"I don't mind being a symbol but I don't want to become a monument. There are monuments all over the Parliament Buildings and I've seen what the pigeons do to them."
The very-underrated-by-my-generation Tommy Douglas was voted The Greatest Canadian.
And with very good reason. He's the most influential politician Canada has ever seen (especially impressive since he was never prime minister), and a very big reason Canada is so great. Douglas started out as a social activist in Weyburn, Saskatchewan and went on to lead the Saskatchewan CCF, which eventually became the first democratic socialist government in all of North America. Douglas is considered (though sometimes he does not get the credit he deserves) the father of many of the social programs and legislation we take for granted today:
- prime creator of public healthcare in Saskatchewan, which soon spread to the rest of the country with the help of Lester B Pearson and John Deifenbaker
- created several Crown corporations
- created legislation that allowed the unionization of the public service
- helped pass the Saskatchewan Bill of Rights, which protected equality rights and fundamental freedoms for the individual from the government as well as from more powerful corporations and individuals
- creation of the Saskatchewan Power Corp which was publicly owned and helped deliver electricity to rural farms and villages
He eventually went on to become the leader of the NDP until his retirement in 1979.
Douglas fought hard for what he believed in even when no one would back him up; he was the definition of a true activist. He faced enormous struggles in creating public healthcare especially, which is something the majority of Canadians are grateful for today.
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