George Johnson (politician)

George Johnson , OC (born November 18, 1920 in Winnipeg , † July 8, 1995 in Gimli , Manitoba ) was a Canadian doctor and politician . Between 1958 and 1969 he held several ministerial posts in the provincial governments of Dufferin Roblin and Walter Weir . From 1986 to 1993 he served as lieutenant governor of the province of Manitoba.

biography

Johnson studied medicine at the University of Manitoba . From 1941 to 1945 he served as a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II . He graduated in 1950 and practiced as a doctor in the city of Gimli .

In 1958 Johnson ran for the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly elections and won in the Gimli constituency. The new Prime Minister Dufferin Roblin then appointed him Minister for Social Welfare. From 1961 he was Minister of Health, from 1963 Minister of Education. Dufferin's successor, Walter Weir , made him Minister of Health and Social Development in 1968. His accomplishments include founding the University of Winnipeg and Brandon University, and establishing Medicare, the state health insurance company .

Johnson did not seek re-election in 1969 and practiced his traditional profession again in Winnipeg. From 1978 to 1986 he served the provincial government as a special advisor on health care. Governor General Jeanne Sauvé swore him in on December 11, 1986 as Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. He held this representative office until March 5, 1993. The University of Winnipeg awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1992 , and in 1994 he received the Order of Canada .

Web links

• Listing on the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba website
• Biography on the Manitoba Historical Society website