Clifford Emerson Wright, (September 21, 1927 – December 9, 2014) 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 who served as the mayor of

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the 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 Yellowhead Highway, and has served as th ...

, the largest city in the central Canadian province of

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in 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 the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...

, from 1976 to 1988. At the time he left office after 12 years, he was the longest-serving mayor in the city's history, although his tenure has since been surpassed by

Don Atchison Donald James Atchison (born March 1, 1952) is a Canadian politician who was Mayor of Saskatoon, the largest city in the central Canadian province of Saskatchewan, from 2003 to 2016. Atchison was elected mayor four times, tied for the most after ...

, who was mayor for 13 years.

Early life and career

Wright was born and raised in Saskatoon, the fifth of five children to Sam and Ada Wright. He attended Albert and Victoria Elementary School, and Nutana Collegiate. After high school, he studied engineering at 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, ...

, although he left before completing his degree to join Smith Brothers and Wilson in 1947 as an apprentice carpenter. There he rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the company's Vice President in Saskatchewan, and in 1987 he bought out the company's Saskatchewan assets and started Wright Construction. Along with his son, Lorne, Wright oversaw the company as it became the largest general contractor based in Saskatchewan, working on projects from British Columbia to Ontario.

Political career

Saskatoon City Council

Wright first ran for

Saskatoon City Council Saskatoon City Council is the governing body of Saskatoon, the largest city in the central Canadian province of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered ...

in 1965, but he was unsuccessful in his bid. He ran again and was elected, joining Council in 1967 and serving in that role until 1976.

Mayor of Saskatoon

In 1976 Wright ran for mayor, beginning what was an unprecedented tenure in the mayor's office. He would win four successive terms, the first to do so after mayoral terms were extended beyond one year in 1954. In addition, Wright was the first mayor of Saskatoon to have been born in the city. During his 12 years as mayor, Wright oversaw a period of significant investment in public projects, playing a key role in the development of the

Meewasin Valley Authority The Meewasin Valley Authority is a conservation organization created by the Provincial Government of Saskatchewan in Canada and is dedicated to conserving the cultural and natural resources of the South Saskatchewan River Valley. The authority's ...

, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Saskatchewan Place, and a variety of other recreational facilities and city infrastructure. During this time he was also appointed Chairman of

PotashCorp The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, also known as PotashCorp, was a company based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The company merged with Calgary-based Agrium to form Nutrien, in a transaction that closed on January 1, 2018. The company was t ...

. Wright opted not to run for re-election in 1988.

Treaty Commissioner

Upon leaving the mayor's office, Wright became the Treaty Commissioner for the federal government from 1989 to 1996. In that role, he worked with the

Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), formerly known as the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, is a Saskatchewan-based First Nations organization. It represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan and is committed to honouri ...

and helped to shape the Treaty Land Entitlement Agreement signed by the federal and provincial governments and 25 Saskatchewan First Nations in 1992.

Personal life

Wright continued to play a role in public life throughout the 1990s, sitting on the boards of City and Royal University Hospitals and serving as the first chair of the Saskatoon Health Board from 1992-1995. Wright was married to Betty and had four children - Lorne, Jack, Don, and Nancy, along with ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His grandson James Wright is an ice hockey forward who played for the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...

. Wright was for many years involved in community service organizations, such as the Saskatchewan Abilities Council, the YMCA and YWCA, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters, among others. Wright died from lung cancer while in palliative care at St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon on December 9, 2014, aged 87.

Awards and legacy

In 1988 Wright was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the

. In 1998 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 cen ...

in recognition of "his contributions to province and country." In 1999 he was awarded the

Saskatchewan Order of Merit The Saskatchewan Order of Merit (french: Ordre du Mérite de la Saskatchewan) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Instituted in 1985 by Lieutenant Governor Frederick Johnson, on the advice of the Cabinet u ...

and in 2005 the

Saskatchewan Centennial Medal The Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan, also called the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal, is a commemorative medal struck to celebrate the first 100 years since Saskatchewan's entrance into Canadian Confederation. The medal recog ...

. Wright is the namesake of the Cliff Wright branch of the Saskatoon Public Library, located at the Lakewood Civic Centre in Wildwood, along with a number of streets in Arbor Creek.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Clifford 1927 births 2014 deaths Officers of the Order of Canada Mayors of Saskatoon Members of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit University of Saskatchewan alumni Deaths from lung cancer Deaths from cancer in Saskatchewan Saskatoon city councillors