William Hunter McKnight (July 12, 1940 – October 4, 2019) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

politician who served in the

Canadian House of Commons The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body who ...

from 1979 to 1993. During the government of Brian Mulroney, he served in various cabinet roles such as Minister of National Defence and

Minister of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...

. He also served as the Treaty Commissioner for the Province of

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

Biography

Born in

Wartime, Saskatchewan Wartime is an unincorporated community and former hamlet, within the Rural Municipality of Monet No. 257, Saskatchewan, Canada. The community is located along Highway 44 approximately 13 km west of Elrose along Canadian National Railwa ...

, he served as

Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

, Minister of National Defence during the first

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources The minister of energy and natural resources () is the minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada, Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). In addition to NRCan, the minister oversees the federal government' ...

and

Minister of Labour Minister of labour (in British English) or labor (in American English) is typically a cabinet-level position with portfolio responsibility for setting national labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, traini ...

in the Progressive Conservative government of

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney (March 20, 1939 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studi ...

. He was sworn into the

Queen's Privy Council for Canada The King's Privy Council for Canada (), sometimes called His Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council (PC), is the full group of personal advisors to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs. Practically, ...

on September 17, 1984. He was the Honorary Chief of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation. A parcel of commercial land in Saskatoon was named after McKnight by the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in recognition of his role in creating federal policy for Land Claims Settlements. It is known as the McKnight Commercial Centre. McKnight died in Saskatoon on October 4, 2019, at the age of 79.

Honours

He was a Member of the

Saskatchewan Order of Merit The Saskatchewan Order of Merit is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Instituted in 1985 by Lieutenant Governor Frederick Johnson, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Grant Devine, the order is admi ...

References

External links

Agriculture and Agri-Food Biography
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Cbc.ca
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKnight, Bill 1940 births 2019 deaths Businesspeople from Saskatchewan Farmers from Saskatchewan Members of the 24th Canadian Ministry Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Saskatchewan Members of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs Ministers of national defence of Canada Ministers of Crown–Indigenous relations Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada

Biography

Honours

Archives

References

External links