The Government of Canada unveiled a plaque on Thursday to honour former Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas.
The plaque was revealed by Regina-Wascana MP Ralph Goodale at the T.C. Douglas Building on Thursday. Douglas was also declared a person of national historical significance.
“Through compassion, an unwavering commitment to social justice, and integrity, he helped improve the lives of Canadians,” Goodale said in a media release.
“Above all, he left us the legacy of the publicly funded health insurance program across Canada that is central to our Canadian values.”
Douglas, a Baptist pastor and human rights advocate, began his political career in the 1930s when he formed the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation political party.
He was served as premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961. As premier, he created labour laws, human rights codes and the first universal hospital insurance plan in 1947.
Douglas was also instrumental in building a relationship between the Saskatchewan government and Indigenous people, according to the Canadian government.
After his reign as premier, Douglas served as the leader of the federal NDP for 10 years. The Canadian government said he fought for social issues such as medicare, old age pension and human rights.
