Wally McKenzie

James Wallace (Wally) McKenzie (born June 16, 1914 in Plenty, Saskatchewan, died September 11, 1999) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1966 to 1986.

McKenzie did not attend university, and worked as a merchant after leaving high school. He became a Director of the Cooperative Society of Manitoba, and served in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1941 to 1945. From 1955 to 1963, he was a member of his local town council. He also served as President of the North Central Hockey League in 1965.

He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the provincial election of 1966, in the riding of Roblin, defeating New Democrat Joseph Perchaluk by just over 200 votes. He did not serve in the cabinets of Dufferin Roblin or Walter Weir, and sat as a backbench MLA on the government side for the next three years.

In the provincial election of 1969, McKenzie narrowly defeated fellow incumbent Mike Kawchuk of the NDP in the redistributed riding of Roblin. The NDP under Edward Schreyer formed government after this election, and McKenzie moved to the opposition benches. He was re-elected by an increased margin in the 1973 election, due in part to the fact that there was no Liberal candidate in the race.

The Progressive Conservatives returned to power until Sterling Lyon in the 1977 election. McKenzie, easily re-elected in his own riding, was named Deputy Speaker of the assembly on November 24, 1977. He did not serve in Lyon's cabinet.

McKenzie was re-elected again in the 1981 provincial election, which the Tories lost. He retired from politics in 1986.