Now for a brief history break on a Manitoba Premier that provides interesting lessons for the do’s and dont’s of governing during a crisis.

@BrianPallister it may be worthy to take note.

Douglas Campbell was Manitoba’s 13th Premier under the Liberal-Progressives from 1948-1958. Keep in mind that this followed the dismantling of the big-ass Progressive-Progressive Conservative-Social Credit-CCF-Conservative-Communist coalition that made up the govt in the WWII era

Also keep in mind that the ideologies of these parties at the time are remarkably misleading when compared to the current context.

He was Manitoba’s first premier born in the province (Portage la Prairie into a farming family). He’s widely remembered for bringing electricity to rural MB, a staunch fiscal conservative and widely criticized for his mishandling of the 1950 flood, a key competency in his defeat.

This is where things get interesting when we look to the current context. The flood came two years into his premiership and required Campbell to confront his small government beliefs and competing rural-urban interests.

The flood was widely forecasted in advance but little was done by the govt to prevent its wipe spread destruction in Winnipeg/Red River Valley. Campbell related action that would result in short & long term financial commitment.

This is Morley Ave.

He emphasized both that the response was locally-organized by municipalities but also federal jurisdiction as it embodied a national emergency. Simultaneously, Campbell refused federal commitment because of tense relations between himself and PM Louis St Laurent.

Campbell made the claim that Manitobans were sufficient in themselves and didn’t require government commitment on a provincial and federal level, but as well, the province claimed to be equally neglected from federal consideration. (Hmmm hmmmmm. Any similarities?)

Instead, non govt bodies like the Red Cross comprised the bulk of evacuations and flood response. In relief and reconstruction, Campbell refused to compensate property owners for dykes unless the feds covered assistance, and rejected the proposed floodway which we see today.

His inclination towards individual self-sufficiency w/ limited govt came off to Manitobans, particularly in Winnipeg as out of touch and unresponsive to the demands of constituents.

Duff Roblin, under the Progressive Conservatives, ran his 1958 campaign on Campbell’s flood response & failure to prevent future floods. This was a moment in PC history where they were established on the province’s political scene & the construction of the floodway (Duff’s Ditch)

interesting was that the PCs ran on a very centrist platform, verging to the left, was wiped out what was any last bit of Liberal presence in Manitoba politics. I digress.
Anyways, although we must be careful to compare distinct contextual settings, it’s still interesting.

*should take out very*. essentially just the PCs recognizing that sometimes you have to emphasize pragmatism over principle (and that being, fiscal conservatism and small govt) when it comes to being responsive to the needs of citizens and remaining in-touch.