James Garfield Gardiner
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James Garfield Gardiner (30 November 1883 – 12 January 1962) 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 ...
farmer, educator, and politician. He served as the fourth
premier of Saskatchewan The premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The current premier of Saskatchewan is Scott Moe, who was sworn in as premier on February 2, 2018, after winning the 2018 Saska ...
and as a minister in the
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.


Political career

Gardiner was first elected to the
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan () is the legislative chamber of the Saskatchewan Legislature in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Bills passed by the assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan, in the ...
in 1914, served as Minister of Highways (1922–1926) in the government of Premier Charles A. Dunning from 1922, and succeeded Dunning as premier in 1926. A highly-partisan Liberal, his government lost its majority in the legislature in the 1929 election both from patronage scandals and partly through an anti- French, anti-
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and anti-
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campaign waged by the
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...
. Although the Conservative Party had won fewer seats, it was able to defeat the Gardiner government through a
motion of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
and then formed a "co-operative government" with the support of some Progressive Party and independent Members of the Legislative Assembly. As
Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
, Gardiner accused James Anderson's Conservative government of bigotry and alleged that it was linked with the Klan. Gardiner defeated Anderson in the 1934 election and became premier a second time. In 1935, he was involved in negotiations to end the
On-to-Ottawa Trek The On-to-Ottawa Trek was a mass protest movement in Canada in 1935 sparked by unrest among unemployed single men in federal relief camps principally in Western Canada. The trek started in Vancouver and, picking up reinforcements along the way, ...
in Regina. Gardiner left provincial politics later in 1935 to join the federal cabinet of Liberal
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William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who was the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Liberal ...
as Minister of Agriculture. He was elected to the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
a few months later. Gardiner held the agriculture portfolio for 22 years until the 1957 federal election resulted the Liberal government bring defeated. Gardiner also served as the first Minister of National War Services, during July 12, 1940June 10, 1941. Gardiner was a powerful figure in both the King and St. Laurent governments. In 1947, he was sworn of the Imperial Privy Council, which allowed him use of the prenominal honorific
The Right Honourable ''The Right Honourable'' (abbreviation: The Rt Hon. or variations) is an honorific Style (form of address), style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire, and the Commonwealt ...
. Gardiner ran for the leadership of the
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at the 1948 Liberal leadership convention but lost to
Louis St. Laurent Louis Stephen St. Laurent (; February 1, 1882 – July 25, 1973) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 12th prime minister of Canada from 1948 to 1957. Born and raised in southeastern Quebec, St. Laurent was a leading la ...
. He remained in the
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until he lost his seat in the
1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...
Diefenbaker sweep.


Personal life

Gardiner was married three times: first to Rosetta Jane Gardiner in 1912, then to Violet McEwen in 1917 and finally to Isabella (Scott) Christie in 1944. His son James Wilfrid Gardiner served in the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly. His other son,
Pilot Officer Pilot officer (Plt Off or P/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Pilot officer is the lowest ran ...
John Edwin (1919–1942), serving with Number 403 Squadron,
RCAF The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canad ...
, was killed in action while providing air cover and support during the
Dieppe Raid Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942) was a disastrous Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, during the Second World War. Over 6,050 infantry, predominantly Canadian, supported by a ...
on August 19, 1942. The Gardiner family farm was near Lemberg, Saskatchewan.


Legacy

As premier of Saskatchewan in 1928, Gardiner championed the Saskatchewan Sanitoria and Hospitals Act, the first legislation to provide free hospitalization and treatment for victims of tuberculosis anywhere in North America. It was passed unanimously by the provincial legislature on January 1, 1929, and is probably one of his least-known legacies to Saskatchewan public policy. As Minister of National War Services during World War II, Gardiner made a way for
conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...
s in Canada to perform alternate, non-military service. After deputy ministers stymied a delegation from Canada's Anabaptist
peace churches Peace churches are Christian churches, groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism or Biblical nonresistance. The term historic peace churches refers specifically only to three church groups among pacifist churches: * Church of the Breth ...
, they approached Gardiner directly, where they got a much warmer reception; as Gardiner was a member of the
United Church of Canada The United Church of Canada (UCC; ) is a mainline Protestant denomination that is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in Canada and the second largest Canadian Christian denomination after the Catholic Church in Canada. The United Chu ...
, which is also theologically committed to global peace. The National War Services Regulations were amended by Parliament on December 24, 1940, to allow for alternate service. Saskatchewan's Gardiner Dam, declared open on June 21, 1967, is named after him. In 2006, the
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
agreed to pull the movie '' Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story'' from all broadcasts in response to criticism about its portrayals of Gardiner.


