Born in
Argyle, Ontario, Hopkins was educated at the
Ryerson Institute of Technology, the
North Bay Teacher's College, as well as receiving a
B.A. from
Queen's University and a teacher's certificate from the
Ontario College of Education at the
University of Toronto. He was a
teacher and
school principal and served on the municipal council for
Petawawa Township from 1963 to 1965. Hopkins represented the
electoral districts of
Renfrew North from 1965 to 1972,
Renfrew North—Nipissing East from 1972 to 1979 and
Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke from 1979 to 1997, in the
House of Commons of Canada. He served as
Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources from 1972 to 1975 and the
Minister of National Defence in 1984. He "battled his own party" over the
Canadian gun registry. Hopkins died on February 6, 2007, in the
University of Ottawa Heart Institute, aged 76. He had suffered a series of cardiac setbacks. His death was attributed to
pneumonia. ==References==