John Thompson (Manitoba politician)

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John William McLeod Thompson (born July 18, 1908 in Elkhorn, Manitoba; died December 15, 1986) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1953 to 1962 as a Progressive Conservative, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Dufferin Roblin.

Thompson was educated at Brandon College and the University of Manitoba, receiving a Bachelor of Arts and law degrees. At the university, he was a frequent debating partner of future CCF leader Lloyd Stinson.

He worked as a barrister-at-law. Thompson was a municipal councillor from 1933 to 1939, a school trustee from 1945 to 1947 and the mayor of Elkhorn from 1947 to 1953. From 1942 to 1945, he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

He campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons in the federal election of 1940 as a "National Government" (ie. Conservative) candidate, and lost to Liberal James Ewen Matthews by 2,470 votes.

Thompson was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1953 provincial election, defeating Liberal-Progressive candidate G.A. Mooney by 561 votes in the rural constituency of Virden. The Liberal-Progressives won a majority government under Douglas L. Campbell in this election; Thompson was seen as a strong opposition voice on issues such as prison reform.

He was re-elected in the 1958 election, defeating Liberal-Progressive incumbent Francis C. Bell by 1,273 votes in a redistributed Virden constituency. The Progressive Conservatives under Dufferin Roblin won a minority government in this election, and Thompson was appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister of Labour on June 30, 1958.

Easily re-elected in the 1959 election, Thompson was named Minister of Public Works on December 21, 1959. He was known as an expert mediator, and as a strong public speaker.

Thompson resigned his portfolio and his seat in the legislature on October 24, 1962 to take an appointment as a County Court Judge.

Persondata
NAME	Thompson, John William McLeod
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Politician in Manitoba, Canada
DATE OF BIRTH	July 18, 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH	Elkhorn, Manitoba
DATE OF DEATH	December 15, 1986
PLACE OF DEATH