Jacob Froese
Encyclopedia
Jacob Froese was a politician in the Canadian
province
of Manitoba
. He was the province's only Social Credit
MLA between 1959 and 1973, and was the party's leader for most if not all of the period from 1959 to 1977.
Froese was born in Winkler, Manitoba
to Jacob J. and Margaret (Enns) Froese. His Father was an Old Colony Mennonite Church bishop from 1936 to 1968. He was educated in the local school system and worked as a farmer, also becoming a leading figure in the Winkler Credit Union Society. He married Mary Peters, and together they had 10 children. Early in his life, he was a Young Liberal
.
Froese was elected to the Manitoba legislature for the riding of Rhineland in a November 1959 by-election
, defeating a Progressive Conservative
candidate by 91 votes. He was re-elected by 33 votes in the 1962 general election
, and by greater margins in elections of 1966
and 1969
.
The Social Credit Party of Manitoba was largely moribund in this period, and it never came close to electing a second MLA during Froese's time in the legislature. A popular local figure, Froese was for all intents and purposes an independent parliamentarian.
Manitoba politics became increasingly polarized between the New Democratic Party
and Progressive Conservative Party
during the 1970s. Froese was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Arnold Brown
in the 1973 election
, and finished a poor fourth in a bid for re-election four years later. He ran as a federal Social Credit
candidate in Lisgar
in the 1974 Canadian election
, but finished fourth in this race as well.
In the 1981 provincial election
, Froese ran for provincial parliament as a member of the Progressive Party of Manitoba, founded by former NDP cabinet minister Sidney Green. He received only 349 votes, and did not attempt any further political comebacks.
Froese died in 2003. His funeral was held at the Winkler Mennonite Brethren Church, of which he had long been a member.
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...
province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Manitoba
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...
. He was the province's only Social Credit
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....
MLA between 1959 and 1973, and was the party's leader for most if not all of the period from 1959 to 1977.
Froese was born in Winkler, Manitoba
Winkler, Manitoba
Winkler is a small city with a population of about 9,900 located in southern Manitoba, Canada in the Rural Municipality of Stanley...
to Jacob J. and Margaret (Enns) Froese. His Father was an Old Colony Mennonite Church bishop from 1936 to 1968. He was educated in the local school system and worked as a farmer, also becoming a leading figure in the Winkler Credit Union Society. He married Mary Peters, and together they had 10 children. Early in his life, he was a Young 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...
.
Froese was elected to the Manitoba legislature for the riding of Rhineland in a November 1959 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, defeating 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:...
candidate by 91 votes. He was re-elected by 33 votes in the 1962 general election
Manitoba general election, 1962
Manitoba's general election of December 16, 1962 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a second majority victory for the Progressive Conservative Party under the leadership of Dufferin Roblin...
, and by greater margins in elections of 1966
Manitoba general election, 1966
The Manitoba general election held on June 23, 1966, was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a third consecutive majority win for the Progressive Conservative Party led by Dufferin Roblin...
and 1969
Manitoba general election, 1969
The Manitoba General Election of June 25, 1969 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was a watershed moment in the province's political history. The social-democratic New Democratic Party emerged for the first time as the largest party in...
.
The Social Credit Party of Manitoba was largely moribund in this period, and it never came close to electing a second MLA during Froese's time in the legislature. A popular local figure, Froese was for all intents and purposes an independent parliamentarian.
Manitoba politics became increasingly polarized between the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
and Progressive Conservative Party
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:...
during the 1970s. Froese was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Arnold Brown
Arnold Brown (Manitoba politician)
Peter Arnold Brown was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1973 to 1988, representing the riding of Rhineland for the Progressive Conservative Party.Brown worked as a businessman and a farmer before entering political life...
in the 1973 election
Manitoba general election, 1973
The Manitoba General Election of June 28, 1973 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the social-democratic New Democratic Party, which took 31 of 57 seats...
, and finished a poor fourth in a bid for re-election four years later. He ran as a federal Social Credit
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
candidate in Lisgar
Lisgar (electoral district)
Lisgarwas a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1988. This riding was created following the admission of Manitoba into the Canadian Confederation in 1870....
in the 1974 Canadian election
Canadian federal election, 1974
The Canadian federal election of 1974 was held on July 8, 1974 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 30th Parliament of Canada. The governing Liberal Party won its first majority government since 1968, and gave Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau his third term...
, but finished fourth in this race as well.
In the 1981 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1981
The Manitoba general election of November 17, 1981 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the opposition New Democratic Party, which took 34 of 57 seats. The governing Progressive Conservative Party took the remaining 23, while the...
, Froese ran for provincial parliament as a member of the Progressive Party of Manitoba, founded by former NDP cabinet minister Sidney Green. He received only 349 votes, and did not attempt any further political comebacks.
Froese died in 2003. His funeral was held at the Winkler Mennonite Brethren Church, of which he had long been a member.