Edward Schreyer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Schreyer
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| 22nd Governor General of Canada | |
| In office January 22, 1979 – May 14, 1984 |
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| 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 |
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| 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
December 21, 1935 Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada |
| Political party | New Democratic |
| Spouse |
Lily Schreyer
(m. 1960) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Manitoba (BA), (BEd), (MA) |
| Profession |
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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 in 1958. Later, he moved into federal politics, winning a seat in the House of Commons in Ottawa. 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, but he was not successful. He was the first person to run for election in Canada after being Governor General.
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Early Life and Education
Edward Schreyer was born in Beausejour, Manitoba. His parents, John Schreyer and Elizabeth Gottfried, were Catholic and had German-Austrian roots. 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 there. These included 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.
While studying for his advanced degrees, Schreyer married Lily Schultz. They had four children: two daughters named Lisa and Karmel, and two sons named Jason and Toban.
Political Journey
In the Manitoba election of 1958, Schreyer was elected to the provincial government. He was a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) for the area of Brokenhead. At just 22 years old, Schreyer 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 new name for the Manitoba CCF. Schreyer was different from past NDP leaders because he came from a rural background. He also gained support from many voters who were not usually part of the party. He was the first leader of the Manitoba CCF/NDP who was not of British and Protestant background.
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 government. Schreyer himself was elected again from the new area of Rossmere in north Winnipeg.
The NDP had 28 seats, which was one seat short of a majority. At first, other parties thought about working together to keep the NDP out of power. But then, Liberal politician Laurent Desjardins decided to support Schreyer. This made Schreyer the first social democratic premier in Manitoba's history. Desjardins later joined the NDP.
Premier of Manitoba
As Premier, Schreyer oversaw several important changes. The city of Winnipeg was combined with its suburbs. He also introduced public car insurance and greatly lowered healthcare fees. He was re-elected in 1973. During his second term, the government was less focused on new policies. One notable change was the mining tax law in 1974.
Schreyer also served as his own finance minister from 1972 to 1975. He was also in charge of Manitoba Hydro from 1971 to 1977. In these roles, he suggested building hydroelectric power plants instead of those that burn coal and gas. He also introduced laws that removed provincial healthcare fees and started home care and prescription drug programs.
Schreyer sometimes had different ideas than the federal NDP. For example, in 1970, he supported Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's use of the War Measures Act during a crisis. This was even though the federal NDP leader, Tommy Douglas, disagreed.
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. At that time, Prime Minister Trudeau offered him the job of Governor General.
Governor General of Canada
On December 28, 1978, Queen Elizabeth II officially appointed Edward Schreyer as her representative. He took over from Jules Léger. He was sworn in during a ceremony on January 22, 1979. This made him the first Governor General from Manitoba. At 43 years old, he was also the third youngest person ever appointed to the role.
As Governor General, Schreyer supported women's issues, the environment, and official bilingualism (having two 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 fought for Canadian women to be legally recognized as persons.
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. This conference has been held every four years since then. 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.
Schreyer wanted to connect with people in a friendly way. This was sometimes different from the formal way people expected the Governor General to act.
Life After Being Governor General
After finishing his term as Governor General in 1984, Schreyer said he would donate his pension to the environmental Canadian Shield Foundation. Unlike other former Governors General, he wanted to stay involved in politics and diplomacy. On the same day he left office, his successor appointed him as 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 for various organizations. He was a national representative for Habitat for Humanity. He was also an honorary director for the Sierra Legal Defence Fund. He was an honorary advisor for the Canadian Foundation for the Preservation of Chinese Cultural and Historical Treasures. He also 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, and the environment. 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, who was 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. He lost to the Conservative candidate, James Bezan.
Schreyer also spoke about 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 that wants to govern must be ready to face and get the support of Parliament.
Titles and Honours
Titles
- July 15, 1969 – November 24, 1977: The Honourable Edward Schreyer
- January 22, 1979 – February 18, 1988: His Excellency the Right Honourable Edward Schreyer
- February 18, 1988 – : The Right Honourable Edward Schreyer
Honours
Ribbon bars of Edward Schreyer
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- Appointments
January 22, 1979 – May 14, 1984: Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada (CC)
- May 14, 1984 – May 8, 2013: Companion of the Order of Canada (CC)
- May 8, 2013 –: Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada (CC)
- January 22, 1979 – May 14, 1984: Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM)
- May 14, 1984 – May 8, 2013: Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM)
- May 8, 2013 –: Extraordinary Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM)
- January 22, 1979 – May 14, 1984: Knight of Justice, Prior, and Chief Officer in Canada of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (KStJ)
- May 14, 1984 – : Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (KStJ)
- January 22, 1979 – May 14, 1984: Chief Scout of Canada
- 1979 – : Honorary Member of the Royal Military College of Canada Club
- June 3, 1984 – : Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada (PC)
July 13, 2000 – : Member of the Order of Manitoba (OM)
- Medals
- January 22, 1979: Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)
- 1967: Canadian Centennial Medal
- 1977: Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
- 1992: Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada
- 2002: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
- 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
- Awards
- 1975: Governor General Vanier Award as an Outstanding Young Canadian of the Year
Honorary Military Appointments
January 22, 1979 – May 14, 1984: Colonel of the Governor General's Horse Guards- January 22, 1979 – May 14, 1984: Colonel of the Governor General's Foot Guards
- January 22, 1979 – May 14, 1984: Colonel of the Canadian Grenadier Guards
Honorific Eponyms
Manitoba: Edward Schreyer International Student Bursary, Brandon University, Brandon
Ontario: Edward Schreyer Fellowship, University of Toronto, Toronto
Coat of Arms
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The wavy lines represent the Brokenhead River near Schreyer's hometown of Beausejour. They also stand for the Assiniboine River in Winnipeg, where Schreyer was Premier. To the left of these lines are symbols of Manitoba (west). To the right are symbols of Ontario (east). The disc with a red cross is the emblem of the Anglican Church of Canada. The royal crown on it shows Schreyer's role as the Queen's representative. |
See also
In Spanish: Edward Schreyer para niños
- List of premiers of Manitoba
- List of Manitobans
- List of Canadian university leaders
