Tommy Douglas (The Canadians)

Tommy Douglas was a Baptist preacher who organized his church as a relief centre for the poor in the hungry 1930s and rose to become a political legend in Saskatchewan, winning five straight majority governments and transforming the province. This acclaimed biography, written by a longtime friend and associate, closely follows his life through his working-class childhood and his boxing and political careers on the prairies to his years of national prominence as an advocate for peace, human rights, and Canadian independence.

Tommy recalled in the 1950s, “I came to believe that health services ought not to have a price-tag on them, and that people should be able to get whatever health services they required irrespective of their individual capacity to pay.” He was talking about what would become known as Medicare.

In his long and extensive political career Tommy went on to:

Pass more than 100 bills during his first term as Premier
Introduce paved roads
Introduce sewage systems and hydro to farmers
Reduce the provincial debt by $20 million
Introduce Saskatchewan residents to car insurance and labour reforms
Introduce his long-standing dream of universal Medicare

Douglas chose a hard road: in provincial government and federal opposition, he faced continuing hostility from mainstream institutions and the media. Often, though, his seemingly radical proposals simply anticipated later events. The Saskatchewan government’s medicare program provoked a bitter doctor’s strike and continent-wide controversy in 1961, but the program proved to be a success, and medicare was soon introduced across Canada with the support of all political parties.

Named CBC’s Greatest Canadian of all, the subject of Tommy Douglas will inspire young readers of Canadian history.

Recommended for readers aged 10+, (Grades 5+).

Written by Bill Waiser. Published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd., 2006.


Catalogue No.	1-55041-944-7
Price	$9.95
Format	Softcover
Pages	72
Language	English only

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This page last modified: December 11, 2007

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