Portrait of W.L. Mackenzie King by Sir William Orpen

William Lyon Mackenzie King first entered Parliament in 1908 as the Liberal Member for North York. His interest in labour issues made him an obvious choice for Minister of Labour in Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s government between 1909 and 1911. He was defeated in the1911 election and from then until 1919 he was employed by the Rockefeller Foundation as a labour consultant. It was during these years that he published his book Industry and Humanity.

King’s long tenure as Prime Minister did not rest, as it had for others such as Laurier and Macdonald, on charm or personal magnetism. He was not a decisive leader and was bitterly opposed by French Canadians when he broke a campaign promise and introduced overseas conscription during World War II. However, during his tenure, Canada survived war and depression and saw the introduction of the old age pension, unemployment insurance and family allowance.

Photograph

Sir Wilfrid Laurier at St. Anne de Beaupré 1911

From the defeat of his government in 1911 until his death, Sir Wilfrid Laurier remained leader of the Liberal Party and a Member of Parliament. He died on February 17, 1919 after a series of strokes.