Cyril Keeper facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cyril Keeper
Member of the House of Commons of Canada
In office 1984–1988
Preceded by	Stanley Knowles
Succeeded by	David Walker
Constituency	Winnipeg North Centre
In office 1980–1984
Preceded by	Bob Lane
Succeeded by	George Minaker
Constituency	Winnipeg—St. James
Winnipeg City Councillor
In office 1977–unknown
Preceded by	Robert Steen
Constituency	unknown
Personal details
Born	(1943-07-17) July 17, 1943 (age 81) Berens River, Manitoba, Canada
Political party	New Democratic Party
Alma mater	University of Winnipeg Carleton University

Cyril Keeper (born July 17, 1943) is a Canadian politician from Manitoba. He was a member of the House of Commons of Canada, which is like Canada's main parliament, from 1980 to 1988. He was part of the New Democratic Party.

Who is Cyril Keeper?

Cyril Keeper was born in Berens River, a community in Manitoba. He is an Indigenous Canadian person, with Métis heritage.

Early Life and Education

Cyril Keeper studied at two universities. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Winnipeg. Later, he received a Master of Arts degree from Carleton University. Before becoming a politician, he worked for the Manitoba government from 1970 to 1975. He also directed a program in Winnipeg that helped Indigenous families from 1975 to 1977.

Starting in Politics: City Council

In 1977, Cyril Keeper was elected to the Winnipeg City Council. This is like the local government for the city of Winnipeg. He served on the city council for about two years. After that, he decided to get involved in national politics.

Serving in the Canadian Parliament

Cyril Keeper became a member of the House of Commons of Canada in the 1980 federal election. This is where laws are made for all of Canada. He won his first election in the area called Winnipeg—St. James.

First Term as an MP (1980-1984)

When he first joined Parliament, his party, the New Democratic Party, was in opposition. This means they were not the party in charge of the government. Cyril Keeper became a "critic" for his party. A critic is like a spokesperson who focuses on specific topics. He spoke about urban affairs and public works. Later, he focused on jobs and unemployment. He often asked the government to do more about the number of people who didn't have jobs.

Second Term as an MP (1984-1988)

For the 1984 election, Cyril Keeper ran in a different area called Winnipeg North Centre. This area was known for strongly supporting the New Democratic Party. He won his election easily. In this term, he became his party's critic for postal services. He spoke out against plans to reduce mail delivery in rural areas. He also supported an agreement called the Meech Lake Accord in 1987, which was about changing the Canadian Constitution.

After Parliament

Cyril Keeper ran for re-election in 1988 but lost his seat. He later tried to get back into federal politics in 1993 but did not win his party's nomination. He also ran for Winnipeg City Council again in 1995 but was not elected. He was very interested in public safety during this time.

In 2005, Cyril Keeper worked with others on a study. This study looked at why fewer Indigenous voters participated in elections.