Sterling Rufus Lyon

Lyon, Sterling Rufus
Sterling Rufus Lyon, lawyer, politician, premier of Manitoba (b at Windsor, Ont 30 Jan 1927). Lyon, elected to the Manitoba Legislature in 1958, spent the next 11 years as a minister in the Roblin-Weir PC administrations. Defeated by Walter WEIR in a bid to succeed Duff ROBLIN in 1967, he left politics 1969, but returned in an unsuccessful attempt at a federal seat in 1974. He became leader of the Manitoba Tories in 1975 and premier in 1977. His administration, despite its policy of restraint in government spending, passed some progressive social legislation.

As chairman of the provincial premiers' conference in 1980-81, Lyon played a leading part in opposition to the federal government's proposed constitutional changes. His government was defeated in 1981. In Opposition, Lyon strenuously opposed the PAWLEY government's proposal to entrench Franco-Manitoban rights in the constitution. He resigned from the leadership in 1983, and was not a candidate for re-election to the legislature in 1986. That year he was appointed to the Manitoba Court of Appeal.

Author GEOFFREY LAMBERT