Green, John (1915-2007)

A lawyer who pioneered automobile legislation, John Green was born in Yorkshire, England in 1915 and immigrated to Canada twenty years later. With law degrees from the University of Saskatchewan and Berkeley, Green began his career with Saskatchewan Government Insurance Office in 1945 as a legal advisor. He drafted the Automobile Accident Insurance Act of 1945 and introduced the first compensation plan for personal injury regardless of fault. The Act would later develop into the first comprehensive insurance plan in North America. In 1973, he became general manager of SGIO, a position he held until his retirement seven years later. Green’s accomplishments are even more remarkable considering he was visually impaired. In recognition of his efforts, Green was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 1980 and received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 1998. He died in Regina on January 2, 2007.

Canadian Plains Research Center