Cyril Keeper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cyril Keeper
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| Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North Centre |
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| In office 1984–1988 |
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| Preceded by | Stanley Knowles |
| Succeeded by | David Walker |
| Member of Parliament for Winnipeg—St. James |
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| In office 1980–1984 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Lane |
| Succeeded by | George Minaker |
| Winnipeg City Councillor | |
| In office 1977–unknown |
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| Preceded by | Robert Steen |
| Constituency | unknown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 17, 1943 Berens River, Manitoba, Canada |
| Political party | New Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | University of Winnipeg Carleton University |
Cyril Keeper (born July 17, 1943) is a politician from Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the House of Commons of Canada, which is part of Canada's Parliament. He served there from 1980 to 1988 as a member of the New Democratic Party.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Cyril Keeper was born in Berens River, a community in Manitoba. He is an Indigenous Canadian with Métis heritage.
He studied at the University of Winnipeg, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Later, he continued his studies at Carleton University and received a Master of Arts degree. Before becoming a politician, he worked for the Manitoba government from 1970 to 1975. From 1975 to 1977, he directed a program in Winnipeg that helped Indigenous families.
Starting in Politics
City Council Work
Cyril Keeper first became involved in politics at the local level. In 1977, he was elected to the Winnipeg City Council. He won against the person who held the position before him, Robert Steen. Interestingly, Steen was elected Mayor of Winnipeg on the same night. Keeper served on the city council for a little over two years.
Moving to Federal Politics
In 1980, Cyril Keeper was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in a national election. He won by a small number of votes in the Winnipeg—St. James area. At that time, the Liberal Party formed the government, so Keeper became a member of the opposition.
He was first chosen to be the New Democratic Party's "critic" for urban affairs and public works. A critic in politics is like a spokesperson for their party on specific topics. Later, he became the critic for jobs, unemployment insurance, and public services. During 1982 and 1983, he often spoke out, asking the government to focus more on the rising unemployment in Canada.
Re-election and Later Career
Changing Constituencies
For the 1984 federal election, Cyril Keeper decided to run in a different area called Winnipeg North Centre. This area was known to be a very safe place for the New Democratic Party to win. Some other members of his party were not happy about this, as they wanted to find a new, well-known candidate for that seat. However, Keeper won the nomination and was re-elected easily.
Role in Parliament
In his next term in Parliament, Keeper became his party's critic for postal services. He strongly disagreed with Canada Post's plans to reduce mail delivery in rural areas after 1986. He also supported the Meech Lake Accord in 1987, which was an agreement about the Canadian Constitution.
After Parliament
Cyril Keeper lost his seat in the 1988 federal election to David Walker from the Liberal Party. A few years later, in 1990, he suggested that many poor people in his former riding (the area he represented) might not have been able to vote. He believed this happened because the people who registered voters were hesitant to go into certain neighborhoods. However, he did not blame his election loss on this issue.
Keeper tried to run for the Winnipeg North Centre seat again in the 1993 federal election but did not win his party's nomination. In 1995, he ran for Winnipeg City Council again but lost. He said that public safety was one of his main concerns during that campaign.
In May 2005, Cyril Keeper, along with Jim Silver and Michael MacKenzie, published a study. This study, for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, looked at why fewer Indigenous voters participated in elections.
