Editing Stuart Garson (section)

==Life and career==
Born in [[St. Catharines, Ontario]], the son of [[William Garson]] and Margaret Annable, Garson came to Manitoba with his parents in 1901. He received a Bachelor of Law degree from the [[University of Manitoba]] in 1918 and was called to the bar a year later. He practised law in [[Ashern, Manitoba]], from 1919 to 1928. Garson was first elected to the [[Legislative Assembly of Manitoba]] for the [[electoral district (Canada)|riding]] of [[Fairford (electoral district)|Fairford]] in 1927 as a [[Progressive Party of Manitoba|Progressive]], defeating incumbent [[Manitoba Liberal Party|Liberal]] [[Albert Kirvan]]. He defeated again Kirvan in 1932, and faced only minor competition for the remainder of his time in the Manitoba legislature. In early 1932, Garson was one of the founding members of the province's [[Manitoba Liberal Party|Liberal-Progressive coalition]].

Garson was sworn in as provincial [[Minister of Finance (Manitoba)|Treasurer]] on September 21, 1936. He also became minister of the [[Manitoba Hydro|Manitoba Power Commission]] on November 4, 1940, and [[Minister of Public Utilities]] on May 15, 1941. He continued to hold all of these positions after succeeding [[John Bracken]] as Premier on January 14, 1943. He resigned the MPC and Utilities portfolios in 1944.

Garson's government was perhaps slightly more interventionist than those of Bracken and his eventual successor [[Douglas Lloyd Campbell|Douglas Campbell]]. Garson's ministry began a program of rapid [[rural electrification]], and made some effort to service the needs of returning soldiers after [[World War II]]. All the same, he rejected demands from the [[Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation]] to introduce programs in public housing and old-age pensions.

Under Garson's leadership, the "Liberal-Progressive" alliance became a united party—albeit one that was dominated by former Progressive politicians. His ministry also retained close ties to the federal Liberal government of [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]].

Garson moved to federal politics in 1948, at the behest of new Liberal Prime Minister [[Louis St. Laurent]]. On November 15, 1948, Garson was sworn in as [[Minister of Justice]] and [[Attorney General]]; he was elected to the federal parliament in a by-election for the rural seat of [[Marquette (federal electoral district)|Marquette]] the next month. For the next nine years, Garson would be the dominant cabinet minister from Manitoba in St. Laurent's government. He also served as [[Canadian Solicitor General|Solicitor General]] of Canada from August 7, 1950, to October 14, 1952.

Garson lost his seat in 1957, the year that Progressive Conservative leader [[John Diefenbaker]] formed a minority government.  Indeed, Diefenbaker's Tories won victory mainly by ousting many Liberal MPs from the Prairies, including Garson.  He retired from political life. In 1971, he was made a Companion of the [[Order of Canada]].