Cyril Keeper
Encyclopedia
Cyril Keeper is a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons
from 1980 to 1988, serving as a member of the New Democratic Party
.
Keeper was born in Berens River
, Manitoba. He is an aboriginal Canadian, of Métis
background. He holds a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Winnipeg
, and a Master of Arts
degree from Carleton University
. He worked for the government of Manitoba from 1970 to 1975, and was director of the Native Family Life Counselling Program in Winnipeg from 1975 to 1977.
Keeper was elected to the Winnipeg City Council
in 1977, defeating incumbent councillor Robert Steen
(ironically, Steen was elected Mayor of Winnipeg on the same night). He served on council for just over two years, before moving to federal politics.
Keeper was first elected to the House of Commons in the 1980 federal election
, narrowly defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative
Bob Lane
in Winnipeg—St. James
. The Liberal Party
won a majority government
under Pierre Trudeau
, and Keeper entered the House of Commons as an opposition member. Originally appointed as NDP critic for urban affairs and public works, he attained greater recognition in a later role as critic for manpower, the Unemployment Insurance Commission, and the Public Service Commission. Throughout 1982 and 1983, he made frequent calls for the Trudeau government to place a greater focus on Canada's worsening unemployment situation.
Keeper left Winnipeg—St. James to seek the NDP nomination for Winnipeg North Centre
in the 1984 federal election
, under somewhat controversial circumstances. It was generally assumed that Winnipeg—St. James would become more favourable to the Progressive Conservative Party after redistribution; Winnipeg North Centre, by contrast, was one of the safest NDP seats in the country. Keeper's candidacy was said to have annoyed other New Democrats, who wanted to recruit a star candidate
for seat. Keeper nonetheless won the nomination, and rejected charges that he moved from "a sure loser to a safe riding". He was re-elected without difficulty, as the Progressive Conservatives won a majority government.
Keeper served as his party's postal critic in the next parliament, and was a vocal opponent of Canada Post
's plans to reduce rural mail delivery after 1986. He also announced his support for the Meech Lake Accord
in 1987.
He lost to Liberal
challenger David Walker
in 1988
. Two years later, he arged that many poor residents of his riding had been denied the right to vote because enumerators were reluctant to enter their neighbourhoods. He did not blame his own defeat on a flawed enumeration methods.
Keeper sought the NDP's Winnipeg North Centre nomination again for the 1993 federal election
, but lost to Maureen Hemphill
. He campaigned for re-election to Winnipeg City Council in 1995
as a candidate of Winnipeg in the Nineties, but lost to incumbent councillor Amaro Silva
in the Daniel McIntyre ward. He identified public safety as one of his main concerns.
In May 2005, Keeper, Jim Silver and Michael MacKenzie published a Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
study addressing low turnout rates among aboriginal voters.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from 1980 to 1988, serving as a member of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
Keeper was born in Berens River
Berens River, Manitoba
Berens River is located in Manitoba, Canada, along the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg. This community is near the mouth of the Berens River, which flows west from the Ontario headwaters...
, Manitoba. He is an aboriginal Canadian, of Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
background. He holds a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Winnipeg
University of Winnipeg
The University of Winnipeg is a public university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that offers undergraduate faculties of art, business and economics, education, science and theology as well as graduate programs. The U of W's founding colleges were Manitoba College and Wesley College, which merged...
, and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
. He worked for the government of Manitoba from 1970 to 1975, and was director of the Native Family Life Counselling Program in Winnipeg from 1975 to 1977.
Keeper was elected to the Winnipeg City Council
Winnipeg City Council
The Winnipeg City Council is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors.-2006-2010:Council elected in the 2006 election:-2010-2014:...
in 1977, defeating incumbent councillor Robert Steen
Robert Steen
Robert Ashley Steen was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1966 to 1969, and later served as the 38th Mayor of Winnipeg from 1977 to 1979.Steen was educated at the University of Manitoba and the Manitoba Law...
(ironically, Steen was elected Mayor of Winnipeg on the same night). He served on council for just over two years, before moving to federal politics.
Keeper was first elected to the House of Commons in the 1980 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
, narrowly defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
Bob Lane
Bob Lane
Robert Lane was a Progressive Conservative party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was an insurance executive by career.He represented Manitoba's Winnipeg—St. James electoral district which he won in the 1979 federal election...
in Winnipeg—St. James
Winnipeg—St. James
Winnipeg—St. James was a federal electoral district in the province of Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1997. It was located in the north end of city of Winnipeg...
. The Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
won a majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
under Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
, and Keeper entered the House of Commons as an opposition member. Originally appointed as NDP critic for urban affairs and public works, he attained greater recognition in a later role as critic for manpower, the Unemployment Insurance Commission, and the Public Service Commission. Throughout 1982 and 1983, he made frequent calls for the Trudeau government to place a greater focus on Canada's worsening unemployment situation.
Keeper left Winnipeg—St. James to seek the NDP nomination for Winnipeg North Centre
Winnipeg North Centre
Winnipeg North Centre was a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented by a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 2004...
in the 1984 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
, under somewhat controversial circumstances. It was generally assumed that Winnipeg—St. James would become more favourable to the Progressive Conservative Party after redistribution; Winnipeg North Centre, by contrast, was one of the safest NDP seats in the country. Keeper's candidacy was said to have annoyed other New Democrats, who wanted to recruit a star candidate
Star candidate
A star candidate refers to a high profile individual who has been recruited as a candidate by a political party. Star candidates have usually excelled in fields outside of politics such as academia, business, the media, journalism and/or sports...
for seat. Keeper nonetheless won the nomination, and rejected charges that he moved from "a sure loser to a safe riding". He was re-elected without difficulty, as the Progressive Conservatives won a majority government.
Keeper served as his party's postal critic in the next parliament, and was a vocal opponent of Canada Post
Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
's plans to reduce rural mail delivery after 1986. He also announced his support for the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
in 1987.
He lost to Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
challenger David Walker
David Walker (Canadian politician)
David Walker is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997, as a member of the Liberal Party....
in 1988
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
. Two years later, he arged that many poor residents of his riding had been denied the right to vote because enumerators were reluctant to enter their neighbourhoods. He did not blame his own defeat on a flawed enumeration methods.
Keeper sought the NDP's Winnipeg North Centre nomination again for the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, but lost to Maureen Hemphill
Maureen Hemphill
Maureen Hemphill was a Manitoba politician. She served in the cabinet of NDP Premier Howard Pawley, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the party's leadership in 1988....
. He campaigned for re-election to Winnipeg City Council in 1995
Winnipeg municipal election, 1995
The 1995 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 1995 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Susan Thompson defeated Peter Kaufmann and Terry Duguid in the mayoral contest.-Councillors:...
as a candidate of Winnipeg in the Nineties, but lost to incumbent councillor Amaro Silva
Amaro Silva
Amaro Silva is a former municipal politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He served on the Winnipeg City Council from 1992 to 1998.Silva is a computer operator, architectural draftsman and consultant...
in the Daniel McIntyre ward. He identified public safety as one of his main concerns.
In May 2005, Keeper, Jim Silver and Michael MacKenzie published a Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent, non-partisan, policy research institute in Canada that leans to the political left. It concentrates on economic policy, international trade, environmental justice and social policy. It is especially known for publishing an alternative...
study addressing low turnout rates among aboriginal voters.