Ted Menzies

Conservative MP and Harper Cabinet Minister Ted Menzies was one of three children who grew up on the family farm outside of Claresholm, Alberta. Ted's father settled in the area after emigrating from Northern Ireland when he was just a young boy and ended up working as a ranch hand on the fabled 44 Ranch. His mother was a school teacher from Red Deer and with her husband they farmed their plot of land for over thirty years. Ted ended up farming himself, producing grain crops with his spouse Sandy and her family. Ted became active politically from a young age, serving on several community and municipal boards and later partisan riding associations at the provincial and federal levels. When the sitting MP for MacLeod, Grant Hill, announced he was stepping down, Ted decided to seek the nomination. Ted has been a proud representative of the riding since 2004. In 2011, Ted was promoted to cabinet as Minister of State - Finance. Ted and Sandy have raised two children, Michael and Kari and have five grandchildren. Catherine Clark spoke to Conservative MP and Harper Cabinet Minister Ted Menzies about his life Beyond Politics.