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The Right Honourable
Edward Schreyer
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Edward Schreyer delivering Speech from the Throne 1980 (cropped).jpg
22nd Governor General of Canada
In office
January 22, 1979 – May 14, 1984
Monarch Elizabeth II
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Joe Clark
Preceded by Jules Léger
Succeeded by Jeanne Sauvé
16th Premier of Manitoba
In office
July 15, 1969 – November 24, 1977
Monarch Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor Richard S. Bowles
William J. McKeag
Francis L. Jobin
Preceded by Walter Weir
Succeeded by Sterling Lyon
More...
Personal details
Born
Edward Richard Schreyer

(1935-12-21) December 21, 1935 (age 89)
Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada
Political party New Democratic
Spouse
Lily Schreyer
​
(m. 1960)​
Children 4
Alma mater University of Manitoba (BA), (BEd), (MA)
Profession

Edward Richard Schreyer (born December 21, 1935) is a Canadian politician and diplomat. He served as the 22nd governor general of Canada from 1979 to 1984. Before that, he was the 16th premier of Manitoba from 1969 to 1977.

Schreyer grew up and went to school in Manitoba. He was first elected to the province's government assembly in 1958. Later, he moved into federal politics, winning a seat in the House of Commons. In 1969, he returned to Manitoba to lead the provincial New Democratic Party (NDP). His party won the election that year, and Schreyer became the Premier of Manitoba at age 33.

In 1978, Queen Elizabeth II appointed him Governor General. This was suggested by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Schreyer took over from Jules Léger and served until Jeanne Sauvé became Governor General in 1984. As the Queen's representative, he was praised for supporting Ukrainian Canadians. After his time as Governor General, he worked as Canada's High Commissioner to Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. He later tried to be elected to the House of Commons again, which was a first for a former Governor General.

Early Life and Education

Edward Schreyer was born in Beausejour, Manitoba. His parents, John Schreyer and Elizabeth Gottfried, were Catholic and of German-Austrian heritage. His mother's parents came from western Ukraine.

Schreyer went to Cromwell Elementary School and Beausejour Collegiate Secondary School. He then studied at United College and St. John's College at the University of Manitoba. He earned several degrees, including a Bachelor of Pedagogy in 1959, a Bachelor of Education in 1962, and two Master of Arts degrees in International Relations and Economics in 1963. From 1962 to 1965, Schreyer taught International Relations at St. Paul's College.

UofMStJohnsCollegeEntrance
St. John's College, University of Manitoba, where Edward Schreyer studied

While studying for his advanced degrees, Schreyer married Lily Schultz. They had four children: two daughters, Lisa and Karmel, and two sons, Jason and Toban.

Political Journey

In the Manitoba election of 1958, Schreyer was elected to the provincial assembly. He represented the rural area of Brokenhead as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). At 22 years old, he was the youngest person ever elected to the assembly.

He held this position until 1965, when he resigned to run for the House of Commons in Ottawa. He won that election. In 1969, he returned to provincial politics. On June 8, he was chosen as the leader of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba (NDP). This party was the successor to the Manitoba CCF.

Schreyer was different from previous NDP leaders in Manitoba. He came from a rural background and was not strictly focused on socialism. This helped him gain support from many voters who had not supported the party before. He was also the first leader of the Manitoba CCF/NDP who was not of British and Protestant background.

Becoming Premier of Manitoba

Schreyer led his party to a big win in the 1969 provincial election. The NDP gained 17 seats, moving from third place to first in the legislature. Schreyer himself was elected from the new Winnipeg area of Rossmere.

With 28 seats, the NDP was one seat short of a majority. At first, the Liberal and Progressive Conservative parties thought about forming a group to keep the NDP out of power. But then, Liberal Laurent Desjardins decided to support Schreyer. He later joined the NDP. This made Schreyer the first social democratic premier in Manitoba's history.

During Schreyer's time as premier, the city of Winnipeg merged with its surrounding areas. He also introduced public car insurance and greatly reduced health care costs. He was re-elected in 1973. His government continued to work on important policies, like new mining tax laws in 1974.

Schreyer also served as his own Minister of Finance from 1972 to 1975. He was also in charge of Manitoba Hydro from 1971 to 1977. In these roles, he supported building hydroelectric power plants instead of those that burn coal and gas. He also introduced laws that removed provincial health care fees and started home care and prescription drug programs.

Sometimes, Schreyer's policies were different from those of the federal NDP. For example, in 1970, he supported Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's use of the War Measures Act during the October Crisis. This was despite the federal NDP leader Tommy Douglas being against it.

In the 1977 provincial election, Schreyer's New Democrats lost to the Progressive Conservative Party led by Sterling Lyon. Schreyer remained the NDP leader in opposition until 1979. That's when Prime Minister Trudeau offered him the job of Governor General.

Schreyer's government helped people in the northern part of Manitoba. They provided services like school milk programs, recreation, housing, and training centers. They also helped local businesses and cooperatives. These programs offered financial help and services to people who needed them.

