31 Facts About Ross Thatcher

Wilbert Ross Thatcher, was a Canadian politician who served as the ninth premier of Saskatchewan from 1964 to 1971.

In 1959, Ross Thatcher made the switch both to Saskatchewan provincial politics and to the provincial Liberal Party, which he led through four provincial elections, winning majority governments in 1964 and 1967.

Thatcher's father had built a chain of hardware stores across the province, which Thatcher helped to manage.

Ross Thatcher graduated from high school at age fifteen, and attended Queen's University, in Kingston, Ontario, where he earned a commerce degree at age eighteen.

Immediately following graduation, Ross Thatcher became executive assistant to the vice-president of Canada Packers in Toronto, but returned to Saskatchewan to run the family business after his father had become ill in the late 1930s.

Ross Thatcher employed his son Colin as a full-time manager of his agricultural businesses, starting in 1962.

Ross Thatcher's politics were heavily influenced by the Great Depression, after which he believed that private business alone could not stimulate economic development on the prairies.

Ross Thatcher consequently joined the socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and was elected to Moose Jaw City Council on a labour-reform slate in 1942.

Ross Thatcher gradually shifted away from the party, and became known for publicly breaking ranks with the CCF on policy issues.

In 1955, Ross Thatcher finally left the CCF over the issue of corporate taxation.

When he left the caucus, Ross Thatcher pronounced that he was "opposed to Socialism and all it stands for".

Ross Thatcher sat as an Independent MP for the rest of the term, before running unsuccessfully for the federal Liberal Party in the 1957 and 1958 elections; he lost both times to the CCF's Hazen Argue.

However, the Liberals were buoyed by Ross Thatcher holding his own against Douglas, who was renowned for his oratory.

Ross Thatcher led the party into the 1960 provincial election, which was fought principally over the issue of Medicare, with the CCF planning to implement the first universal healthcare plan in Canada.

Ross Thatcher himself was elected to the Legislative Assembly from the rural southern riding of Morse.

Ahead of the 1964 provincial election, the Liberals campaigned on growing economic development in the province; Ross Thatcher wooed Progressive Conservative voters and worked to limit competition between free-enterprise candidates.

Ross Thatcher's Liberals went on to win a narrow victory that ended 20 years of CCF-NDP government.

Ross Thatcher's government sold several crown corporations and declared the province "open for business" by encouraging private investment in the potash and other industries.

Ross Thatcher was known to boast that potash would become for Saskatchewan what oil was for neighbouring Alberta.

On economic issues, Ross Thatcher's government was classically liberal, and was well to the right of the federal Liberals.

Ross Thatcher's Liberals were re-elected with a slightly-increased majority in a snap election called in 1967.

Ross Thatcher pitched the next election, which took place in June 1971, as a stark choice between capitalism and socialism, promising for his part to continue running government like a business.

In July 1971, only weeks after his election defeat, Ross Thatcher died at his home in Regina, apparently as a result of complications from diabetes and a heart condition.

Ross Thatcher's death shocked the Saskatchewan public, and JoAnn Thatcher, then-wife of the former premier's son Colin Thatcher, later claimed she suspected the death was a suicide.

However, it was an open secret that Ross Thatcher had largely refused to deal with his diabetes.

Ross Thatcher resigned in January 1983 following a brief stint as a cabinet minister in the PC government; his ex-wife JoAnn Wilson was found murdered days later, and in 1984 Ross Thatcher was charged with murder for her death.

Ross Thatcher was convicted of first degree murder by the jury in the Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench and sentenced to life in prison for 25 years.

Ross Thatcher was the sixth and last Liberal premier of the province.

Ross Thatcher stood for election to the House of Common five times, in three different Saskatchewan ridings.

Ross Thatcher first stood for election as a member of the CCF, and was elected three times, in 1945,1949, and 1953.

Ross Thatcher then ran as a Liberal in the general elections of 1957 and 1958, but was defeated both times.