James Robert Ferguson (born August 19, 1925 in

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

– February 26, 2013) was a farmer and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

in Manitoba,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (french: Assemblée législative du Manitoba) is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at provincial gener ...

from 1969 to 1981 for the riding of

. The son of Thomas Ferguson and Violet Power, Ferguson received his formal education in the Manitoba school system, and did not attend university. He was active in

freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

. In 1946, he married June Collins. He operated a farm in the Helston district. He was elected to the Manitoba legislature for the riding of

in the 1969 election, defeating incumbent

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Nelson Shoemaker by 417 votes. He was re-elected by a greater margin in the 1973 election, and again in the 1977 election as the Tories formed government under

Sterling Lyon Sterling Rufus Lyon (January 30, 1927 – December 16, 2010) was a Canadian lawyer, cabinet minister, and the 17th premier of Manitoba from 1977 to 1981. His government introduced several fiscally-conservative measures, and was sometimes seen a ...

. Ferguson was not appointed to Lyon's cabinet. He retired from politics in 1981, citing a family illness. Ferguson later returned to farming. He died at Third Crossing Manor in Gladstone at the age of 87.

References

1925 births 2013 deaths Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs Canadian people of Scottish descent {{Manitoba-politician-stub