People from far and wide associate Prince Albert with Prime Minister John G. Diefenbaker who represented this area in the House of Commons from 1953 until his death on Aug. 16, 1979. Everyone knows “Dief the Chief” is the manå from P.A., but how much do we know about him?
1. Diefenbaker was born on Sept. 18, 1895 in which southwestern Ontario town?
2. What were his parents’ names?
3. What was his brother’s name?
4. What brought the Diefenbaker family to Saskatchewan in 1903?
5. John Diefenbaker was the first student to secure three degrees from the University of Saskatchewan. What were they?
6. What was his first elected position?
7. He contested federal and provincial elections through the 1920s and 1930s with little success until he was elected to parliament in 1940 in which riding?
8. Diefenbaker was only the second Conservative MP elected in Prince Albert. Who was the first?
9. During his years as Prime Minister (1957-63) Diefenbaker appointed the first female cabinet minister in Canadian history. Who was she?
10. Diefenbaker appointed the first Indigenous member of the Senate. Who was he?
11. Diefenbaker was PM in 1960 when the vote was extended to what group of people?
12. What was Diefenbaker’s most historic piece of legislation?
Answers:
1. Neustadt.
2. William Thomas Diefenbaker and the former Mary Florence Bannerman
3. Elmer
4. William Diefenbaker accepted a teaching position near Fort Carlton.
5. Bachelor of Arts 1915, Master of Arts 1916, Bachelor of Law 1919
6. Elected to Wakaw village council in 1920.
7. He represented Lake Centre until the Liberal government eliminated the riding in 1952.
8. James McKay 1911-14
9. Ellen Fairclough was named Secretary of State in 1957
10. James Gladstone in 1958
11. First Nations and Inuit peoples
12. Canadian Bill of Rights enacted Aug. 19, 1960
