18 Facts About Gerry McGeer

Gerald Grattan McGeer was a lawyer, populist politician, and monetary reform advocate in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Gerry McGeer first attained renown in the 1920s as a lawyer representing the British Columbia government in its case to reduce freight rate differentials on goods shipped through the Rocky Mountains by rail.

Gerry McGeer worked for years on this case and achieved considerable success.

Gerry McGeer was elected to the British Columbia Legislature as the Liberal candidate for Richmond from 1916 to 1920, and later as part of the Liberal government of Duff Pattullo for Vancouver-Burrard from 1933 to 1935.

Gerry McGeer was considered a maverick in his own party during his second term, after he became critical of the government because Pattullo had not appointed him to cabinet.

Gerry McGeer won the 1934 election against incumbent L D Taylor with the biggest margin of victory in Vancouver's civic history.

Gerry McGeer established himself in his campaign as a populist reformer, painting his opponent as outdated and corrupt, with police and monetary reform the two main pillars of his campaign.

Gerry McGeer was able to reform the police department and the civic government, but it was his battles against communism that garnered him the most publicity, at least in his first year in office.

Gerry McGeer treated these protests not as strikes, but as an attempted Bolshevik uprising.

Gerry McGeer organized elaborate celebrations to mark Vancouver's golden jubilee in 1936, which was controversial in the midst of the depression.

Gerry McGeer is credited with the construction of Vancouver City Hall, a landmark Art Deco building funded in part by a baby bond scheme conceived by Gerry McGeer.

In previous attempts, Gerry McGeer suffered defeats in the federal elections of 1925,1926, and 1930.

Gerry McGeer was re-elected in 1940 and appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Mackenzie King on 9 June 1945.

Gerry McGeer had a warm relationship with King through much of his political career, but King did not embrace McGeer's monetary schemes but eventually saw things his way.

Gerry McGeer returned to civic politics with another landslide election victory in 1946, this time on a Non-Partisan Association slate.

Gerry McGeer died in office in 1947 and therefore did not see the fruits of his latest reform drive.

In 1955, revelations surfaced that Gerry McGeer's chosen police chief had instituted a pay-off system in Vancouver, resulting in an extensive police inquiry.

Gerry McGeer's was one of the most forceful voices in Canada advocating government intervention in the usurious British monetary system and nationalizing the Bank of Canada.