Kenneth Bryden
Encyclopedia
Walter Kenneth Bryden (April 9, 1916 – December 17, 2001) was a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
/NDP
member of the Ontario legislature from 1959 to 1967, an economist, academic, civil servant and author.
He grew up in Ontario
and Saskatchewan
and earned a BA (1937), MA (1940) and PhD (1969) from the University of Toronto
as well as a BA from Oxford University in 1939.
An economist by training, Bryden worked for the federal Department of Labour during World War II.
appointed Bryden deputy minister
of labour. Bryden drafted most of the province's labour laws which American union organizer Walter Reuther
called the most advanced legislation in all of North America.
In 1949, he moved to Ontario to become first director of research for the party's caucus in the Ontario legislature and became the party's provincial secretary
in 1951.
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1959 provincial election
representing the riding of Woodbine
in Toronto's east end and became deputy leader of the party under Donald C. MacDonald
. He was re-elected in 1963
before retiring in 1967
. As a Member of Provincial Parliament, Bryden advocated the creation of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan
, opposed the creation of the Provincial Sales Tax and supported expansion of Toronto's subway system. Using their own money, Bryden and his federal counterpart Andrew Brewin
opened the first constituency office in Canada.
His wife, Marion Bryden
, went on to serve as an MPP in the successor riding of Beaches—Woodbine from 1975 to 1990.
Bryden was one of the forces behind the creation of the New Democratic Party of Canada in 1961. as a merger of the CCF and the Canadian Labour Congress
, and drafted its constitution and helped draft its program with David Lewis
, Brewin and F.R. Scott.
As a political strategist, Bryden introduced the concept of door-to-door canvassing to Canada, which soon became a standard technique for all parties. Historian Desmond Morton
once characterized him as "the shrewdest political mind in the party."
and then joined the faculty and taught political economy at the University of Toronto
until his retirement in 1984. He remained active in community life, serving as president of the Confederation of Resident and Ratepayers Associations and lobbying against the bulldozing of neighbourhoods to create high-rises and expressways and, in the mid-1990s, lobbied against the amalgamation of the city of Toronto.
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
/NDP
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
member of the Ontario legislature from 1959 to 1967, an economist, academic, civil servant and author.
Background
Bryden was one of two sons born to Walter Bryden, a Presbyterian minister and theologian, and his wife, Violet Naismith Bannatyine.He grew up in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
and earned a BA (1937), MA (1940) and PhD (1969) from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
as well as a BA from Oxford University in 1939.
An economist by training, Bryden worked for the federal Department of Labour during World War II.
Politics
He was an early supporter and strategist for the CCF federally, in Ontario and Saskatchewan. Following the election of the first CCF government in North America, in Sasktachewan, in 1944, Saskatchewan CCF Premier Tommy DouglasTommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
appointed Bryden deputy minister
Deputy Minister (Canada)
In Canada, a deputy minister is the senior civil servant in a government department. He or she takes political direction from an elected minister. Responsibility for the department's day-to-day operations, budget and program development lie with the deputy minister...
of labour. Bryden drafted most of the province's labour laws which American union organizer Walter Reuther
Walter Reuther
Walter Philip Reuther was an American labor union leader, who made the United Automobile Workers a major force not only in the auto industry but also in the Democratic Party in the mid 20th century...
called the most advanced legislation in all of North America.
In 1949, he moved to Ontario to become first director of research for the party's caucus in the Ontario legislature and became the party's provincial secretary
Provincial Secretary
The Provincial Secretary was a senior position in the executive councils of British North America's colonial governments, and was retained by the Canadian provincial governments for at least a century after Canadian Confederation was proclaimed in 1867...
in 1951.
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1959 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1959
The Ontario general election of 1959 was held on June 11, 1959, to elect the 98 members of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
representing the riding of Woodbine
Woodbine (electoral district)
Woodbine was an Ontario provincial electoral district that existed from 1926 to 1967. It covered a section of the eastern city of Toronto east of Jones Avenue and west of Woodbine Avenue. It was merged with the Beaches in 1967 to create the riding of Beaches—Woodbine.-MLAs/MPPs for St...
in Toronto's east end and became deputy leader of the party under Donald C. MacDonald
Donald C. MacDonald
Donald Cameron MacDonald, CM, O.Ont was a long time Canadian politician and political party leader and had been referred to as the "Best premier Ontario never had." He represented the provincial riding of York South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1955 to 1982...
. He was re-elected in 1963
Ontario general election, 1963
The Ontario general election of 1963 was held on September 25, 1963, to elect the 108 members of the 27th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
before retiring in 1967
Ontario general election, 1967
The Ontario general election of 1967 was held on October 17, 1967, to elect the 117 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
. As a Member of Provincial Parliament, Bryden advocated the creation of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan
Ontario Health Insurance Plan
The Ontario Health Insurance Plan is the government-run health insurance plan for the Canadian province of Ontario...
, opposed the creation of the Provincial Sales Tax and supported expansion of Toronto's subway system. Using their own money, Bryden and his federal counterpart Andrew Brewin
Andrew Brewin
Francis Andrew Brewin was a lawyer and Canadian politician.Brewin was a stalwart in the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and ran numerous times at the federal and provincial levels in the 1940 and 1950s...
opened the first constituency office in Canada.
His wife, Marion Bryden
Marion Bryden
Marion Helen Bryden is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1990.-Background:...
, went on to serve as an MPP in the successor riding of Beaches—Woodbine from 1975 to 1990.
Bryden was one of the forces behind the creation of the New Democratic Party of Canada in 1961. as a merger of the CCF and the Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Labour Congress
The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in English Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.- Formation :...
, and drafted its constitution and helped draft its program with David Lewis
David Lewis (politician)
David Lewis, CC was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party in 1961...
, Brewin and F.R. Scott.
As a political strategist, Bryden introduced the concept of door-to-door canvassing to Canada, which soon became a standard technique for all parties. Historian Desmond Morton
Desmond Morton
Desmond Morton may refer to:*Desmond Morton , British military officer and government official* Desmond Morton , Canadian historian...
once characterized him as "the shrewdest political mind in the party."
Later life
After leaving the legislature, Bryden earned his PhD at the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and then joined the faculty and taught political economy at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
until his retirement in 1984. He remained active in community life, serving as president of the Confederation of Resident and Ratepayers Associations and lobbying against the bulldozing of neighbourhoods to create high-rises and expressways and, in the mid-1990s, lobbied against the amalgamation of the city of Toronto.