of Paul Bernardo's victims. Politics Danson was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1968 general election as the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for the Toronto-area riding of York North. Danson was unsuccessful during his first attempt at politics as an Ontario Liberal Party candidate in the 1967 provincial election in the riding of York Mills. In 1970, he became Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and was appointed to the Cabinet in 1974 as Minister of State for urban affairs. In 1976, he was promoted to Minister of National Defence. While Minister of National Defence, he was appointed the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, his regiment. He served in that position until the defeat of the Liberal government in the 1979 general election, in which he lost his seat. Danson received an honorary degree (1993) from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, of which he was a former chancellor. As a Member of the Privy Council Danson was styled "The Honourable". Service Danson is the co-founder along with Jacques Hébert of Katimavik, the national youth volunteer programme. Danson served as Canada's Consul General in Boston from 1984 to 1986. He served on corporate and not-for-profit boards of directors such as the Canadian Executive Services Organization (CESO), Canadian Council of Christians and Jews, the