Harry Enns
Encyclopedia
Harry Enns was a Manitoba
politician. He served as a Cabinet Minister in the governments of Dufferin Roblin
, Walter Weir
, Sterling Lyon
and Gary Filmon
, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
in 1971. A long-serving member of the Manitoba legislature, he retired from public life in 2003.
Enns was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba
, and worked as a rancher before entering politics.
, Enns was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in 1966, for the rural riding of Rockwood-Iberville.
In 1969, redistribution placed Enns in the riding of Lakeside, where he defeated Liberal
leader Robert Bend
by about 350 votes. The Lakeside riding had previously been held by former Premier of Manitoba
Douglas Campbell
for forty-seven years. Enns would hold the seat for a further thirty-four years, being re-elected in 1973, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995 and 1999. After 1969, he never had any problems retaining the riding.
on July 22, 1967. He retained this position when Walter Weir
replaced Roblin as Premier later in the year, also becoming the Acting Minister of Highways (Enns had supported Weir in the party's leadership contest). On September 5, 1968, he was moved to the Ministry of Mines and Natural Resources.
Enns found himself at the centre of a significant controversy in early 1969, when he announced that the Manitoba government would allow Manitoba Hydro
to flood South Indian Lake in the northern part of the province. This announcement was widely criticized, as the plan threatened serious disruption for indigenous communities in the area. Some critics argued that the plan itself was unviable, while others argued that the government did not adequately consult with the affected communities. The Manitoba Indian Brotherhood came out in opposition to the scheme, as did the Liberals
and New Democrats
, and the planned flooding became a significant issue in the 1969 provincial election
.
In the government of Sterling Lyon
, Enns served as Minister of Public Works and Minister of Highways from October 24, 1977 to October 20, 1978; Minister of Highways and Transport (a renamed position) from October 20, 1978 to November 15, 1979; Minister of Government Services from April 12, 1979 to January 16, 1981; and Minister of Natural Resources from January 16, 1981 to November 30, 1981. He was not a candidate to succeed Lyon as party leader in 1983, however.
Enns was not named to Gary Filmon
's first cabinet, but became Minister of Natural Resources on April 21, 1989. He held this position until September 10, 1993, when he became Minister of Agriculture for a second time (after a gap of twenty-five years). He continued to hold this portfolio until the Filmon government was defeated in 1999, and was responsible for managing the AIDA and NISA files during the flood emergency of 1997.
by 46 votes.
In 2000, he supported Stockwell Day
for the leadership of the Canadian Alliance
party.
's Hermitage and the State Russian Museum to Manitoba, during a North American tour. His position was grounded in an opposition to Communism
and the Soviet Union
, though he eventually withdrew his objections.
During the mid-1980s, Enns was a vocal opponent of officially re-entrenching French-language services in Manitoba (a policy being pursued by the New Democratic
government of Howard Pawley
). Ironically, his seat was targeted by the anti-bilingualism Confederation of Regions Party in 1986, although this challenge ultimately came to very little.
A philosophical conservative, Enns was also responsible for weakening market board control over Manitoba's hog farms, and appears to have had similar intentions regarding its fishing industry. In 1995-96, he was accused of approving illegal fishing activities by the Spirit River Fish Company, though he denied this charge.
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...
politician. He served as a Cabinet Minister in the governments of Dufferin Roblin
Dufferin Roblin
Dufferin "Duff" Roblin, PC, CC, OM was a Canadian businessman and politician. Known as "Duff," he served as the 14th Premier of Manitoba from 1958 to 1967. Roblin was appointed to the Canadian Senate on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In the government of Brian Mulroney, he served as...
, Walter Weir
Walter Weir
Walter C. Weir was a politician who served as the 15th Premier of Manitoba from 1967 to 1969.Weir was born in High Bluff, Manitoba, and worked as a funeral director. He served as chairman of the Minnedosa Hospital Board from 1955 to 1957, and of the Minnedosa Town Council from 1958 to 1959...
, Sterling Lyon
Sterling Lyon
Sterling Rufus Lyon, PC, OC was a lawyer, cabinet minister, and the 17th Premier of Manitoba, Canada from 1977 to 1981. His government introduced several fiscally-conservative measures, and was sometimes seen as a local version of the government of Margaret Thatcher in the United Kingdom...
and Gary Filmon
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon, PC, OC, OM is a Manitoba politician. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th Premier from 1988 to 1999.-Early life and municipal career:...
, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
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:...
in 1971. A long-serving member of the Manitoba legislature, he retired from public life in 2003.
Enns was born in Winnipeg, 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...
, and worked as a rancher before entering politics.
Legislative career
A Progressive ConservativeProgressive 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:...
, Enns was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in 1966, for the rural riding of Rockwood-Iberville.
