Winnipeg Free Press

Nominated by: Linda

Why Elijah Harper should be a Great Manitoban:

Claim to fame: Politician, aboriginal leader, opponent of the Meech Lake Accord

Manitoba dosage: 5

Fast Facts: Sitting as an NDP MLA for Rupert's Land, Harper's procedural delays in the Manitoba legislature in 1990 vaulted him to national prominence and ultimate led to the collapse of the controversial constitutional accord...Harper later won a seat as a federal MP and sat as a commissioner on the Indian Claims Commission.

18 Comments

• While Mr. Harper was an honourable man, he was a manufactured hero. A number of people wanted that accord gone and Elijah was the only one who stood to gain politically by his NO vote. The consequences of his actions have done little to change Canada or the fortunes of the First Nations.

  Posted by: John Goshulak | 2008-05-31 22:49:57

• Yes, vote for someone who stopped a constitutional agreement formed for the purpose of bringing Quebec into Confederation simply because it didn't deal with aboriginal issues (something that it wasn't designed to do). Elijah Harper is a prime example of the "me first" mentality of the modern age.

  Posted by: Matt | 2008-06-22 19:15:44

• Yes, vote for someone who stopped a constitutional agreement formed for the purpose of bringing Quebec into Confederation simply because it didn't deal with aboriginal issues (something that it wasn't designed to do). Elijah Harper is a prime example of the "me first" mentality of the modern age.

  Posted by: Matt | 2008-06-22 19:16:07

• Stopped the Meech Lake Accord!

  Posted by: Henrietta | 2008-06-03 16:07:55

• Elijah did not vote No for political gain....He voted for Canada, and for all of our Canadian forefathers, whether they were Scot, Scandinavian or Aboriginal as the majority of the First Canadian Settlers were.

  Posted by: Bonnie | 2008-06-11 14:30:45

• NO. That was all it took to keep this country together.

  Posted by: Scott | 2008-06-25 20:54:36

• A True Hero in my eyes, he really is one of the Top Manitobans!!!

  Posted by: Shylo | 2008-06-26 18:44:48

• What did this man ever contribute to the value or benefit of Manitoba's. He was a political stooge in an issue that I doubt he had any concept of what was actually happening. Look at his political record or better yet lack there of. His record in the legislature was non-existent.

  Posted by: James | 2008-07-03 00:41:34

• Only one word that changed the course of history, no...

  Posted by: Rhonda | 2008-06-30 14:48:06

• Harper is synonomous with corruption.

  Posted by: Pieter Woods | 2008-07-01 16:59:47

• VOTE FOR WHO YOU THINK SHOULD WIN. THAT'S THE POINT IN A VOTE. WHOEVER WINS, WINS. QUIT BEING "SORE VOTERS" AND JUST VOTE AND KEEP YOUR NEGATIVE OPINIONS ON EVERYONE ELSE TO YOURSELF.

  Posted by: Nicole | 2008-07-08 21:10:13

• I don't really think Harper qualifies as "great". When he was my MP, the joke was "where's Elijah?". But to set the record straight - he was put up to it as the one who could vote against the acord and not be acused of doing it for anti-french bias. It was not for aboriginal gain. What it did do was to guarantee that the cosntitution will not be changed whimiscally when each new petty special interest group gets too noisy. It takes a huge consensus now to change the constitution, and that is thanks to him. We won't be enshring apologies to residential school survivors, head tax victims, or a 1920 boat-load of sikhs. We won't be putting into our constitution a requirement that half the senate be female, nonwhite, or under 30, or non-christian, or not born here... We won't be putting bizarre equalization formulas in it. We won't be putting Crow Rates in it. We won't enshrine the inequality of native women in their society. We won't add laws respecting the pre-enlightenment habits of Europeans, sharia, or aboriginals. It will be as minimal as it could, rather than turning all our laws into constitutional rights. Elijah gave us a sense of proportion. Good job, eh!

  Posted by: Maurice | 2008-07-09 21:50:44

• This is a man that has learned to climb a ladder like many people of the world but he is not a "HERO". Let's get our facts straight as to WHAT A HERO REALLY IS. He gets a pat on his back like everyone in the world,but NOT a HERO.

  Posted by: SK | 2008-07-10 00:48:51

• That's what an on line vote with blog is all about to see what ALL PEOPLE OF ALL NATIONS really think negative or otherwise. This is a conversation of opinions for future record for life. This computer voting can be done by many votes every day.

  Posted by: PB | 2008-07-10 17:32:08

• I agree wholeheartedly with Nicole...but I think that Manitoban is synonymous with being "sore".

  Posted by: Kelly P. | 2008-07-12 09:08:15

• Were this list of the Worst Manitobans I would vote for Elijah Harper, however it is not. Harper was a narrow minded politician who delivered a blow to national unity by focusing only on Aboriginal issues.

  Posted by: M.B. | 2008-07-17 17:52:15

• Harper killed two people in a drunken car crash at Route 90 and Sargent Avenue in 1987. He was charged with drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident. If you check out his court records, the details have been largely hidden, listed as "STATEMENT OF CLAIM not found". White washed hero? He's a criminal ZERO. Perfect for Manitoba.

  Posted by: Ron | 2008-07-26 02:35:00

• I got a pickle. I got a pickle. I got a pickle, hey hey hey, hey.

  Posted by: Jack Thompson | 2008-09-18 15:20:23

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