William Bryce

Who was William Bryce?

William "Scottie" Bryce was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He briefly served as leader of the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, although he never served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

Bryce, born in Lanark, Scotland, was educated at Glasgow and apprenticed as a machinist. He arrived in Canada in 1919 and farmed in Dugald, Manitoba. From 1941 to 1943, he served as President of the Manitoba Farmers Association. He was also a member of the National War Services Board and the Advisory Board of Dominion Beef Committee.

Bryce was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a 1943 by-election, during a period of increased popularity for the federal CCF. Running in the riding of Selkirk, Bryce defeated his Liberal opponent Charles Fillmore by about 5500 votes. He was re-elected by narrower margins in the general elections of 1945 and 1949. He was a leading advocate for farmer's concerns during his time in parliament, and generally avoided ideological debates.

Bryce's tenure as provincial CCF leader was an anomaly in the party's history. He was chosen leader in 1952 due to concerns that his federal riding would be eliminated by redistribution.