Electoral history


Saskatchewan general elections, 1929 and 1934

Gardiner led the Liberal Party in two general elections, in 1929 and 1934. The 1929 election resulted in a Conservative
minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in ...
, but Gardiner won the 1934 election with a majority government.


1929 general election

Gardiner had succeeded Dunning as premier in 1926 and led the Liberals into the general election in 1929. Although Gardiner and the Liberals won pluralities in the popular vote and seats in the Assembly, they did not hold a majority. Gardiner chose to face the Assembly in hopes of obtaining sufficient support from some of the opposition members to maintain his government, but he lost a vote on a confidence matter and resigned. He was replaced as premier by James Anderson, whose Conservative Party held the second-greatest number of seats. 1 Premier when election was called; lost confidence motion in the Assembly after the election; resigned as Premier and became
Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
.
2 Co-Leader of the Opposition when the election was called; became Premier after successful non-confidence vote.


1934 general election

Gardiner remained leader of the Liberals and led them into the 1934 election, at the depths of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. The Liberals won a substantial majority government, taking fifty of the fifty-five seats in the Legislative Assembly. The election was a crushing defeat for the Conservatives under Anderson, who failed to win a single seat. The
Farmer-Labour Party The was a short-lived socialist political party in Japan. The party was the first of the proletarian parties that emerged in the country after the enactment of the Universal Manhood Suffrage Law (普通選挙法, ''Futsū Senkyo Hō'') in 192 ...
won five seats and formed the Opposition. 1 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Premier after the election.
2 Party leader during the election, but failed to win seat; role as Leader of the Opposition taken by George Hara Williams
3 Premier when election was called; lost seat in the election and retired.


Saskatchewan constituency elections

Gardiner stood for election to the Legislative Assembly seven times, once in a by-election and in six general elections. He was elected six times in the constituency of
North Qu'Appelle North Qu'Appelle is a former provincial electoral division for the Legislative Assembly of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. The district was created before the 1st Saskatchewan general election in 1905, and abolished before the 8th Sask ...
, and the seventh and last election in the constituency of Melville. He was elected twice by
acclamation An acclamation is a form of election that does not use a ballot. It derives from the ancient Roman word ''acclamatio'', a kind of ritual greeting and expression of approval towards imperial officials in certain social contexts. Voting Voice vot ...
, and five times in contested elections.


1914 By-election: North Qu'Appelle

The by-election was called on the resignation of the sitting Conservative member, John Archibald McDonald, who admitted to "corrupt practices" by his agent in the 1912 general election.Ernest J. Chambers, ''Canadian Parliamentary Guide'' (1915). E Elected.


1917 general election: North Qu'Appelle

E Elected.
X Incumbent.


1921 general election: North Qu'Appelle

E Elected.
X Incumbent.


1922 By-election: North Qu'Appelle

The by-election was called on Gardiner accepting the position of Minister of Highways in the Cabinet of Premier Dunning, an
office of profit An office of profit means a position that brings to the person holding it some financial gain, or advantage, or benefit. It may be an office or place of profit if it carries some remuneration, financial advantage, benefit etc. It is a term used i ...
under the Crown, on April 5, 1922.
E Elected.
X Incumbent.


1925 general election: North Qu'Appelle

E Elected.
X Incumbent.


1929 general election: North Qu'Appelle

E Elected.
X Incumbent.


1934 general election: Melville

E Elected.
X Incumbent.


Federal constituency elections, 1936 to 1958

Gardiner stood for election to the House of Commons seven times from 1936 to 1958, in two different Saskatchewan ridings (
Assiniboia Assiniboia District refers to two historical districts of Canada's Northwest Territories. The name is taken from the Assiniboine First Nation. Historical usage ''For more information on the history of the provisional districts, see also Distric ...
originally, and then Melville for the next six elections). He was elected six times. After his defeat in the 1958 election, he retired from politics.


1936 by-election: Assiniboia

By-election called after the sitting Liberal MP, Robert McKenzie, accepted an office of profit under the Crown on December 9, 1935. E Elected.


1940 general election: Melville

E Elected.


1945 general election: Melville

E Elected.
X Incumbent.


1949 general election: Melville

E Elected.
X Incumbent.


1953 general election: Melville

E Elected.
X Incumbent.
1 Rounding error.


1957 general election: Melville

E Elected.
X Incumbent.


1958 general election: Melville

E Elected.
X Incumbent.


References


External links

*
Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan Entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardiner, James 1883 births 1962 deaths People from Huron County, Ontario Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Premiers of Saskatchewan Canadian members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Leaders of the opposition of Saskatchewan Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Saskatchewan 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada Leaders of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party Saskatchewan Liberal Party MLAs Liberal Party of Canada MPs Members of the United Church of Canada