Edgerton W. Day
Encyclopedia
Edgerton Winnett Day was a Canadian
politician and pioneer settler in the area that became province of Alberta.
Born in 1863 in an area later incorporated into the Canadian province of Ontario, Day completed his education, and took up a job as a stagecoach driver. Soon after, he would find employment at the Massey-Harris company, an agricultural equipment manufacturer. During this time, Day first surveyed the land that he would eventually settle later on in his life. After briefly working as a loan company, Day moved to the west, after having aspirations of doing so since his youth. As the Canadian Pacific Railway
gained entitlement to a portion of land in the prairies, Day became interested in purchasing a large portion, and did so in 1904. He then completed plans for what would later become the town that bears his name, Daysland, in present-day Flagstaff County, Alberta
.
Daysland was formed in 1905, when the railway line to the area was completed. Soon after, a large colonial-style house was built as a home for Day and his wife. Fitted with the latest appliances and technology at the time, it soon became the centre of the town, serving as an ice rink and tennis court, and hosting events, including auctions. After the opening of a post office in 1907, Daysland was officially incorporated as a town, with Day elected its first mayor. He would continue to serve in the capacity until his resignation in 1910. Two years later, Day moved to Edmonton, where he served as a major in the Army Reserve until his death from a long illness in 1919.
to Dr. Louis E. and Harriet Ansley Day, of Scottish descent. His father, Louis owned a hotel
in Inverary. He completed his education in Inverary, and got his first job as a stage
driver on the run between Inverary and Kingston
. Day then worked for the Massey-Harris company, starting as an office
worker, eventually becoming chief clerk, before resigning after 11 years with the company. Day then took a job as the general manager of the Globe Loan company in Toronto
.
After "always longing to go to the west
", Day came to the area that would become Daysland in 1888 while he was with the Massey-Harris company, but moved back to Ontario shortly after. When the Canadian Pacific Railway
gained entitlement to the land in 1901, Day became interested in purchasing a large section of it. In 1903, as managing director of the Alberta Land Corporation, Day asked J. A. O'Neil of Wetaskiwin to guide him in purchasing sections of land. In 1904, he moved his family to the Wetaskiwin area and acquired 12 townships (116,483 acres) and the mineral rights from the Canadian Pacific Railway in the area for three quarters of a million dollars as one of the "largest individual land purchases in the West". Day, along with about 30 other businessmen walked or drove from Wetaskiwin to survey the homesteads in preparation for the construction of Daysland.
Prior to the foundation of the town, the Alberta Central Land Company, Daysland Trading Company, Board of Trade, and retail merchants were tasked with colonizing the area of what would become Daysland, and creating a town.After Alberta
became a province, Day registered plans for the future site of Daysland in the Land Department office of the Canadian Pacific Railway
in September 1905. This helped decide the route for the railway.
s. The yard was enclosed and used as a skating rink during winters beginning in 1907, a tennis court was installed in 1909 and it was the home for and auctions were hosted by Day. Day owned a farm on the property, which he named Inverary Stock Farm, after his birthplace. On the farm, he raised mule
s and purebred Ayreshire bull
s to contribute to the dairy industry. He also owned purebred stallions, and a Spanish jack, named Carnots, which he kept in his barn. The town had rapidly progressed from it's inception in 1905 to a village by April 2, 1906.
A post office opened in September 1906, and Daysland was officially incorporated as a town on April 2, 1907, with Day acclaimed as the first mayor, and the first council was elected, consisting of C. A. MacLoed, James Stacey Orr, H. Bentley, S. V. B. Crowell, G. Wardstrom, J. E. Vanderburgh, and E. H. Dawson as secretary and treasurer. A district court began regularly sitting in the area in April 1907. The Daysland Post, a local newspaper, began publication in May 1907, and funding for a hospital was also raised. This caused Day, on behald of the Board of Trade to travel to Kingston, Ontario
and extend an invitation to the members of the Sisters of Providence
to settle in the town. The Sisters later went on to establish a 3-storey, 25 bed hospital along with living accommodations for the staff. Also in 1907, a display of the town was arranged to be presented at the Dominion Fair in Calgary
. In a 1907 article, Day was quoted as saying about Daysland, "I have no hesitation in recommending this part of the country for young men to locate in. It is a fine country and the young man with ambition is bound to succeed."
