Lester Burry facts for kids
Lester L. Burry (1898–1977) was an important person from Newfoundland. He was a church minister and also a politician. He was born in a place called Safe Harbour in Bonavista Bay, which was part of the Colony of Newfoundland at the time. He was even given the Order of Canada award, which is a very high honor in Canada.
A Church Leader: Minister and President
Lester Burry became a minister in the Methodist Church in 1924. A minister is a leader in a church who helps people with their faith. In 1925, the Methodist Church in Newfoundland joined with other churches to form the United Church of Canada. Even though the church joined Canada, Newfoundland itself did not become part of Canada until 1949. Later in his life, from 1959 to 1960, Lester Burry became the President of the United Church's group in Newfoundland. This was a very important leadership role.
Helping Newfoundland Join Canada
Lester Burry played a big part in Newfoundland joining Canada. From 1946 to 1948, he was a special representative, called a Delegate, for Labrador at the National Convention. This meeting was held to decide Newfoundland's future. He was the very first politician ever chosen to represent Labrador.
During the National Convention, Lester Burry was one of the main people who wanted Newfoundland to join Canada. This process is called Confederation. In 1947, he was part of a group that went to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada's capital. This group was called the Ottawa Delegation. Their job was to talk about the rules and agreements for Newfoundland to become a Canadian province.
The members of this important group were:
- T.G.W. Ashbourne (from Twillingate)
- F.G. Bradley (from Bonavista South)
- Charles Ballam (from Humber)
- Lester Burry (from Labrador)
- P.W. Crummey (from Bay de Verde)
- Joey Smallwood (from Bonavista Centre)
See also
- List of people of Newfoundland and Labrador
