Gerald Stairs "Gerry" Merrithew (September 23, 1931 – September 5, 2004), born in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...

, Canada, was an educator, provincial and federal politician, and statesman. Merrithew graduated from the New Brunswick Teachers' College, then obtained his BA and

B.Ed A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is an undergraduate professional degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. In some countries such as Tanzania and Kenya, additional tasks like field work and research are required in order for ...

degrees from the

University of New Brunswick The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North Americ ...

. With a lifelong interest in the

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

, he became an Officer Cadet and rose to the rank of

Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

. As a High School Principal, he was active not only in the educational field, but the military, recreational fields, as well as cultural affairs that led to his entering politics.

Provincial politics

First elected to the

Saint John City Council The Saint John City Council or Saint John Common Council as distinguished by the city's own charter, is the city council for the city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The council consists of the mayor and ten councillors. In the 2007 Saint J ...

in 1971 he went into Provincial politics in 1972, winning a by-election for the Provincial Progressive Conservative Party. Re-elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1974, he would be appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Education then in 1976, Minister of Commerce & Development. After winning re-election again in 1978 and in 1982, he became the

Minister of Natural Resources The minister of natural resources () is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). In addition to NRCan, the minister oversees the federal government's natural resources portfolio ...

Government House Leader The leader of the government in the House of Commons (), more commonly known as the government house leader, is the Cabinet minister responsible for planning and managing the government's legislative program in the House of Commons of Canada. De ...

, and

Deputy Premier A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

Federal politics

Gerald Merrithew resigned his provincial seat to run as a

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC; french: Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) was a centre-right federal political party in Canada that existed from 1942 to 2003. From Canadian Confederation in 1867 until 1942, the ...

candidate for the Saint John riding in the

1984 Canadian federal election The 1984 Canadian federal election was held on September 4, 1984, to elect members to the House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada. In one of the largest landslide victories in Canadian political history, the Progressive Conservative ...

. Elected to the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, and with his party winning the election, Merrithew was immediately appointed

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In o ...

for Forestry then in 1986 to Forestry & Mines. After winning his seventh consecutive election in 1988, he was appointed Minister for the purpose of the

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency In Canada, the Regional Development Agencies (RDA) are the seven federal government agencies responsible for addressing key economic challenges and furthering economic development, diversification, and job creation specific to their respective regi ...

and Minister of Veterans Affairs.

Retirement

In 1993, Merrithew resigned from Cabinet and did not seek re-election. He and his wife retired to their farm in Springfield, New Brunswick at the head of the

Belleisle Bay Belleisle Bay is a fjord-like branch of the Saint John River in the Canadian province of New Brunswick Species of fish common to the area include, among others: *Yellow perch *White perch *Smallmouth bass *American eel *Lamprey eel *Pumpkin see ...

. Active with numerous Military and Veterans Associations, Merrithew was a member of the

Queen's Privy Council for Canada The 's Privy Council for Canada (french: Conseil privé du Roi pour le Canada),) during the reign of a queen. sometimes called Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council (PC), is the full group of personal consultants to the ...

and also held several directorships including the "26th Battalion Overseas Association Inc." where in 1995 he was instrumental in publishing the history of the Battalion by S. Douglas MacGowan ().

Death

Gerald Merrithew died of cancer on September 5, 2004, aged 72.

Electoral history

References

Hansard, 1st Session, 38th Parliament, Volume 142, Issue 16
*
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick tribute to Gerald Merrithew
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrithew, Gerald 1931 births 2004 deaths Deaths from cancer in New Brunswick Members of the Executive Council of New Brunswick Members of the House of Commons of Canada from New Brunswick Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick MLAs Saint John, New Brunswick city councillors Heads of schools in Canada University of New Brunswick alumni Members of the 24th Canadian Ministry