Day ran in the 1908 Canadian federal election
as a Conservative
candidate for the riding of Strathcona
, but lost to Dr. Wilbert McIntyre
, the incumbent MP and Liberal
candidate. Day resigned as mayor of Daysland on November 1, 1910, citing his excessive absences from the town. He was succeeded as mayor in 1911 by Daniel Rabbitt.
The Day family moved to Edmonton
in January of 1912. After his wife's death in 1914, he served as a major
in the Army Reserve at Edmonton and Wabamun
from 1915 to his death in 1919. Day would also be a personal friend of future Prime Minister of Canada
Arthur Meighen
.
. They had 4 children, Elsie Margaret, Ina Ansley, George Sutherland, and Edgerton Winnett "Ted" Day. The oldest daughter, Elsie, born 1889 completed her education at St. Hilda's College, University of Toronto
. She married a dentist
, Robert Arthur Rooney, and had 3 children. She died in 1975. The second daughter, Ina Ansley, born 1891 also completed her education at St. Hilda's College in Toronto. She married Ed Brennan, and had one daughter, Ina. She died in 1987. The elder son, George Sutherland, born 1894, attended college in Toronto, and served in World War I
overseas for four and a half years. While overseas, he served for almost 2 years at the London Administration Office as paymaster for all Canadian Forces. Upon his return to Canada, he worked at the Soldier Settlement Board, and then as an insurance adjuster. He died in 1985. The youngest son, Edgerton Winnett, Jr. "Ted", born 1901, worked as a lawyer and served as a colonel
with the 49th Battalion, CEF. He worked at the office of the Judge's Advocate in Ottawa upon his return from overseas. He died in 1982.
Edgerton W. Day died at 9:15 A.M. on February 11, 1919 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital
in Edmonton
after an illness of several months. He was buried in the Edmonton Cemetery. His wife of 27 years, Ina died had on May 25, 1914 and Edgerton Day was interred alongside her.
Day had considered himself a colonizer. He was described to had done "all in his power to promote welfare and to improve the conditions of the town and district". An article from the Weekly British Whig in 1907 said of Day, "Mr. Day went into the business with his whole heart and soul, studying all the conditions of the country, etc., and it was in this way that he was able to accomplish what he did. He started life as an ordinary man, with no capital whatever, but he had the grit and perseverance, and this is almost sure to win out in the long run. Mr. Day's many friends are more than pleased to learn of his great success."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician and pioneer settler in the area that became province of Alberta.
Born in 1863 in an area later incorporated into the Canadian province of Ontario, Day completed his education, and took up a job as a stagecoach driver. Soon after, he would find employment at the Massey-Harris company, an agricultural equipment manufacturer. During this time, Day first surveyed the land that he would eventually settle later on in his life. After briefly working as a loan company, Day moved to the west, after having aspirations of doing so since his youth. As the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
gained entitlement to a portion of land in the prairies, Day became interested in purchasing a large portion, and did so in 1904. He then completed plans for what would later become the town that bears his name, Daysland, in present-day Flagstaff County, Alberta
Flagstaff County, Alberta
Flagstaff County is a municipal district in east central Alberta, Canada.It is located in Census Division 7. The county was incorporated in the current boundaries in 1944 as Municipal District of Killam No. 390, name changed a year later to Municipal District of Flagstaff No. 62. It was established...
.
Daysland was formed in 1905, when the railway line to the area was completed. Soon after, a large colonial-style house was built as a home for Day and his wife. Fitted with the latest appliances and technology at the time, it soon became the centre of the town, serving as an ice rink and tennis court, and hosting events, including auctions. After the opening of a post office in 1907, Daysland was officially incorporated as a town, with Day elected its first mayor. He would continue to serve in the capacity until his resignation in 1910. Two years later, Day moved to Edmonton, where he served as a major in the Army Reserve until his death from a long illness in 1919.
