Gerald Grattan McGeer
| Gerald McGeer | |
|---|---|
circa 1935
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| Member of the Canada Parliament for Vancouver—Burrard |
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In office 1935–1945 |
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| Preceded by | Wilfred Hanbury |
| Succeeded by | Charles Merritt |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gerald Grattan McGeer 6 January 1888 Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Died | 11 August 1947 (aged 59) Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party | Liberal Party of Canada |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal Party of BC |
| Spouse(s) | Charlotte Spencer |
| Alma mater | Dalhousie University |
Gerald Grattan McGeer (6 January 1888 – 11 August 1947) was a lawyer, populist politician, and monetary reform advocate in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He served as the 22nd Mayor of Vancouver, a Member of the Legislative Assembly in BC, Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party of Canada, and in the Canadian Senate.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to James McGeer and his wife Emily Cooke, McGeer moved with his family as a young child to Vancouver. He grew up in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. As a young adult, he worked in an iron foundry and was an active member in his union. Eventually he went to Dalhousie University to study law. Back in Vancouver, he married Charlotte Spencer, of the department store family.
McGeer first attained renown in the 1920s as a lawyer representing the British Columbia government in its case to reduce freight rate differentials on goods shipped through the Rocky Mountains by rail. He worked for years on this case and achieved considerable success. The outcome proved a windfall for the BC economy, earning McGeer a reputation as "the man who flattened the Rockies." Reductions in discriminatory freight rates made it economically feasible for prairie grain to come west and be exported through Vancouver's port rather than seaports in eastern Canada and the United States.
McGeer was elected to the British Columbia Legislature as candidate for the Liberal government of Duff Pattullo in 1933. He was soon considered a maverick in his own party after McGeer became critical of the government because Pattullo did not appoint him to cabinet. According to McGeer, Pattullo led him to believe he would become the province's Attorney-General.
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