Sidney Labe Buckwold, (November 3, 1916 – June 27, 2001) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
politician, soldier, and businessman. Buckwold served as a
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
for 20 years and as mayor of
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
, for 11 years in two separate tenures.
Early life
Buckwold was born in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
,
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 ...
to Harry Buckwold and Dorothy Friedman in 1916. The family moved to Saskatoon in 1925, where Buckwold attended Buena Vista School, Nutana Collegiate and the
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, before going to
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
and receiving a
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce (abbreviated BComm or BCom; also, ''baccalaureates commercii'') is an undergraduate degree in business, usually awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanmar, ...
from
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
.
Afterwards, he returned to Saskatoon and worked for his father's dry goods store, Buckwold’s Ltd.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
he served as an officer with the Canadian Army Service Corps from 1942 to 1945. After the war he returned to Saskatoon and Buckwold's Ltd.
Political career
Saskatoon City Council
Buckwold was first elected to
Saskatoon City Council
Saskatoon City Council is the governing body of Saskatoon, the largest city in the central Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It consists of ten councillors representing ten wards throughout the city and the mayor of Saskatoon, who is elected c ...
as an alderman in 1953. When
John D. McAskill resigned as mayor in 1958, Buckwold ran to replace him, and was elected mayor. Buckwold was the first Jewish mayor in Saskatoon's history.
Buckwold himself resigned as mayor in 1963 in order to run as a
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 ...
candidate in the
federal election in the
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
riding. He lost to the
Progressive Conservative candidate,
Henry Frank Jones. He ran again in the 1964 by-election after Jones' death, but lost again, this time to Jones' widow,
Eloise.
In 1967, Buckwold returned to the mayor's office, and served in the role until 1971. During his time in office, Buckwold help to lay the groundwork for a revitalization of downtown Saskatoon by moving the
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
CN i ...
lines outside of the city.
In their place the city constructed a new cultural centre, Centennial Auditorium, and a shopping centre.
The federal government was so impressed with this successful vision of urban renewal that it began providing grants to other Canadian cities to move rail lines out of core urban areas.
Outside of the downtown core, Buckwold established the Mendel Art Gallery, which would be the city's main gallery well into the twenty first century.
He also oversaw the construction of the city's first freeway and the Idylwyld Bridge.
Buckwold was generally known as a booster of Saskatoon, and another former Senator from Saskatchewan,
David Tkachuk
David Tkachuk (born February 18, 1945) is a Canadian teacher, executive and politician. Tkachuk was a member of the Senate of Canada, representing Saskatchewan from 1993 to 2020.
Life and career
David Tkachuk was born on February 18, 1945, to G ...
, credited Buckwold with taking "a sleepy prairie agricultural town and imbu
ngit with spirit and pride."
To help raise the profile of the city, he brought the
Canada Winter Games
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 total ...
to Saskatoon in 1971, for which the city constructed a small ski hill.
Canadian Senate
In 1971, he resigned again as mayor, this time to accept an appointment to the
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.
The Senate is modelled after the B ...
on the recommendation of
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada
The prime mini ...
. A Liberal, he served as Government
Whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
in the Senate and as Vice-Chairman of the National Liberal Caucus, and he became affectionately known as "Senator Sid."
However, he was an advocate for Senate reform, arguing in favour of an elected Senate with better regional representation and less partisanship.
He served as a Senator until retiring in 1991 at age 75.
Personal life and legacy
Buckwold married Clarice Rabinovitch in 1939 and they had three children named Jay, Judy, and Linda.
He remained active in community life for many years, serving with organizations such as Community Chest and the Rotary Club, and he was a founding member of the local branch of the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Buckwold received numerous honours throughout his life and career. He was named Saskatoon Citizen of the Year in 1971.
In 1982, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Saskatchewan. In 1995, he was made an Officer of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
. He was also made an honorary Colonel of the
North Saskatchewan Regiment
, garrison = Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
, battles = North-West RebellionFirst World WarSecond World WarWar in Afghanistan
, battle_honours = See #Battle hon ...
for his military service.
Buckwold died on June 27, 2001, aged 84.
After his death, the City of Saskatoon renamed the Idylwyld Bridge, which was built during his time as mayor, to
Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge
The Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge is a bridge that spans the South Saskatchewan River between west and east shore in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It was built in 1966, on the same site as the original Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan (lat ...
in his honour.
Buckwold Cove in the
Arbor Creek
Arbor(s) or Arbour(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Arbor'' (installation), a 2013 public artwork in Indianapolis, Indiana, US
* Arbor, a counterweight-carrying device found in theater fly systems
* ''The Arbor'', a 1980 play by Andr ...
neighbourhood and Sidney L. Buckwold Park in
East College Park also bear his name.
See also
*
List of mayors of Saskatoon
This is a list of mayors of Saskatoon, the largest city in the central Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The mayor leads Saskatoon City Council, the city's governing body. The 28th and current mayor is Charlie Clark, who was first elected in 201 ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckwold, Sidney
1916 births
2001 deaths
Canadian senators from Saskatchewan
Candidates in the 1963 Canadian federal election
Liberal Party of Canada senators
Mayors of Saskatoon
McGill University Faculty of Management alumni
Officers of the Order of Canada
Politicians from Winnipeg
Jewish mayors of places in Canada
Liberal Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons
Saskatoon city councillors
Canadian Army personnel of World War II
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps officers
Canadian military personnel from Manitoba