James Robert Ferguson is a retired politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 in Manitoba, 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...

. He was 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:...

 member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba

The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...

 from 1969 to 1981 for the riding of Gladstone

Gladstone (electoral district)

Gladstone is a former provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created in 1879 in what was then the province's western tip, with the expansion of the province's western boundary, and eliminated by redistribution in 1881. It was re-established in 1903 and was not...

.

Ferguson received his formal education in the Manitoba school system, and did not attend university. He was active in freemasonry

Freemasonry

Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...

.

He was elected to the Manitoba legislature for the riding of Gladstone

Gladstone (electoral district)

Gladstone is a former provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created in 1879 in what was then the province's western tip, with the expansion of the province's western boundary, and eliminated by redistribution in 1881. It was re-established in 1903 and was not...

 in the 1969 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...

, defeating incumbent 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 :...

 Nelson Shoemaker

Nelson Shoemaker

Nelson Shoemaker was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1958 to 1969....

 by 417 votes. He was re-elected by a greater margin 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 again in the 1977 election

Manitoba general election, 1977

The Manitoba general election of October 11, 1977 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which took 33 seats out of 57...

 as the Tories formed government under 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...

. Ferguson was not appointed to Lyon's cabinet. He retired from politics in 1981, citing a family illness.