Early life and career
Day was born in Inverary, OntarioInverary, Ontario
Inverary is a community in South Frontenac, Ontario, Canada.-Education:Perth Road Public School, an elementary school near Inverary, is operated by the Limestone District School Board.-Postal services:...
to Dr. Louis E. and Harriet Ansley Day, of Scottish descent. His father, Louis owned a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Inverary. He completed his education in Inverary, and got his first job as a stage
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
driver on the run between Inverary and Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
. Day then worked for the Massey-Harris company, starting as an office
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
worker, eventually becoming chief clerk, before resigning after 11 years with the company. Day then took a job as the general manager of the Globe Loan company in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
After "always longing to go to the west
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
", Day came to the area that would become Daysland in 1888 while he was with the Massey-Harris company, but moved back to Ontario shortly after. When the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
gained entitlement to the land in 1901, Day became interested in purchasing a large section of it. In 1903, as managing director of the Alberta Land Corporation, Day asked J. A. O'Neil of Wetaskiwin to guide him in purchasing sections of land. In 1904, he moved his family to the Wetaskiwin area and acquired 12 townships (116,483 acres) and the mineral rights from the Canadian Pacific Railway in the area for three quarters of a million dollars as one of the "largest individual land purchases in the West". Day, along with about 30 other businessmen walked or drove from Wetaskiwin to survey the homesteads in preparation for the construction of Daysland.
Prior to the foundation of the town, the Alberta Central Land Company, Daysland Trading Company, Board of Trade, and retail merchants were tasked with colonizing the area of what would become Daysland, and creating a town.After Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
became a province, Day registered plans for the future site of Daysland in the Land Department office of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
in September 1905. This helped decide the route for the railway.
Daysland
The town was founded on October 1, 1905. The next day, the first freight arrived via a construction train, marking the start of the construction of the town. The railway was completed on December 2, 1905, setting the way for homesteaders and settlers. The first building erected was a a large colonial-style house, contracted by Henry Nelson. Day and his wife, Ina lived in a "cold shack" from March to June 1906, when their own house was completed. Their property took up 16 lots on George Street and Mitchell Avenue, and was situated in between two churches. It had a "large landscaped yard and lawn, a large hip-roof barn and a windmill". The rooms were described as "spacious, ceilings high", containing up-to-date appliances, such as a hot water heater and refrigeratorRefrigerator
A refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
s. The yard was enclosed and used as a skating rink during winters beginning in 1907, a tennis court was installed in 1909 and it was the home for and auctions were hosted by Day. Day owned a farm on the property, which he named Inverary Stock Farm, after his birthplace. On the farm, he raised mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s and purebred Ayreshire bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
s to contribute to the dairy industry. He also owned purebred stallions, and a Spanish jack, named Carnots, which he kept in his barn. The town had rapidly progressed from it's inception in 1905 to a village by April 2, 1906.
A post office opened in September 1906, and Daysland was officially incorporated as a town on April 2, 1907, with Day acclaimed as the first mayor, and the first council was elected, consisting of C. A. MacLoed, James Stacey Orr, H. Bentley, S. V. B. Crowell, G. Wardstrom, J. E. Vanderburgh, and E. H. Dawson as secretary and treasurer. A district court began regularly sitting in the area in April 1907. The Daysland Post, a local newspaper, began publication in May 1907, and funding for a hospital was also raised. This caused Day, on behald of the Board of Trade to travel to Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
and extend an invitation to the members of the Sisters of Providence
Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul
The Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul are a congregation of Roman Catholic religious sisters with their motherhouse in Kingston, Ontario. On December 13, 1861, the Sisters of Charity from Montreal sent sisters to Kingston to begin a new religious congregation at the request of the bishop...
to settle in the town. The Sisters later went on to establish a 3-storey, 25 bed hospital along with living accommodations for the staff. Also in 1907, a display of the town was arranged to be presented at the Dominion Fair in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. In a 1907 article, Day was quoted as saying about Daysland, "I have no hesitation in recommending this part of the country for young men to locate in. It is a fine country and the young man with ambition is bound to succeed."
Day ran in the 1908 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 1908
The Canadian federal election of 1908 was held on October 26 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 11th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier's Liberal Party of Canada was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in government with a majority government...
as a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
candidate for the riding of Strathcona
Strathcona (electoral district)
Strathcona was a federal electoral district in the Northwest Territories and Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1925. When it was created, it was part of the Northwest Territories. In 1905, when Saskatchewan and Alberta became provinces, it was split...
, but lost to Dr. Wilbert McIntyre
Wilbert McIntyre
Wilbert McIntyre was a politician and medical doctor from Alberta, Canada.Born in Rosedale, Ontario, Wilbert was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a 1906 by-election in the Strathcona electoral district by-election on April 5, 1906...
, the incumbent MP and Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
candidate. Day resigned as mayor of Daysland on November 1, 1910, citing his excessive absences from the town. He was succeeded as mayor in 1911 by Daniel Rabbitt.
The Day family moved to Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
in January of 1912. After his wife's death in 1914, he served as a major
Major (Canada)
Major is a rank of the Canadian Forces. The rank insignia of a major is two half-inch stripes with a quarter-inch stripe between. Majors fill the positions of Company/Squadron/Battery Commanders, or Deputy Commanders of a Battalion/Regiment; in the Air Force they are typically squadron...
in the Army Reserve at Edmonton and Wabamun
Wabamun, Alberta
Wabamun is a village located west of Edmonton in central Alberta, Canada.- Demographics :The population of the Village of Wabamun according to its 2009 municipal census is 662....
from 1915 to his death in 1919. Day would also be a personal friend of future Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada: from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921; and from June 29 to September 25, 1926. He was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding...
.
Personal life, death and legacy
Day married Alexanderina "Ina" Sutherland (born c. 1863) in 1887. Sutherland was the youngest of 5 daughters to a tea merchant, John Sutherland in Cobourg, OntarioCobourg, Ontario
Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
. They had 4 children, Elsie Margaret, Ina Ansley, George Sutherland, and Edgerton Winnett "Ted" Day. The oldest daughter, Elsie, born 1889 completed her education at St. Hilda's College, University of Toronto
St. Hilda's College, University of Toronto
St Hilda's College is the women's college of the University of Trinity College, itself a federated college of the University of Toronto, Canada...
. She married a dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, Robert Arthur Rooney, and had 3 children. She died in 1975. The second daughter, Ina Ansley, born 1891 also completed her education at St. Hilda's College in Toronto. She married Ed Brennan, and had one daughter, Ina. She died in 1987. The elder son, George Sutherland, born 1894, attended college in Toronto, and served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
overseas for four and a half years. While overseas, he served for almost 2 years at the London Administration Office as paymaster for all Canadian Forces. Upon his return to Canada, he worked at the Soldier Settlement Board, and then as an insurance adjuster. He died in 1985. The youngest son, Edgerton Winnett, Jr. "Ted", born 1901, worked as a lawyer and served as a colonel
Colonel (Canada)
In the Canadian Forces, the rank of colonel is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a captain of the Navy. A colonel is the highest rank of senior officer...
with the 49th Battalion, CEF. He worked at the office of the Judge's Advocate in Ottawa upon his return from overseas. He died in 1982.
Edgerton W. Day died at 9:15 A.M. on February 11, 1919 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital
Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton
The Royal Alexandra Hospital is one of Alberta Health Services, formerly Capital Health, largest and longest serving hospitals. Located in the heart of Edmonton's city centre, the Royal Alex serves a diverse community stretching from downtown Edmonton to western and northern Canada.They operate...
in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
after an illness of several months. He was buried in the Edmonton Cemetery. His wife of 27 years, Ina died had on May 25, 1914 and Edgerton Day was interred alongside her.
Day had considered himself a colonizer. He was described to had done "all in his power to promote welfare and to improve the conditions of the town and district". An article from the Weekly British Whig in 1907 said of Day, "Mr. Day went into the business with his whole heart and soul, studying all the conditions of the country, etc., and it was in this way that he was able to accomplish what he did. He started life as an ordinary man, with no capital whatever, but he had the grit and perseverance, and this is almost sure to win out in the long run. Mr. Day's many friends are more than pleased to learn of his great success."