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Roy Romanow

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Roy Romanow
Romanow in 2015, at the University of Ottawa
12th Premier of Saskatchewan
In office
November 1, 1991 – February 8, 2001
MonarchElizabeth II
Lieutenant GovernorSylvia FedorukJack WiebeLynda Haverstock
Preceded byGrant Devine
Succeeded byLorne Calvert
Chair of the Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada
In office
April 2001 – November 2002
Prime MinisterJean Chrétien
Saskatchewan Leader of the Opposition
In office
November 7, 1987 – November 1, 1991
Preceded byAllan Blakeney
Succeeded byGrant Devine
3rd Leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
In office
November 7, 1987 – January 27, 2001
Preceded byAllan Blakeney
Succeeded byLorne Calvert
Deputy Premier of Saskatchewan
In office
June 30, 1971 – May 8, 1982
PremierAllan Blakeney
Succeeded byEric Berntson
Saskatchewan Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
In office
June 19, 1979 – May 8, 1982
PremierAllan Blakeney
Preceded bynew office
Succeeded byJohn Gary Lane
Attorney General of Saskatchewan
In office
June 30, 1971 – May 8, 1982
PremierAllan Blakeney
Preceded byDarrel Verner Heald
Succeeded byJohn Gary Lane
Provincial Secretary of Saskatchewan
In office
June 30, 1971 – May 12, 1972
PremierAllan Blakeney
Preceded byDarrel Verner Heald
Succeeded byEdwin Tchorzewski
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
In office
October 11, 1967 – April 26, 1982
Preceded byNew Riding
Succeeded byJo-Ann Zazelenchuk
ConstituencySaskatoon Riversdale
In office
October 20, 1986 – February 8, 2001
Preceded byJo-Ann Zazelenchuk
Succeeded byLorne Calvert
ConstituencySaskatoon Riversdale
Personal details
Born
Roy John Romanow

(1939-08-12) August 12, 1939 (age 85)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Political partyNew Democratic Party
Alma materUniversity of Saskatchewan
ProfessionLawyer

Roy John Romanow PC OC SOM KC (born August 12, 1939) is a Canadian politician who served as the 12th premier of Saskatchewan from 1991 to 2001. He was the leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party from 1987 until his retirement in 2001. He was the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saskatoon Riversdale from 1967 to 1982 and from 1986 to 2001.

Romanow played a prominent role in Allan Blakeney's NDP government from 1971 to 1982, particularly in negotiations over Patriation of the Canadian Constitution. He became the Leader of the Opposition in 1987 before leading the NDP to three consecutive election victories in the 1990s. His time as premier left a divisive legacy within Saskatchewan political history. When Romanow first took office, Saskatchewan was facing the prospect of bankruptcy. His fiscal management brought the province back to balanced finances by the middle of the decade. However, his embrace of Third Way neoliberal politics disillusioned many within the NDP. Moreover, the perception that his cuts to spending disproportionately impacted rural Saskatchewan deepened an already growing divide between urban and rural issues and voters in the province, which factored prominently into future elections.

Early life

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Romanow was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1939 to Tekla and Michael Romanow, who were Ukrainian immigrants from Ordiv—currently Chervonohrad RaionUkraine. His first language was Ukrainian.

He studied at the University of Saskatchewan, earning bachelor's degrees in Political science in 1960 and Law in 1964, while involving himself heavily in student politics—he served a year as president of the Students' Representative Council. Romanow then practiced law, articling with and joining Goldenburg, Taylor and Company in Saskatoon. He married Eleanore Boykowich in 1967.