John Norquay
John Norquay (* May 8, 1841 at St. Andrews, Manitoba, † July 5, 1889 in Winnipeg ) was a Canadian politician. He was Prime Minister of the Province of Manitoba and reigned from 16 October 1878 to 24 December 1887. He was the first born in this province government.
Biography
Norquay was a member of the English-speaking Métis from the Red River Colony. His parents died when he was a child, so he was raised by his grandfather. He received his education from David Anderson, the Anglican Bishop of Rupert's land. After leaving school he was himself a teacher, then as fur traders. Norquay was not directly involved in the Red River Rebellion of 1869 /70 but delivered messages between rebel leader Louis Riel and the Métis Anglophone. In the first election to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in December 1870, he was elected by acclamation in the constituency Bluff High.
In Parliament Norquay soon took a leading position among the English-speaking Métis. In December 1871 Prime Minister Marc- Amable Girard appointed him as minister of public works and agriculture in the provincial government. He took part in the general election in 1872, but lost a supporter Riels. Due to tensions between English-and French-speaking ministers broke Girard's government in December 1874 apart, even Norquay resigned. But in March 1875 he was again made a minister when Robert Atkinson Davis, Girard's successor, appointed him to the Provincial Secretary. As of May 1876, he was a second time Minister of Public Works.
After Davis ' resignation Norquay took over on October 16, 1878 the Office of the Prime Minister. During his reign he strove for a balance between the voice and origin groups and denominations, but lost in 1879 after differences support the Catholic leader Joseph Royal. Norquay regarded itself as non-partisan and opposed the polarization in liberal and conservative forces. He won the elections of 1879 and increasingly devoted himself to the question of private railway projects he disabled in favor of the Canadian Pacific Railway ( CPR).
In opposition to the 20-year monopoly, complaining that the CPR itself, the Manitoba Liberal Party, which thus represented the interests of settlers and entrepreneurs emerged. This in turn urged Norquay to conservatives, so that the de facto government was considered conservative. Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald supported Norquay and the quasi- conservatives also won the elections of 1886. Yet when the provincial government in 1887 to change course undertook and wanted to promote the construction of several branch lines, Macdonald faced Norquay, who resigned on 24 December 1887 as head of government. When David Howard Harrison failed after only three weeks, and the Liberal Thomas Greenway took over the premiership, Norquay became the leader of the opposition. In the elections of 1888 he successfully defended his seat slightly. A year later he died unexpectedly, of appendicitis.
According to him, in 1904, Mount Norquay has been designated a 2133 meter high mountain in the immediate vicinity of the town of Banff in Alberta. 1887 or 1888 to Norquay Mount have even climbed to the summit but did not reach. Also bearing his name the village Norquay in eastern Saskatchewan.