William John McKeag

Who was William John McKeag?

William John McKeag, CM, OM, CD was a Manitoba politician and office-holder. He served as the province's 17th Lieutenant Governor between 1970 and 1976.

McKeag was born in Winnipeg, and was educated at the University of Manitoba. He served as General Manager of Security Storage Limited from 1952 until his appointment in 1970. He also established the McKeag-Harris Reality and Development company in 1960.

In 1958, McKeag ran for the Manitoba legislature as a Liberal-Progressive candidate in the upscale Winnipeg riding of River Heights. This was the year in which Dufferin Roblin's Progressive Conservatives ended forty-three years of Liberal and Progressive rule, and McKeag was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate W.B. Scarth.

From 1966 to 1969, McKeag was a councilor in the town of Tuxedo, prior to its merger with Winnipeg. He was also Chairman of the Greater Winnipeg Election Committee from 1968 to 1970.

McKeag, at the age of 42, was the youngest Lieutenant Governor in Manitoba's history when he was appointed by Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau in 1970. However, the office of Lieutenant Governor is a ceremonial post, and he had almost no practical influence over the government of Edward Schreyer.