Community FREE Community Connection June 2011 Newspaper Honouring our Neighbours by Taylor Bendig Remembering a Leader Allan Blakeney DOB: 1925 Lived: 800-block King St. Mr. Allan Blakeney (1968-1988) ack home in Canada after two years at servant until 1958. Then, with an eye toward BBritain’s Oxford University, young Allan running in the 1960 election, and preferring Blakeney knew there was no place he’d not to run as a government employee, he rather be than Regina. returned to practising private law. “I wanted to see what the (Tommy) Blakeney earned his seat during an election Douglas government, which was then a that “was fought on medicare, and little pioneering government, might be doing else,” as he put it. The CCF was returned in Saskatchewan,” he recalled “I wouldn’t to power, and he was quickly appointed have gone to work for any other provincial Minister of Education, then shuffled into government.” a new post as the provincial treasurer. As the debate over medicare heated But at the time, Douglas’ Co-operative up, Blakeney was heavily involved in Commonwealth Federation government introducing free health care despite public had no place for Blakeney. His application protests and a determined doctors’ strike. for a job – any job – was turned down, and he headed for Edmonton and a private But the controversy over medicare took its law firm instead. But four months later, in toll on the CCF’s popularity, and the party spring 1950, Blakeney’s luck changed: was defeated in 1964. Following a second a position opened up as legal advisor to defeat in 1967, party leader Woodrow Lloyd Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations. He stepped down, and after a hotly-contested pounced on the opportunity. leadership convention Blakeney emerged to take his place. Under Blakeney, the CCF Though he’d intended to stay only a couple – now renamed the New Democratic Party of years, long enough to “get a feel” for – swept into office in 1971 with more seats CCF government, Blakeney remained a civil than it had won since 1944. photo courtesy of Saskatchewan New Democrats As Blakeney was leading his party back to the North Central’s First Nations population rose for, after his years governing a province as governing side of the legislative building, he also sharply during Blakeney’s time as premier, diverse as Saskatchewan. led his family into a much humbler part of Regina. In and though he said most residents “had 1968, they had a house built at 837 King Street, in no great difficulty getting along with them,” After his work in South Africa, Blakeney the heart of Blakeney’s riding, and moved there from matters of inter-racial tension sometimes returned home to Saskatoon. He continued Lakeview. demanded his attention. So he made a to teach occasional law classes until he point of working with the neighbourhood’s passed away in April 2011, following a “I said ‘If I’m gonna represent those people, I think I Native leaders, who helped him bridge the short battle with cancer. should live there,” said Blakeney. The move, he recalls, racial divide. That connection later helped took him out of familiar middle-class surroundings, him make the most of provincial low-income and into a solidly blue-collar neighbourhood that housing projects, by subletting the buildings broadened the soon-to-be-premier’s horizons. to Native groups who were in close touch Editor’s note: Taylor Bendig has concluded his position of Researcher for the North Central with those in need of housing. Living in North “When I was in North Central I met with a lot of people History Project. He conducted this interview Central also helped him realize the difficulty of with Mr. Blakeney by telephone weeks before who were straight working stiffs, had never been to adapting from reserve life to urban living, and his passing. It is the final interview he gave. university and never really expected their kids to go in in the mid-70s he assigned a permanent We are grateful to Taylor for his recording of to university, which was sharply different from my social worker to each of the neighbourhood’s Mr. Blakeney’s memories of North Central. We own life,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot of working class elementary schools, to help students and are ever grateful to Allan Blakeney for being a experience, and I got a little of that in North Central.” staff cope with those challenges. compassionate human being and leader. Over his 11 years as premier, many of Blakeney’s Blakeney’s political fortunes worsened greatest achievements championed the working- suddenly in 1982, as the NDP suffered a INSIDE class Saskatchewanians he lived alongside. His staggering defeat that reduced them from government put through legislation to improve the 44 seats to nine. He stayed on as party P2 Community Voices: workers’ compensation system and raise minimum leader, and by 1986 the NDP had rallied SWAPping Lifestyles wages to among the highest in Canada, and added enough to win 28 seats and the largest share P3 NC Youth Programs Blossom prescription drug benefits and childrens’ dental care of the popular vote. But it was not enough to the universal health services provided by the to reclaim government, and a year later P4 Dear Auntie province. Blakeney also took pride in his success Blakeney decided it was time to resign from P5 Community Gardens at putting resources like potash and uranium politics. In 1988 -- 20 years after moving Volunteer Fun Day under public control, and his efforts to encourage a into the neighbourhood – he left Regina common feeling of pride and connection amongst to begin teaching law, first in Toronto and P6 North Central Shared Facility the province’s citizens – what he called “a sense of then, from 1990 onward, at the University of P7 Scott Collegiate Saskatchewan.” Saskatchewan. P8 NC Arts, History, Culture Always faced with a heavy political workload, In his retirement, Blakeney joined a Canadian P9 SEARCH Calendar Blakeney admitted he couldn’t spend nearly as much delegation to the post-apartheid South time as he wanted to with his constituents in North Africa, helping the newly-democratic country P10 Community Calendar Central. But he recruited a team of locals to keep an design a system of government that would In Memoriam eye on the neighbourhood in his absence, helping accommodate its wide ethnic diversity. It was P12 Go Green him head off trouble before it became serious. a challenge that Blakeney felt well prepared 2 NCCA Community Connection Community Voices June 2011 NCCC gives thanks to Patricia Elliot, instructor Community Media Class, Journalism School, University of Regina Alanna Adamko is a recent graduate from the School of Journalism at the University of Regina. She has previously worked in both daily and weekly newspapers. She is interested in travelling, writing, running and enjoys meeting local people and telling their stories. SWAPping Lifestyles Comments about the story? [email protected] by Alanna Adamko year-and-a-half ago, a typical day for ex-street mother and nephew. She A worker Sherry, would start by waking up in darkness. SWAP also arranges has been drug-free since transportation to help clients “I feel so starting SWAP and is proud “Before the only thing I did was to get up in the late like Shirley get identification that she’s held an apartment afternoon and use drugs or wake up at night to go they need, show up to court alive now. on her own for more than out on the streets,” said Sherry. dates and other important a year. Instead of “waking errands they would be unable I get to do up to the moon, alone and She became a street worker when she was 19. “I to do without a vehicle, said angry,” said Sherry, she had children when I was 18, then they were taken Lawrence. things other now enjoys coming home away, I had no support and I started using drugs and to her family. “I now get to had a horrible street life.” The centre works with other regular go home, have supper and community partners to ensure people do” see how my nephew did at that the person receives the school,” she said. Although help they need, whether it’s tired at the end of every day for addictions treatment, shelter, she thrives on having a routine. food or clothing, said Lawrence. “I feel so alive now. I get to do things other At 10 a.m., Shirley along with 18 other regular people do,” she said. regular students start their day learning subjects such as reading, writing, math Her main goal is to eventually bring her and social studies. Each student works on children back home. They are in custody individual assignments with the ultimate of social services. “I’m working on getting goal of writing their GED test at SIAST to my children and they are helping me. attain their grade 12 equivalent. Just the fact that I quit drugs is the most important thing and is keeping me going to Sherry enjoys the individualized setting this place,” she said. and the opportunity to learn, which she didn’t feel she had in high school. “In high Sherry is also focused on helping her school I went to see friends and then left. I community and volunteers with SWAP’s didn’t learn anything, but here I learn a lot,” youth programming, and its Outreach she said. Program. At 11 a.m., a break is given, and then it’s On the weekends, she keeps busy going right back to work until noon for Sherry with other SWAP workers to hand out and the others.