Under Atkinson’s leadership, the NFU used unique measures to support farmers, including when he was arrested in Prince Edward Island during a tractor demonstration, which his lawyer described as “trying to intimidate a road.”
He received attention from the federal government, who in 1974 admitted the RCMP used a Saskatoon travel agency to keep an eye on his movements.
Atkinson never lost sight of where he came from, and during his NFU presidency, operated the thousand-hectare farm his family owned.
“It is often said that we can see as far as we do today because we stand upon the shoulders of giants,” said Jan Slomp, NFU President in a release. “Roy Atkinson is certainly one of those giants. His legacy as our farm movement’s leader is unmistakable. He was one of the visionaries who brought provincial farm unions together to create the foundation of our present national organization.”
A celebration of Roy Atkinson’s life is scheduled for Friday, May 27 at the Battleford Room at the Bessborough Hotel at 3 p.m.