Mervyn Arthur Hardie

Mervyn Arthur Hardie (July 31, 1918 – October 18, 1961) was a Canadian politician, businessman and bush pilot from Northwest Territories, Canada. He served as a Member of the Northwest Territories Council from 1951 to 1953 and as a member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada from 1953 until his death in 1961.

Early life Hardie was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. He attended post secondary education at Notre Dame College. After finishing college he moved to the Northwest Territories and managed A.S. Hodgson's trading post in Yellowknife during 1948/1949. Hardie got his start in politics by serving on Yellowknife municipal council from 1948 to 1950. His win made him the first Member of Parliament from the Northwest Territories since 1904. He served as a back bench member of the governing Liberal caucus.

Hardie ran for his second term in office in the 1957 Canadian federal election. He rolled up a very large majority over his Progressive Conservative opponent Harold Parkes. The Progressive Conservatives formed a minority government and Hardie became a very strong member of the official opposition becoming a frequent thorn in the side of the Diefenbaker government. The results of the Progressive Conservative landslide completely swept the Liberals with the exception of Hardie off the map west of Ontario.

Hardie died on October 18, 1961, vacating his seat in the Commons, and was survived by his wife Isabel Hardie and four children. On the day of his death Diefenbaker paid tribute to Hardie calling him "a good man who will be remembered for his courage and abiding faith". She won the newly expanded Northwest Territories electoral district serving as a Member of Parliament from 1962 until her defeat in 1963.

A Northwest Territories owned vehicle and passenger ferry was named in his honour, it is known as the M.V. Merv Hardie ferry and operated at the Fort Providence Mackenzie River crossing from 1972 to 2012, when it was replaced by the Deh Cho Bridge.

Election results