This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
Located on the Riverfront Boardwalk in Weyburn, the Saskatchewan community where the man voted the 'the greatest Canadian' began his long career.
Weyburn, Sask. (14 Sept. 2010) - A statue honouring Tommy Douglas, who founded what became Canada's national Medicare program in the 1960s, has been unveiled in Weyburn, the prairie community where his long career began - about 115 kilometres southeast of Regina.
 |
Douglas was a Baptist minister in Weyburn before entering politics and leading the first democratic socialism government in North America. He was elected premier of Saskatchewan in 1944 and served until 1961. He then became the first national leader of Canada's New Democratic Party, successor to the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).
Douglas served as premier for 17 years and – without running deficits – created the Saskatchewan Power Corp., Canada's first public automobile insurance program and several large Crown corporations to compete with private interests.
He also introduced the first legislation in Canada allowing public employees to unionize, passed the Saskatchewan Bill of Rights and introduced the first free hospital care program for Saskatchewan citizens.
Over fierce opposition from doctors, the plan went into effect and established the model used to establish Canada's national Medicare program a few years later.
Actor Keifer Sutherland, a grandson of Douglas, participated in the unveiling ceremony Sept. 10 on the Riverfront Boardwalk in Weyburn.
"It's unbelievable," Sutherland said of the statue's likeness to his grandfather. "I'm honoured," he added on behalf of the Douglas family. "I wish we all could have been here."
The statue is the work of sculptor Lea Vivot. "I feel that his contribution [to Canada] ... was monumental," she said. "I wanted his legacy to go on, to somehow preserve it for future generations. And that was basically it. He just inspired me."
Vivot, who was born in Czechoslovakia but now lives in Ontario, said part of her inspiration for the statue sprang from her own experience following a car accident. She was shocked to receive no bill when she left hospital.
Vivot began the statue campaign in 2005 with a letter to the City of Weyburn. Community members raised money for materials and Vivot consulted residents and members of the Douglas family in designing the statue.
Douglas was voted 'the greatest Canadian' in 2004 in a national contest held by the CBC.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE