Not many people know that Stanley Knowles, the late Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North Centre, was born and raised in Los Angeles. His parents were from humble beginnings, and his mother died when Stanley was only eleven because they couldn't afford the necessary health care. Later, when his father became ill and was laid off by the Los Angeles Railway Company, he was without health benefits or pension. This laid a strong foundation for Stanley's belief in better conditions for the working class.
As a teenager in 1924, he left home to see the world and one of his early stops was to visit his cousins in Carberry, Manitoba. During this visit, he liked Canada so much he decided to stay and to attend school at Brandon College. His whole family was very religious, so it was only natural that after graduating from Brandon, he would go to study theology at Wesley College, now the University of Winnipeg.
Soon after he was assigned a congregation, he started to preach the social gospel from the pulpit regarding issues of fair labour practices, available housing, access to health care and old age pensions. On the very night he became a father, with all of the added responsibilities, he submitted his resignation to the church elders, so he could run for Parliament. At first he lost, but later he became the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North Centre, in a 1942 by-election to replace J. S. Woodsworth. He retired from politics in1984, when a stroke forced him to give up the fight. During his nearly 40 years as an MP, he fought vigorously for better housing, higher wages, decent pensions, universal health care and veterans benefits, which we now take for granted.
In his maiden speech in the House of Commons, Stanley read from notes, as he was eager to make a good first impression. The Speaker chastised him as the rules that state "you must not read a speech." As a result, he soon became an expert on House procedure and was later recognized as the resident authority on Parliamentary procedure.
In 1946, he was a delegate to the inaugural session of the United Nations in London. In 1957, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker offered him the position of Speaker of the House of Commons, an unprecedented move for a member of the opposition. He turned down the position, since it meant he couldn't continue his struggle for the rights of the ordinary people. In 1961, as Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress, he chaired the founding convention of the newly formed New Democratic Party (NDP).
In 1984, Parliament bestowed upon him with an "Honorary Membership" in the House of Commons, with a permanent seat at "the Clerk's table", which he occupied until his passing. Brandon University also honoured him by appointing him Chancellor from 1970 to 1990. His children, David Knowles and Margaret Plaxton, as well as their children, still maintain links with Manitoba and visit the cemetery almost every year.
