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 ...
in
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