Ralph Ferguson

The Honourable
Ralph Ferguson
PC
Minister of Agriculture
In office
June 30, 1984 – September 16, 1984
Prime MinisterJohn Turner
Preceded byEugene Whelan
Succeeded byJohn Wise
Member of Parliament
for Lambton—Middlesex
In office
November 21, 1988 – October 24, 1993
Preceded bySidney Fraleigh
Succeeded byRose-Marie Ur
In office
February 18, 1980 – September 3, 1984
Preceded bySidney Fraleigh
Succeeded bySidney Fraleigh
Personal details
Born
Ralph Hugh Duncan Ferguson

(1929-09-13)September 13, 1929
Mosa Township, Ontario, Canada
DiedAugust 30, 2020(2020-08-30) (aged 90)
Watford, Ontario, Ontario, Canada
Political partyLiberal
SpouseDolores Garrod
Children2
Profession
  • Farmer

Ralph Ferguson PC (September 13, 1929 – August 30, 2020) was a Canadian farmer and politician.

Ferguson was a farmer in south-western Ontario and co-founder of the Lambton Pork Producers Association. In the late 1950s, he was chairman of the Lambton County Egg Producers.

He was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1980 federal election as the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Lambton--Middlesex.

Ferguson served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of State for Small Businesses and Tourism from 1980 to 1982, Deputy Government Whip from 1982 to 1984, and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Finance from March to June 1984.

When John Turner succeeded Pierre Trudeau as Liberal leader and Prime Minister of Canada, he brought Ferguson into the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, succeeding long-time Trudeau Agriculture minister Eugene Whelan.

Ferguson's cabinet career was short-lived, however, as both he and the Turner government were defeated in the September 1984 federal election.

As a backbench MP, Ferguson participated in several trade missions as an advocate of export market expansion. He also played a role in the creation of the Canadian Agricultural Export Corporation or CANAGREX, a crown corporation formed in 1983 and disbanded by the Mulroney government in 1987. As minister, he established the first controlled environment seed bank in an effort to protect parent seed stocks.

He was successful in his attempt to return to the House in the 1988 federal election having campaigned strongly against the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement. Ferguson did not run in the 1993 federal election, preferring to retire from politics and return to the farm where he was an active conservationist. He was also an environmentalist and advocate for renewable energy.

Ferguson died on August 30, 2020, at age 90.[1]

References

  1. ^ Dentinger, Dave (August 31, 2020). "Former MP Ralph Ferguson dies". Blackburn News. Retrieved August 31, 2020.