He was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1969 to 1981, and served in the cabinet of Edward Schreyer.
[1][2] The son of Sydney McBryde and Jean Myrtle Esplin,[2] he was educated in British Columbia public schools and at Central Washington State College.
[1] McBryde was easily re-elected in the election of 1973[1] over independent candidate George Takashima, his sole opponent.
He continued to serve as Northern Affairs minister until the Schreyer government was defeated in the election of 1977.
McBryde retained his own seat in the 1977 election,[1] and was a prominent supporter of Howard Pawley in his successful bid to replace Schreyer as party leader in 1979.