Blakeney, Allan Emrys, 1925-2011

Identity area

Type of entity

Person

Authorized form of name

Blakeney, Allan Emrys, 1925-2011

Parallel form(s) of name

Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

Other form(s) of name

  • Allan Blakeney
  • A.E. Blakeney
  • Allan E. Blakeney
  • Hon. A.E. Blakeney
  • Hon. Allan Blakeney

Identifiers for corporate bodies

Description area

Dates of existence

1925-2011

History

Allan Emrys Blakeney was born on September 7, 1925 in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia to John and Bertha (Davies) Blakeney. He attended Bridgewater High School and Dalhousie University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and later a Bachelor of Laws degree (1947). Blakeney won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University where he studied modern history, economics and philosophy. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree at Oxford (1949). Blakeney was called to the Bar of Nova Scotia in 1950. He moved to Regina, Saskatchewan in 1950, where he was employed as a civil servant for the Government of Saskatchewan until entering politics. He was called to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1951.

Blakeney was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1960 as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Regina City constituency. He was re-elected as the CCF MLA for Regina West in 1964, the New Democratic Party (NDP) MLA for Regina Centre in 1967 and 1971 and the NDP MLA for Regina Elphinstone in 1975, 1978, 1982 and 1986.

Blakeney was appointed to the T.C. Douglas Cabinet in 1960 and served as Minister of Education (1960-1961) and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Government Insurance (1960-1961). He was also appointed to the Woodrow Lloyd Cabinet in 1961 and served as Provincial Treasurer (1961-1962) and Minister of Public Health (1962-1964).

On July 6, 1970, Blakeney was elected leader of the Saskatchewan NDP and Leader of the Opposition. He became Premier of Saskatchewan and President of the Executive Council following the June 30, 1971 general election. He also served as Provincial Treasurer (1971-1972) and Minister of Industry and Commerce (1971-1972). As Premier, Blakeney participated in the creation of Canada's Constitution Act, 1982, and was Saskatchewan's signatory. Blakeney served as Premier until the NDP was defeated by the Progressive Conservative Party in the May 8, 1982 general election.

Following the defeat, Blakeney remained as leader of the NDP and Leader of the Opposition until resigning on August 7, 1987. He was succeeded as leader by Roy Romanow on November 7, 1987. Blakeney resigned as MLA for the Regina Elphinstone constituency on March 23, 1988 and was succeeded by Dwain Lingenfelter of the NDP in a May 4, 1988 by-election.

Following his departure from politics, Blakeney occupied the Bora Laskin Chair in Public Law and was professor of constitutional law at Osgoode Hall Law School at the University of Toronto (1988-1990). He subsequently returned to Saskatchewan and, from 1992 until his death, served as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law. He also was appointed an adjunct professor in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Regina in 1999. Blakeney was a member of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1991-1993). Additionally, he served on numerous boards of directors and volunteer organizations, particularly those that advocate democratic governance. He co-authored Political Management in Canada (1994) and his autobiography, An Honourable Calling, was published in 2008.

Blakeney was appointed to the Privy Council of Canada in 1982 and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1992. In 2000, he was awarded the Saskatchewan Order of Merit and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2001. He held an honourary Doctor of Civil Law degree from Mount Allison and honourary Doctor of Laws degrees from several Canadian universities, including the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina.

Allan Blakeney died in Saskatoon on April 16, 2011.

Allan Blakeney married Mary Elizabeth (Molly) Schwartz in 1950. Molly Blakeney died in 1957. He married Anne Gorham in 1959. Blakeney had four children: Barbara, Hugh, David and Margaret.

Places

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Functions, occupations and activities

Mandates/sources of authority

Internal structures/genealogy

General context

Relationships area

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Authority record identifier

PA 445

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Rules for Archival Description (RAD)

Status

Final

Level of detail

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Authority record created on 2009-04-28. Approved 2012-03-06. Last modified on 2017-11-29.

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

AMICUS Authorities - No entry found.
Saskatchewan Executive and Legislative Directory.
Canadian Parliamentary Guide.
Saskatchewan Politicians - Lives Past and Present (2004).
Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan - Entry for Allan E. Blakeney.
Various internet sites.

Maintenance notes