Did you know Canada had an agriculture minister who held the same job for 22 years? Actually, this man was the longest-serving cabinet minister in one portfolio. Before becoming agriculture minister, he was twice elected premier of Saskatchewan. He was in politics for 48 years. You’ll have to go back to the 1930’s, ‘40’s and 50’s politics to remember his name.
James Garfield Gardiner (1883-1962) was born in Huron County. He was a school principal and a farmer. He won his first provincial by-election in 1914 and was re-elected to Saskatchewan’s legislative assembly five times. He served as minister of highways, minister of railways, and was treasurer.
When Pre
mier C.A. Dunning was called to the federal cabinet, Gardiner was chosen leader of the Saskatchewan Liberals and served as premier from 1926 to 1929. The Liberals catered to farmers and the ethnic community for support, but their affinity for patronage contributed to their electoral defeat in 1929.
Gardiner sat as leader of the opposition through the early years of the Depression. The Liberals won the 1934 Saskatchewan election and Gardiner became premier for the second time in July of 1934.
Prime Minister Mackenzie King needed a new federal minister of agriculture and asked Gardiner to leave provincial politics to join him in Ottawa. Gardiner agreed and resigned as premier on Nov. 1, 1935. The following January, he was elected MP for Melville and was re-elected federally five times.
In addition to his responsibilities in the agriculture portfolio, Gardiner served as minister of war services in 1940 and 1941. His political ambitions went beyond cabinet — he also wanted to be Prime Minister. He unsuccessfully contested the federal Liberal leadership in 1948. Sounds like a popular agriculture minister who contested the federal Liberals when Pierre Trudeau retired from politics — Eugene Whelan
As agriculture minister, Gardiner continued the efforts started by his predecessor Robert Weir to rejuvenate prairie soils and rebuild the prairie economy through farm assistance.
When vegetable seed supplies were cut off during the war, experimental farms produced additional stock. Soybeans, sunflowers and rapeseed provided new forms of industrial oils. Milkweed was studied as a potential rubber substitute and as floss for marine life preservers. Researchers also advised Department of National Defence officials on the planting and maintenance of airfield grasses.
When a serious foot and mouth disease outbreak hit Saskatchewan in 1952, the agriculture department realized that officials diagnosing the disease worked in a separate service from those administering quarantines and that this was inefficient. Gardiner ordered animal pathology moved from the Science Service to the Production Service. In 1956, plant protection moved to the Production Service for similar reasons.
Did the title I pick for this column fool you? Made you think of Gene — the man who always wore the green hat?