Serving as Governor General of Canada

On December 28, 1978, Queen Elizabeth II officially appointed Edward Schreyer to be the next Governor General. He was chosen by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to replace Jules Léger. Schreyer was sworn in during a ceremony in the Senate chamber on January 22, 1979. He was the first Governor General from Manitoba. At 43 years old, he was also the third youngest person ever appointed to this role.

As Governor General, Schreyer focused on issues important to women, the environment, and official bilingualism (having both English and French as official languages). In his first year, he created the Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case. This award recognized the efforts of Emily Murphy and others who worked to ensure women were legally recognized as "persons" in Canada.

In 1981, he started the Governor General's Conservation Awards. In 1983, he created the Edward Schreyer Fellowship in Ukrainian Studies at the University of Toronto. Also in 1983, he led the first Governor General's Canadian Study Conference, which now happens every four years. Schreyer also honored Terry Fox by making him a Companion of the Order of Canada. He traveled to Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, to give Fox the award.

In 1980, there was some discussion when he hesitated to call an election after Prime Minister Joe Clark suggested it. Schreyer also later hinted that he might have ended parliament at any time in 1981 and 1982. This would have happened if Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau had tried to make big changes to the constitution on his own.

Schreyer wanted to connect with people in a friendly way. However, the role of Governor General was often seen as more formal. Because of this, some media outlets criticized him. When Jeanne Sauvé took over, a writer for Maclean's magazine said that she was expected to bring back elegance to Government House after Schreyer's "earnest Prairie populism."

Life After Being Governor General

After finishing his term as Governor General in 1984, Schreyer announced he would donate his pension to the environmental Canadian Shield Foundation. Unlike other former Governors General, he planned to stay involved in politics and diplomacy. On the same day he left office, he was appointed by his successor to be High Commissioner to Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. He held these positions until 1988, when he returned to Winnipeg.

Back in Canada, Schreyer worked as a national representative for Habitat for Humanity. He was also an honorary director for the Sierra Legal Defence Fund and an honorary advisor for the Canadian Foundation for the Preservation of Chinese Cultural and Historical Treasures. He helped start the Winnipeg Library Foundation.

Starting in 1989, he was a guest professor at universities in North America and Europe. He gave talks on topics like geography, energy economics, and environmental impact. On November 1, 2002, Schreyer became the Chancellor of Brandon University. He was re-elected in 2005 and served until October 31, 2008.

Return to Politics

In the 2006 federal election, Schreyer, then 70 years old, ran as an NDP candidate. He ran in the area of Selkirk—Interlake. This was the first time a former Governor General tried to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons. Before this, former Lieutenant Governors had joined the Senate, and some former Governors General from the United Kingdom had returned there to be part of political parties.

Schreyer lost the election to the Conservative candidate, James Bezan. Schreyer received 37% of the votes, while Bezan received 49%. During the campaign, some of his past comments about social issues were brought up by his opponents. Schreyer stated in 2005 that he supported same-sex marriage, as the law did not force religious groups to perform such marriages.

Schreyer also commented on the federal political dispute of 2008-09. In this dispute, opposition parties threatened to remove their support for the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. Schreyer said that any group wanting to govern must be ready to face and gain the support of Parliament. He emphasized that this should not be avoided.

His son, Jason Schreyer, was a Winnipeg city councillor from 2014 until his death in 2025.

Honours and Awards

Edward Schreyer has received many honours and awards throughout his life.

Appointments
Medals
  • Canada January 22, 1979: Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)
  • Canada 1967: Canadian Centennial Medal
  • Canada 1977: Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
  • Canada 1992: Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada
  • Canada 2002: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
  • Canada 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
Awards
  • Canada 1975: Governor General Vanier Award as an Outstanding Young Canadian of the Year

Places Named After Edward Schreyer

Coat of Arms

Edward Schreyer has his own special coat of arms. This was given to him in 1988. It includes symbols that represent his life and work.

  • The bison comes from the coat of arms of Manitoba, where he was born.
  • The moose is inspired by the Coat of arms of Ontario, where he lived while working in Ottawa.
  • The fir tree represents Ontario's northern forests.
  • The prairie crocus flower on the bison's collar is also on Manitoba's coat of arms and shows the prairies.
  • The wheat sheaf also represents the prairies.
  • The polar bear stands for Canada's North, where Schreyer often traveled. It also represents his efforts to protect the environment.
  • The wavy lines symbolize the Brokenhead River near his hometown and the Assiniboine River in Winnipeg.
  • The red cross with a royal crown shows his service as the Queen's representative.

His motto is in several languages: FREEDOM EGALITÉ JUSTICE • ARBEIT ЗНАННЯ DIGNITA (Freedom Equality Justice • Work Knowledge Dignity).

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Edward Schreyer para niños

  • List of premiers of Manitoba
  • List of Manitobans
  • List of Canadian university leaders
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