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George Roy McWilliam

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George Roy McWilliam
Member of Parliament
for Northumberland—Miramichi
In office
1949–1968
Preceded byJohn William Maloney
Succeeded byG.A. Percy Smith
Personal details
Born(1905-07-21)July 21, 1905
Sydney, Nova Scotia
DiedMay 15, 1977(1977-05-15) (aged 71)
Political partyLiberal
ProfessionEditor, publisher

George Roy McWilliam (July 21, 1905 – May 15, 1977) was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for the constituency of Northumberland—Miramichi in New Brunswick from 1949 until 1968. He was a resident of Newcastle, New Brunswick for most of his life, where he was the publisher and editor of the North Shore Leader, a local weekly newspaper.

Early life

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McWilliam was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Political career

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McWilliam was a Liberal and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Postmaster-General from 1963 to 1964 and to the Minister of Public Works from 1964 to 1965.

McWilliam served as MP through the middle of a long period of Liberal ascendancy in the Miramichi Valley. The coalition that sustained the Liberal Party was centered on the Irish vote, especially from the town of Chatham where they formed the majority, buttressed by the votes of the Irish minority in Newcastle, and the smaller Irish villages like St. Margarets, Barnaby River and Sevogle. Added to this were the votes of the French-speaking Acadians of Neguac, Rogersville, Beaverbrook and Baie-Sainte-Anne and surrounding areas. The majority of Protestants voted Progressive Conservative, but there were always a minority who supported the Liberals.

Although Catholics generally supported the Liberal Party, the Irish Catholic clergy did not generally involve themselves in politics.

Personal life

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Roy McWilliam's sister was the noted Miramichi historian Edith McAllister.

Electoral record

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1953 Canadian federal election: Northumberland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Roy McWilliam 10,666 64.33 +8.70
Progressive Conservative George Somers 5,107 30.80 -8.66
Co-operative Commonwealth Paul Lordon 808 4.87 +2.97
Total valid votes 16,581 100.00
1949 Canadian federal election: Northumberland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Roy McWilliam 9,840 55.63 -6.66
Progressive Conservative Benjamin Cleland 6,980 39.46 +1.75
Independent Elmer MacKinnon 533 3.01 Ø
Co-operative Commonwealth Paul Hansen 336 1.90 Ø
Total valid votes 17,689 100.00
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