Harry Hays grew up on a farm in Carstairs, Alta. He was an auctioneer, cattle exporter and president of several ag organizations before Prime Minister Lester Pearson appointed him as ag minister from 1963 to 1965.
As minister of agriculture, Hays developed a European cattle importation plan after Canada had successfully imported Charolais cattle from the United States in 1951. He oversaw the imports of European Charolais, Simmental, Limousin, Main Anjou and Brown Swiss cattle to Canada.
Hays’s Dairy Commission Act of 1966 created a regulatory agency to purchase, process, ship, store and promote the use of dairy products.
He also established the Veterinary College at Saskatoon and created a national farm accounting system.