In 1969, redistribution placed Enns in the riding of Lakeside, where he defeated Liberal
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 :...
leader Robert Bend
Robert Bend
Robert Bend was a Manitoba politician, and was briefly the leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party .-Early life:...
by about 350 votes. The Lakeside riding had previously been held by former Premier of Manitoba
Premier of Manitoba
The Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
Douglas Campbell
Douglas Lloyd Campbell
Douglas Lloyd Campbell, OC was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as the 13th Premier of Manitoba from 1948 to 1958...
for forty-seven years. Enns would hold the seat for a further thirty-four years, being re-elected in 1973, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995 and 1999. After 1969, he never had any problems retaining the riding.
Career as cabinet minister
Enns was appointed Minister of Agriculture by Dufferin RoblinDufferin Roblin
Dufferin "Duff" Roblin, PC, CC, OM was a Canadian businessman and politician. Known as "Duff," he served as the 14th Premier of Manitoba from 1958 to 1967. Roblin was appointed to the Canadian Senate on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In the government of Brian Mulroney, he served as...
on July 22, 1967. He retained this position when Walter Weir
Walter Weir
Walter C. Weir was a politician who served as the 15th Premier of Manitoba from 1967 to 1969.Weir was born in High Bluff, Manitoba, and worked as a funeral director. He served as chairman of the Minnedosa Hospital Board from 1955 to 1957, and of the Minnedosa Town Council from 1958 to 1959...
replaced Roblin as Premier later in the year, also becoming the Acting Minister of Highways (Enns had supported Weir in the party's leadership contest). On September 5, 1968, he was moved to the Ministry of Mines and Natural Resources.
Enns found himself at the centre of a significant controversy in early 1969, when he announced that the Manitoba government would allow Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro is the electric power and natural gas utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board and the Manitoba Hydro Act. Today the company operates 15 interconnected generating stations. It has...
to flood South Indian Lake in the northern part of the province. This announcement was widely criticized, as the plan threatened serious disruption for indigenous communities in the area. Some critics argued that the plan itself was unviable, while others argued that the government did not adequately consult with the affected communities. The Manitoba Indian Brotherhood came out in opposition to the scheme, as did the Liberals
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 :...
and New Democrats
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 the planned flooding became a significant issue in the 1969 provincial election
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...
.
In the government of Sterling Lyon
Sterling Lyon
Sterling Rufus Lyon, PC, OC was a lawyer, cabinet minister, and the 17th Premier of Manitoba, Canada from 1977 to 1981. His government introduced several fiscally-conservative measures, and was sometimes seen as a local version of the government of Margaret Thatcher in the United Kingdom...
, Enns served as Minister of Public Works and Minister of Highways from October 24, 1977 to October 20, 1978; Minister of Highways and Transport (a renamed position) from October 20, 1978 to November 15, 1979; Minister of Government Services from April 12, 1979 to January 16, 1981; and Minister of Natural Resources from January 16, 1981 to November 30, 1981. He was not a candidate to succeed Lyon as party leader in 1983, however.
Enns was not named to Gary Filmon
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon, PC, OC, OM is a Manitoba politician. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th Premier from 1988 to 1999.-Early life and municipal career:...
's first cabinet, but became Minister of Natural Resources on April 21, 1989. He held this position until September 10, 1993, when he became Minister of Agriculture for a second time (after a gap of twenty-five years). He continued to hold this portfolio until the Filmon government was defeated in 1999, and was responsible for managing the AIDA and NISA files during the flood emergency of 1997.
Intraparty activity
In 1971, Enns declared himself a candidate to replace Weir as leader of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives. The contest highlighted the ideological divisions of the party: Enns, who represented its rural and conservative wing, lost to urban progressive Sidney SpivakSidney Spivak
Sidney Spivak was a Manitoba politician. He was a Cabinet Minister in the governments of Dufferin Roblin, Walter Weir and Sterling Lyon, and was himself leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1971 to 1975.Spivak was born to a Jewish family in Winnipeg, and was educated at...
by 46 votes.
In 2000, he supported Stockwell Day
Stockwell Day
Stockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
for the leadership of 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...
party.
Politics and controversies
In 1976, Enns nearly derailed plans by the Schreyer government to bring a series of Russian artworks from LeningradSaint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
's Hermitage and the State Russian Museum to Manitoba, during a North American tour. His position was grounded in an opposition to Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, though he eventually withdrew his objections.
During the mid-1980s, Enns was a vocal opponent of officially re-entrenching French-language services in Manitoba (a policy being pursued by the New Democratic
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...
government of Howard Pawley
Howard Pawley
Howard Russell Pawley, PC, OC, OM is a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988.-Personal life:...
). Ironically, his seat was targeted by the anti-bilingualism Confederation of Regions Party in 1986, although this challenge ultimately came to very little.
A philosophical conservative, Enns was also responsible for weakening market board control over Manitoba's hog farms, and appears to have had similar intentions regarding its fishing industry. In 1995-96, he was accused of approving illegal fishing activities by the Spirit River Fish Company, though he denied this charge.