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On This Day in Canada’s Political History: Passing of Tommy Douglas, Father of Medicare

  • Arthur Milnes

  • February 24, 2021

On this date in 1986, Canada lost a beloved political leader who helped establish democratic socialism in mainstream politics.  The great Tommy Douglas, Canada’s first-ever leader of the federal NDP and a past Premier of Saskatchewan remembered for bringing Medicare to his province, died in Ottawa. Later that day, MPs paused to pay tribute to Mr. Douglas.  Here’s an excerpt from Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s tribute that sad day:

“Canada has lost the voice and the vision of one of our great humanitarians and one of our truly great parliamentarians... I knew of his reputation and his legend, and like many others here, was privileged to know the man himself. I knew of his personal qualities, his devotion to his church and to Canada … Tommy Douglas was an outstanding Canadian beloved by all members despite political differences. Perhaps the old Saskatchewan proverb said it best of all: ‘Tommy Douglas doesn’t have to kiss babies, babies kiss him.’”

A legend had passed into history. caption id="attachment_542350" align="aligncenter" width="440" Thomas Clement (“Tommy”) Douglas/caption Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist.  He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy.  A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.

Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.