Walter Russell Shaw

Who was Walter Russell Shaw?

Walter Russell Shaw, OC was a Prince Edward Island politician.

A native of West River, Shaw was educated at Prince of Wales College, the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and the University of Toronto. On his return to Prince Edward Island, he farmed for several years, becoming a noted livestock breeder. Shaw worked as a civil servant in the provincial department of agriculture from 1934 to 1954, rising to the position of deputy minister. He also helped found the PEI Federation of Agriculture serving as its first general secretary. He entered politics in 1957 when he was chosen leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. He led the party to victory in the 1959 election becoming the 22nd Premier at the age of 71.

The Shaw government supported the expansion of the province's food processing industry, instituted a regional system of high schools and revamped the employment system and pay scale for the civil service. Despite its support for the farming industry, Shaw's government failed to reverse the decline in the number of family farms and was unable to successfully diversify the economy.