Portrait of Prime Minister John Turner
John Turner was born in England in 1929. As a child he moved with his family to Canada, where he became an Olympic qualifier in track, a Rhodes scholar, and a successful lawyer. He was a respected MP and cabinet minister. After he won a party leadership vote he became Prime Minister and quickly called an election, and was Prime Minister for only 79 days.
Turner had abundant energy, as noticed by the English-born, Toronto-based portraitist Brenda Bury. She said he was “always ready to move,” and in his portrait he has the air of having sat only briefly to pose, with a let’s-get-to-it expression.