Roy Atkinson, colourful founding president of the National
Farmers Union, has died. He was 92.
He used his platform as president of the Saskatchewan
Farmers Union to push for the NFU which was launched in 1969.
It brought together the Ontario, Manitoba, B.C. and
Saskatchewan Farmers Unions, with the support of the Maritime organizations.
Atkinson then served as the NFU’s first national president
until 1978.
He was a thorn in the side of federal politicians and other
farm organizations such as the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Western
Grain Producers Association and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association because he
was outspoken and leaned to the far left of Canadian economics.
He was named to the Order of Canada in 2002.
