Backgrounder
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas served as Premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 leading the first, and only, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) government in Canada. Trained as a Baptist preacher, he became a skilled politician, witty orator, and advocate for social justice, believing political action was the best way to improve Canadians' lives. As Premier, his government pioneered publicly funded hospital insurance, which laid the foundations for a national medicare program. He became the first leader of the federal New Democratic Party in 1961, a position he held until 1971, and wielded significant influence defending human rights and strengthening Canada's social welfare programs.
Tommy Douglas was born 20 October 1904 in Falkirk, Scotland, to a religious, working-class family, who encouraged him to debate politics, religion, and current events while being open to other perspectives. The family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1911. His commitment to civil liberties was reinforced after witnessing 'Bloody Saturday' during the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, where several strikers were killed and leaders arrested. He would go on to become an ordained pastor in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and, in 1933, helped found the CCF, a political coalition of progressive and labour groups with a platform centered on economic reform.
Douglas won a federal seat with the CCF in 1935, serving two terms before entering provincial politics. First elected premier of Saskatchewan in 1944, he would serve five terms. His government's ambitious platform included new administrative structures for economic planning and an innovative program of social reform. It introduced labour and human rights codes and pioneered a new approach to relations between Indigenous Peoples and government. Douglas was also an important influence on the development of medicare in Canada, building on the Saskatchewan tradition of co-operative values to implement the first publicly funded, universally accessible hospital insurance plan in 1947. This was followed by a plan to cover physician services, which concerned doctors worried about regimentation and interference in the doctor-patient relationship. A disruptive 1962 doctor's strike delayed its implementation, but a compromise was reached and, despite some lingering hostilities, both programs would set the standard for other provinces. This led to federal cost-sharing to facilitate universal, Canada-wide public health care, which remains deeply tied to Canadian identity and values.
In 1961, Douglas returned to federal politics as leader of the newly-created New Democratic Party, an alliance between the old CCF and the Canadian Labour Congress. As the third party in Parliament, it was able to use its position to influence minority governments in pushing for the adoption of national social welfare programs, such as medicare and old age pensions. Often the conscience of Parliament on civil liberties, Douglas was one of the few who spoke against the invocation of the War Measures Act during the October Crisis of 1970.
T. C. "Tommy" Douglas remains a much-admired political figure. Even those who disagree with his politics admire his pragmatism, oratory skills, integrity, and commitment to social justice. But most of all, Tommy Douglas is an icon for medicare. For his lifetime of service, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1980.
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