Greg Power

Who was Greg Power?

Gregory J. Power was a politician, office holder, farmer, poet and athlete, who was born in Dunville, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada.

He was considered Joey Smallwood's right hand man in the battle for Confederation of Newfoundland with Canada. He served as editor of the pro-Confederation newspaper The Confederate and wrote numerous editorial letters to local newspapers under the pseudonym "Housewife". His forte was satirical poetry.

Power ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the 1949 election in Ferryland district. Failing to win a seat he was instead appointed the first chairman of the Newfoundland Liquor Corporation. He was elected to the House of Assembly for Placentia East in 1951 and became Minister of Finance. He later served a Minister of Highways during the extensive expansion of Newfoundland's road system during the 1950s.

Power was twice winner of the O'Leary Newfoundland Poetry Award and endowed the Gregory J. Power Poetry Award, an annual competition at Memorial University of Newfoundland that aims to recognize and encourage young poets. He had a regular column in the newspaper The Evening Telegram.

Power represented Newfoundland in the 1930 British Empire Games in track and field events. Several of his Newfoundland records were never broken prior to the switch to metric distances and as a result, still stand. He was inducted into the Newfoundland Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.