Rt Hon Edward Shreyer
Appointed to the post at the age of 43, former Manitoba Premier Edward Schreyer served as the Governor General of Canada from 1979 to 1984.
From 1984 to 1988 he was Canadian High Commissioner to Australia. Shreyer also continued to work as an academic in various Canadian universities after completing his term as Canada's Head of State.
After the death of Jack Layton, Schreyer endorsed the candidacy of Thomas Mulcair, the present leader of the federal NDP party.
Ed Schreyer was born in Beausejour and earned four degrees by the age of 22. He was elected to Parliament at age 23 and became a professor of Political Science at St. Paul's College while he was still in his twenties.
Between 1969 and 1977 Schreyer led the NDP government of Manitoba. They introduced public auto insurance and reduced the voting age to 18. They also set up Legal Aid, the Ombudsman's Office and the Human Rights Commission, as well as eliminating premiums on Medicare.
Speaking both German and French, as well as some Ukrainian and Polish, made him a popular Governor General with both rural and urban people.