What is tommy douglas famous for
- •
nce voted the Greatest Canadian of all time and known as the Father of Medicare, Tommy Douglas was a prairie politician who believed in democratic socialism, the crucial role of civil rights, and the great potential of cooperation for the common good. In the process he made democratic socialism a part of mainstream Canadian political life. Giller Prize–winning author Vincent Lam, an emergency physician who works on the frontlines of the health care system, brings a novelist’s eye to the life of one of Canada's greats.
"Lam, the Giller Prize-winning author of short fiction who also happens to be a physician, gives Douglas's incomparable career
a thoughtful, balanced, lucid assessment."
Read the full review from The Globe and Mail
Vincent Lam: Matters of FactCBC Radio, June 28, 2011
Excerpt from Tommy Douglas featured in The National PostThe National Post, June 21, 2011
Vincent Lam's 'Tommy Douglas' on Maclean's National Bestseller ListMacleans, June 13, 2011
'Tommy Douglas by Vincent Lam' a Canadian bestseller for four weeksThe Leader-Post, April 9, 2011
Ext
- •
Championed a universal system of health care in Canada
One of Canada’s most respected visionary politicians
The Honourable Thomas "Tommy" Douglas envisioned, built and tirelessly promoted our national system of healthcare. His proposal in 1959 for a universal, pre-paid and publicly administered health care system in Saskatchewan introduced the first program of its kind in North America. The Saskatchewan plan prompted the federal government to initiate a national strategy to subsidize socialized medicine and support provinces in the shift to a universal system.
Throughout his long career, Tommy Douglas spearheaded many more innovative and pioneering programs that improved the economy in Saskatchewan. His government established provincial air and bus lines, introduced collective bargaining and created many official panels and governing bodies including lumber, fish and marketing boards. His immense impact extended beyond Saskatchewan, and ultimately benefited all Canadians.
Key Facts
Witnessed profound suffering as a Baptist clergyman in Saskatchewan during the
- •
Tommy Douglas
Premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and founding NDP leader
For the American jazz clarinetist, see Tommy Douglas (clarinetist). For other people with similar names, see Thomas Douglas.
Thomas Clement DouglasPC CC SOM (20 October 1904 – 24 February 1986) was a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as the seventh premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and Leader of the New Democratic Party from 1961 to 1971. A Baptist minister, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 1935 as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). He left federal politics to become Leader of the Saskatchewan Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and then the seventh Premier of Saskatchewan. His government introduced the continent's first single-payer, universal health care program.
After setting up Saskatchewan's universal healthcare program, Douglas stepped down and ran to lead the newly formed federal New Democratic Party (NDP), the successor party of the national CCF. He was elected as its first federal leader in 1961. Although Dou
Copyright ©mudmind.pages.dev 2025