James Garfield Gardiner

James Garfield Gardiner, PC ( born November 30, 1883 in Farquhar, Ontario, † January 12, 1962 in Lemberg, Saskatchewan ) was a Canadian politician and farmer. From February 26 1926 to to September 9, 1929 and July 19, 1934 to November 1, 1935 he was the prime minister of the province of Saskatchewan. In addition, he was from 1926 to 1935 Chairman of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party. He then moved into federal politics and sat from 1936 to 1958 for the Liberal Party of Canada in the House of Commons. More than 21 years he was agriculture minister in the governments of William Lyon Mackenzie King and Louis Saint- Laurent.

Provincial policy

Gardiner spent his childhood on a farm in the southwest of the province of Ontario. In 1901 he moved to Saskatchewan, which was then still part of the Northwest Territories, and built their own farm on. He joined the Saskatchewan Liberal Party and was elected in 1914 in a by-election in the constituency of North Fort Qu'Apelle in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. Under Charles Avery Dunning, he was from 1922 Minister for road construction.

After Dunning had switched to federal politics, Gardiner took over on 26 February 1926 as party leader and was appointed by the Lieutenant Governor as the new prime minister. As a result of corruption scandals, the Liberals lost the elections of the year 1929. Though the Liberals had narrowly won the most seats, but the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan managed to drag individual and the Independent Progressive Party on their side and to form a coalition. Gardiner resigned as Prime Minister on 9 September 1929.

As opposition leader Gardiner accused the Conservative government of James Anderson bigotry and suspected it of collaboration with the then influential Ku Klux Klan. In Saskatchewan lived only a few colored and the Indians were almost completely pushed into reservations. For this reason, the Klan fomented hatred against immigrants, Catholics and French Canadians - groups who felt mostly addressed by the Liberals. After more than four years in opposition, the Liberals celebrated a landslide victory, winning 50 of 55 seats. Gardiner was born on July 19, 1934 for the second time head of government. As already in 1926/27, he also assumed the post of finance minister.

Federal policy

Already a half years later Gardiner retired and handed on November 1, 1935 his office to William John Patterson. This was due to his appointment as Minister of Agriculture by the Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. Two months later, he won a seat in the House of Commons in a by-election. Until 1940 he represented the constituency of Assiniboia, then the constituency of Melville. More than 21 years led Gardiner continuously the Ministry of Agriculture - longer than any other Canadian Minister.

1948 Gardiner was a candidate for the presidency of the Liberal Party of Canada, but was defeated Louis Saint- Laurent. This became the successor to Kings as Canadian Prime Minister and left Gardiner at his post. In June 1957 he resigned as Prime Minister, but remained lower house deputy. At the general election in 1958 the Liberals suffered the heaviest defeat of their party's history; thereby also lost Gardiner his mandate.

The 1967 completed Gardiner Dam is named after James Garfield Gardiner. During his tenure as Minister of Agriculture, he had long used unsuccessfully for the construction of this dam on the South Saskatchewan River; until after the election defeat was the decision to build.