Reginald Frederick Wightman (May 28, 1899 – January 23, 1981) was a politician in Manitoba,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
. He served in the
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (french: Assemblée législative du 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 ...
as a
Liberal-Progressive
Liberal-Progressive was a label used by a number of candidates in Canadian elections between 1925 and 1953. In federal and Ontario politics, there was no Liberal-Progressive party: it was an alliance between two parties. In Manitoba, a party exis ...
from 1949 to 1958.
Wightman was born in
Nesbitt,
Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Win ...
. He was educated at Manitoba University, which later became the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.[Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...](_blank)
area. He began his political career at the municipal level, serving as chair of the St. James School Board for four years, and as a councillor for six years. Wightman became
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
of
St. James in 1945, and continued to serve as the mayor of the suburb even after his election to the provincial legislature. In 1928, he married Alice Maud Thring.
He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the
1949 provincial election, defeating incumbent
Cooperative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF; french: Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif, FCC); from 1955 the Social Democratic Party of Canada (''french: Parti social démocratique du Canada''), was a federal democratic socialistThe foll ...
MLA
Ernest R. Draffin by 1,214 votes in the constituency of
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 ...
. He was re-elected in the
1953 election,
defeating CCF challenger
Alvin Mackling by 281 votes. Wightman was a backbench supporter of
Douglas Campbell's government during his time in the legislature.
The Liberal-Progressives lost power following the
1958 provincial election, following a large-scale electoral redistribution. Wightman was defeated in the redistributed constituency of
St. James, losing to
Progressive Conservative Douglas Stanes by 476 votes.
Wightman returned to municipal politics after his provincial defeat. In 1969, he became the first finance committee chair of the new city of St. James–Assiniboia.
[''Winnipeg Free Press'', 8 January 1969, p. 12.]
He died in Winnipeg at the age of 81.
His son, Reginald C. Wightman, is also a public figure in Winnipeg.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wightman, Reginald
1899 births
1981 deaths
Manitoba Liberal Party MLAs