Ernest McGirr
Encyclopedia
Ernest Newburn McGirr, Q.C. (March 7, 1887 – May 23, 1982) was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
as a Progressive Conservative
from 1949 to 1953.
Born in Emerson
, MB, McGirr married Elizabeth Stewart, of Griswold, near Oak Lake
, in 1916. They had two daughters, Nora (later married to Marion Clawson, president of Resources for the Future
), and Kathleen (who married first the Canadian historian Roger Graham
and later the distinguished military man Leonard Birchall
). McGirr first ran for the Manitoba legislature as a Conservative in the 1932 provincial election
, but lost to Liberal-Progressive
candidate Robert Hawkins by 265 votes in the Dauphin constituency. He lost to Hawkins again, by a greater margin, in the 1936 election
.
He was elected to the legislature on his third attempt, in the provincial election of 1949
. The Liberal-Progressives and Progressive Conservatives had previously formed a coalition government
in Manitoba, and with support from the Liberal-Progressives, McGirr easily defeated an opponent from Cooperative Commonwealth Federation to take the Dauphin constituency.
The Progressive Conservatives left the coalition government in 1950, and McGirr moved to the opposition benches with his party. He was defeated in the 1953 provincial election
, placing third against William Bullmore
of the Social Credit League
. He acted as the Dauphin town solicitor for 50 years prior to his retirement, was a Bencher (1952–1968) and Life Bencher (1968–1982) of the Law Society of Manitoba, and served on the board of United College
in Winnipeg.
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 served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
as a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
from 1949 to 1953.
Born in Emerson
Emerson, Manitoba
Emerson is a town in south central Manitoba, Canada, with a population of 655. The town is named after writer Ralph Waldo Emerson.Emerson is located on the east bank of the Red River, just north of the border with the United States at the point where Manitoba, Minnesota, and North Dakota meet. ...
, MB, McGirr married Elizabeth Stewart, of Griswold, near Oak Lake
Oak Lake, Manitoba
Oak Lake, Manitoba is a town in the south-western "Westman region" of Manitoba, Canada. It is located west of Brandon along the Trans-Canada Highway....
, in 1916. They had two daughters, Nora (later married to Marion Clawson, president of Resources for the Future
Resources for the Future
Resources for the Future is a nonprofit organization that conducts independent research into environmental, energy, and natural resource issues, primarily via economics and other social sciences. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., RFF performs research around the world...
), and Kathleen (who married first the Canadian historian Roger Graham
W. Roger Graham
William Roger Graham, PhD, LLD, FRSC was a Canadian academic historian whose area of specialization was 20th-century Canadian political history...
and later the distinguished military man Leonard Birchall
Leonard Birchall
Air Commodore Leonard Joseph Birchall, CM, OBE, DFC, O.Ont, CD , "The Saviour of Ceylon", was a Royal Canadian Air Force officer who warned of a Japanese attack on the island of Ceylon during the Second World War....
). McGirr first ran for the Manitoba legislature as a Conservative in the 1932 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1932
Manitoba's general election of June 16, 1932 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This was the second election in Manitoba where the single transferable ballot was used in all electoral divisions...
, but lost to Liberal-Progressive
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
candidate Robert Hawkins by 265 votes in the Dauphin constituency. He lost to Hawkins again, by a greater margin, in the 1936 election
Manitoba general election, 1936
Manitoba's general election of July 27, 1936 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The was the second election in Manitoba after the formation of a Liberal-Progressive alliance in 1932...
.
He was elected to the legislature on his third attempt, in the provincial election of 1949
Manitoba general election, 1949
Manitoba's general election of November 10, 1949 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election pitted the province's coalition government, made up of the Liberal-Progressive Party and the Progressive Conservative Party, against a variety of...
. The Liberal-Progressives and Progressive Conservatives had previously formed a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
in Manitoba, and with support from the Liberal-Progressives, McGirr easily defeated an opponent from Cooperative Commonwealth Federation to take the Dauphin constituency.
The Progressive Conservatives left the coalition government in 1950, and McGirr moved to the opposition benches with his party. He was defeated in the 1953 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1953
Manitoba's general election of June 8, 1953 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. This was the first election held in Manitoba after the breakup of a ten-year coalition government led by the Liberal-Progressives and Progressive Conservatives...
, placing third against William Bullmore
William Bullmore
William Lewis Bullmore was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He married Arla Maynes, from Harrowby, Manitoba, on August 11, 1936 and they had two children, who were named James William Bullmore and Arla Anne Bullmore Porter...
of the Social Credit League
Manitoba Social Credit Party
The Manitoba Social Credit Party was a political party in the Canadian province of Manitoba. In its early years, it espoused the monetary reform theories of social credit....
. He acted as the Dauphin town solicitor for 50 years prior to his retirement, was a Bencher (1952–1968) and Life Bencher (1968–1982) of the Law Society of Manitoba, and served on the board of United College
United College, Winnipeg
United College was a college in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It was founded in 1938 with the merger of Manitoba College and Wesley College . The college was affiliated with the University of Manitoba. In 1967, United College received a charter and became the University of Winnipeg....
in Winnipeg.