Hugh Edwin Munroe
Encyclopedia
Hugh Edwin Munroe, M.D., (May 31, 1878 – March 12, 1947) was the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
during the Great Depression
.
He was born in Glengarry County, Ontario
and educated at McGill University
where he earned his medical degree before undertaking post-graduate studies at the University of Edinburgh
.
Munroe subsequently settled in Saskatchewan
where he established his medical practice. He was involved in local and provincial politics - he was defeated as a candidate for the Provincial Rights Party
in the 1905 provincial election
when he was a candidate in Saskatoon County
. In the 1912 provincial election
he ran as the Conservative canadidate in Saskatoon City
but was again defeated.
He served in World War I
as a lieutenant colonel
and was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his military service.
He returned to Saskatchewan after the war and resumed his medical practice and political activity. He was appointed lieutenant governor of the province by Conservative federal Prime Minister R.B. Bennett in 1931.
In the midsts of the economic crisis, Muroe used his office to raise money for relief projects and charity. Nevertheless, many Canadians viewed the ceremonial office as a frivolity and excess during times of hardship and there was a movement to abolish the position. However, the provincial Legislature overwhelmingly defeated a motion to suspend the Office of the Lieutenant-Governor in 1934.
Munroe retired from office in 1936.
Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
The Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan is the viceregal representative in Saskatchewan of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the...
during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
He was born in Glengarry County, Ontario
Glengarry County, Ontario
thumb|right|Glengarry located within OntarioGlengarry County , an area covering , is a county in the Canadian province of Ontario, and is historically known for its settlement of Scottish Highlanders due to the Highland Clearances.Glengarry was founded in 1792 by Scottish loyalists, mainly from...
and educated at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
where he earned his medical degree before undertaking post-graduate studies at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
.
Munroe subsequently settled in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
where he established his medical practice. He was involved in local and provincial politics - he was defeated as a candidate for the Provincial Rights Party
Provincial Rights Party
The Provincial Rights Party was a Canadian political party founded and led by Frederick W.A.G. Haultain in 1905 to contest elections in the new province of Saskatchewan.Haultain had been Premier of the North-West Territories prior to the province's creation...
in the 1905 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1905
The Saskatchewan general election of 1905 was the first provincial election in the newly created Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on 13 December 1905 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. Walter Scott led the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan to victory over the...
when he was a candidate in Saskatoon County
Saskatoon County
Saskatoon County was a provincial electoral division for the Legislative Assembly of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Created as "Saskatoon" before the 1st Saskatchewan general election in 1905, the district encompassed the three communities that merged to form the city in 1906...
. In the 1912 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1912
The Saskatchewan general election of 1912 was the third provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on July 11, 1912 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. Premier Walter Scott led the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan to a third term in office with...
he ran as the Conservative canadidate in Saskatoon City
Saskatoon City (provincial electoral district)
Saskatoon City was a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. This constituency existed from 1908 to 1967. It was the riding of Premier James T.M...
but was again defeated.
He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his military service.
He returned to Saskatchewan after the war and resumed his medical practice and political activity. He was appointed lieutenant governor of the province by Conservative federal Prime Minister R.B. Bennett in 1931.
In the midsts of the economic crisis, Muroe used his office to raise money for relief projects and charity. Nevertheless, many Canadians viewed the ceremonial office as a frivolity and excess during times of hardship and there was a movement to abolish the position. However, the provincial Legislature overwhelmingly defeated a motion to suspend the Office of the Lieutenant-Governor in 1934.
Munroe retired from office in 1936.