Arthur Ritchie Berry (November 28, 1879 – July 23, 1943) was a politician in

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

, Canada. He served in the

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba () is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at List of Manitoba genera ...

from 1922 to 1936. Berry was born in

Owen Sound Owen Sound (2021 Canadian Census, 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat, seat of government of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi River, Pottawatomi and Sydenham River ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

and came to the Manitou district with his parents as an infant. They later emigrated to

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

. In 1895, Berry settled on a ''

Dominion Lands Act The ''Dominion Lands Act'' () was an 1872 Canadian law that aimed to encourage the settlement of the Canadian Prairies and to help prevent the area being claimed by the United States. The Act was closely based on the U.S. '' Homestead Act of 186 ...

'' homestead in the Umatilla district in the Grandview area. He married Hilda Longmuir in 1910. He worked as a farmer. Berry also served as a member of the Grandview town council. He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1922 provincial election, as a candidate of the

United Farmers of Manitoba The Progressive Party of Manitoba, Canada, was a political party in Manitoba between 1920 and 1932, which was the year of its dissolution. It developed from the United Farmers of Manitoba (UFM), an agrarian movement that became politically activ ...

(UFM) in the Gilbert Plains constituency. The UFM unexpectedly won a majority of seats in this election, and formed government as the Progressive Party. Berry was re-elected by a secure majority in the 1927 election. In 1932, the Progressives formed an alliance with the

Manitoba Liberal Party The Manitoba Liberal Party () is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late 19th century, following the province's creation in 1870. History Origins and early development (to 1883) Originally, there were no off ...

, and government members became known as "Liberal-Progressives". Berry was re-elected under this banner in the 1932 campaign, defeating

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

candidate H.A. Alley by 289 votes. He lost the nomination to G.D. Shortread in 1936. Throughout his time in the legislature, Berry served as a backbench supporter of

John Bracken John Bracken (22 June 1883 – 18 March 1969) was a Canadian agronomist and politician who was the 11th and longest-serving premier of Manitoba (1922–1943) and later the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–194 ...

's government. He died in the Winnipeg General Hospital after being ill for two weeks.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, Arthur Ritchie 1879 births 1943 deaths Progressive Party of Manitoba MLAs People from Owen Sound Manitoba municipal councillors 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba