Wally Firth

Wally Firth
Member of Parliament
for Northwest Territories
In office
October 30, 1972 – May 21, 1979
Preceded byRobert Orange
Personal details
Born(1935-01-25)January 25, 1935
Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, Canada
DiedMarch 2, 2024(2024-03-02) (aged 89)
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Political partyNew Democratic
Profession
  • Airplane pilot
  • broadcaster
  • flying instructor
  • fur trader
  • native rights worker

Walter Firth (January 25, 1935 – March 2, 2024) was a Canadian politician.

Biography

A Métis, Firth was the first Indigenous politician from the North to win a seat in the House of Commons of Canada. He served as the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories during the 1970s. He was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1972 federal election and re-elected in 1974. He did not run for re-election in 1979, but attempted to return to the House of Commons in the 1980 election. He was defeated in the riding of Western Arctic.

In private life, Firth had various careers as an airplane pilot, flying instructor, broadcaster and fur trader. He was also active as a Native rights advocate.

Firth made another attempt to return to the House of Commons in the 1997 federal election, this time running as an Independent in Western Arctic, but was again unsuccessful.

Firth subsequently returned to the New Democratic Party attempting to win the party's nomination in Yukon for the 2004 election but was unsuccessful.[1] He died in Victoria, British Columbia, on March 2, 2024, at the age of 89.[2]

Electoral history

1997 Canadian federal election: Northwest Territories
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Ethel Blondin-Andrew 5,564 41.63 −20.84 $56,834
New Democratic Mary Beth Levan 2,579 19.29 +12.98 $22,393
Reform Mike Watt 1,966 14.71 +0.62 $4,546
Progressive Conservative Bob Dowdall 1,687 12.62 –0.71 $16,020
Independent Wally Firth 1,567 11.72 – $8,857
Total valid votes 13,363 100.0  
Total rejected ballots 94 0.70
Turnout 13,457 58.37
Liberal hold Swing −16.91
1980 Canadian federal election: Northwest Territories
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Dave Nickerson 3,556 33.81 −1.35
New Democratic Wally Firth 3,537 33.63 +4.30
Liberal Gary Boyd 3,425 32.56 –0.59
Total valid votes 10,518 100.0  
Progressive Conservative hold Swing −2.82
lop.parl.ca
1974 Canadian federal election: Northwest Territories
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Wally Firth 5,410 42.09 +2.27
Progressive Conservative Bob Ward 4,271 33.23 +2.36
Liberal Richard Whitford 3,173 24.68 −4.64
Total valid votes 12,854 100.0  
New Democratic hold Swing –0.04
1972 Canadian federal election: Northwest Territories
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Wally Firth 5,597 39.82 +27.07
Progressive Conservative Bob Ward 4,339 30.87 +7.43
Liberal Dick Hill 4,121 29.32 −34.48
Total valid votes 14,057 100.0  
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +9.82

References

  1. ^ "Boyde takes Yukon NDP nomination". CBC News. April 5, 2004. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  2. ^ Wally Firth an unsung Northern trailblazer


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