Thomas C. Douglas; Canadian Socialist

OTTAWA —  Thomas Clement (Tommy) Douglas, a Scottish-born Baptist minister who traded his pulpit for a political platform and became one of Canada’s most durable politicians, died here of cancer Monday.

Douglas, known as “Wee Tommy,” was 81 and had led the first Socialist government in North America as premier of Saskatchewan.

He served in the House of Commons from 1935 until 1979 and was widely known for his warmth, wit and flair.

Douglas was plucked from the pulpit by the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and was elected to Commons in 1935. He left Ottawa in 1944 to lead the Saskatchewan CCF to a landslide victory that year.

He remained the province’s premier for 17 years, during which time he introduced public sector collective bargaining, holidays with pay, equal pay for equal work, trade union laws, rural electrification and government-sponsored auto insurance.

He also brought in free cancer treatment, free hospital care for the mentally ill and free medical care for pensioners and welfare recipients.

At age 57, he became leader of the national New Democratic Party, born from a marriage between the CCF and organized labor. After stepping aside as his party’s leader, he remained in Commons until 1979.