Myron Thompson
Encyclopedia
Myron Thompson is a former Conservative
Member of Parliament
in the Canadian House of Commons
. He represented the riding of Wild Rose
in Alberta
.
A dual citizen
of Canada
and the United States
, Thompson was born and raised in Monte Vista, Colorado
. At the age 19 he tried out for the New York Yankees
as a catcher, but failed to make the team due to Yogi Berra
's dominance at the position. Years later in a meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush
, upon hearing of the tryout, Bush looked at Thompson's hands and guessed which position he played.
In the 1950s, Thompson studied at Adams State College
in Colorado, where he received a Bachelor of Arts
in Business Administration and Education.
Thompson served in the United States Army
from 1958 to 1960. He moved to Canada in 1968 and became a citizen in 1974. For 23 years, Thompson was a high school
teacher and then principal, and later became the mayor of Sundre, Alberta
, serving from 1974 to 1980.
He was first elected to Parliament in 1993 as a member of the Reform Party
, and has continued to serve under its successors the Canadian Alliance
and the Conservative Party of Canada
. He became known for wearing a cowboy hat
.
While serving in opposition, he was harshly critical of the Liberal
government. Issues he has focused on include:
Thompson has also been one of the loudest critics of former Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien
’s decision that Canada would not take part in the multinational force in Iraq
and the 2003 invasion of Iraq
.
In June 2007, Thompson announced that he would not be running for re-election, and as a result did not run for his seat during the 2008 federal election.
His son, Dennis Thompson, who also has dual American-Canadian citizenship, enlisted in the U.S. army in 1996 and later served for a year in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in 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...
. He represented the riding of Wild Rose
Wild Rose (electoral district)
Wild Rose is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988. It had been called a safe seat for the Conservative Party of Canada.- Geography :...
in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
.
A dual citizen
Multiple citizenship
Multiple citizenship is a status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a citizen under the laws of more than one state. Multiple citizenships exist because different countries use different, and not necessarily mutually exclusive, citizenship requirements...
of 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...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Thompson was born and raised in Monte Vista, Colorado
Monte Vista, Colorado
The City of Monte Vista is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States. The population was 4,529 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. At the age 19 he tried out for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
as a catcher, but failed to make the team due to Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
's dominance at the position. Years later in a meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, upon hearing of the tryout, Bush looked at Thompson's hands and guessed which position he played.
In the 1950s, Thompson studied at Adams State College
Adams State College
Adams State College is a small state-supported liberal arts college in Alamosa, Colorado, U.S., in the San Luis Valley.-History:Adams State was founded in 1921 as a teacher's college but now offers a variety of programs including masters degrees in many fields...
in Colorado, where he received 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...
in Business Administration and Education.
Thompson served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1958 to 1960. He moved to Canada in 1968 and became a citizen in 1974. For 23 years, Thompson was a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
teacher and then principal, and later became the mayor of Sundre, Alberta
Sundre, Alberta
Sundre is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Mountain View County, northwest from Calgary, along the Cowboy Trail in the Canadian Rockies foothills....
, serving from 1974 to 1980.
He was first elected to Parliament in 1993 as a member of the Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
, and has continued to serve under its successors the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
and the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. He became known for wearing a cowboy hat
Cowboy hat
The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern United States, western Canada and northern Mexico, with...
.
While serving in opposition, he was harshly critical of the 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...
government. Issues he has focused on include:
- government spendingGovernment spendingGovernment spending includes all government consumption, investment but excludes transfer payments made by a state. Government acquisition of goods and services for current use to directly satisfy individual or collective needs of the members of the community is classed as government final...
- same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage in CanadaOn July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
- victims' rights
- child pornography
- prison reformPrison reformPrison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system.-History:Prisons have only been used as the primary punishment for criminal acts in the last couple of centuries...
Thompson has also been one of the loudest critics of former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
’s decision that Canada would not take part in the multinational force in Iraq
Multinational force in Iraq
The Multi-National Force – Iraq was a military command, led by the United States, which was responsible for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Multi-National Force – Iraq replaced the previous force, Combined Joint Task Force 7, on 15 May 2004, and was later itself reorganized into its successor, United...
and the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
In June 2007, Thompson announced that he would not be running for re-election, and as a result did not run for his seat during the 2008 federal election.
His son, Dennis Thompson, who also has dual American-Canadian citizenship, enlisted in the U.S. army in 1996 and later served for a year in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan.