Ezra Riley
Encyclopedia
Ezra Hounsfield Riley was a politician and rancher from Alberta
, Canada
.
in a by-election
for the Alberta Liberal Party
on December 7, 1906. He would be re-elected to a second term in the 1909 Alberta general election
.
. Riley would run in the subsequent by-election on October 3 ,1910 The Conservatives did not run a candidate in that by-election instead choosing to support Riley.
Explaining his resignation in a memorable stump speech on September 30, 1910 Riley was quoted as saying
On election day Riley was defeated by 100 votes in a hotly and bitterly contested by-election rife with accusations of tampered voters lists.
His brother Harold Riley would end up winning the district for the Conservatives
in another by-election almost exactly a year later.
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...
, Canada
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...
.
Early life
Riley was born in 1866 in Yorkville, Ontario. He owned a large sum of land that he sold off to the City of Calgary in 1904. The land was developed into the historical Hillhurst-Sunnyside community northwest of Downtown.1906 by-election
Riley ran for the Legislative Assembly of AlbertaLegislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
for the Alberta Liberal Party
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
on December 7, 1906. He would be re-elected to a second term in the 1909 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1909
The Alberta general election was 1909 was the second general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 22 March 1909 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
.
Resignation and defeat
After serving a year into his second term he resigned his seat to protest the leadership of Arthur Sifton who became leader of the Liberal party in the wake of the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandalAlberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal
The Alberta and Great Waterways Railway Scandal was a political scandal in Alberta, Canada in 1910. It resulted in the resignation of the provincial government of Alexander Cameron Rutherford over allegations of conflict of interest in the government's involvement in the financing of the Alberta...
. Riley would run in the subsequent by-election on October 3 ,1910 The Conservatives did not run a candidate in that by-election instead choosing to support Riley.
Explaining his resignation in a memorable stump speech on September 30, 1910 Riley was quoted as saying
On election day Riley was defeated by 100 votes in a hotly and bitterly contested by-election rife with accusations of tampered voters lists.
His brother Harold Riley would end up winning the district for the Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
in another by-election almost exactly a year later.