Francis Nicholson Darke
Encyclopedia
Francis Nicholson Darke was a leading citizen of Regina, Saskatchewan
and served as Mayor of Regina, Member of Parliament and as a prominent businessman.
He was born near Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on his family's farm, remaining there until his late 20s when he decided to move to Western Canada
.
He arrived in Regina in 1891 and settled there permanently after returning to PEI to marry.
He partnered with fellow islander Pople Balderson to raise livestock on a farm outside of Regina. Later, the two men purchased a butcher's shop in town and were soon able to obtain contracts with residential schools and the [North West Mounted Police].
Darke invested his earnings to purchase several blocks of land in town from the Canadian Pacific Railway
. His real estate holdings were profitable enough to allow him to sell his cattle business in order to focus on land development.
He was elected to town council in 1895 and served as mayor in 1898 at the age of 35 and remains Regina's youngest ever mayor.
Darke was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1925 federal election
as a Liberal
MP for Regina electoral district
but resigned his seat in early 1926 in order to allow Saskatchewan Premier
Charles Avery Dunning
to enter the federal parliament in a by-election after he was appointed Finance Minister
in the federal cabinet.
Darke donated $85,000 and raised a further $40,000 to help establish Regina College in 1910. The college eventually became the University of Regina
. He also donated money in 1929 to build the Darke Hall for Music and Art which served as the home of the Regina Symphony Orchestra
for 41 years.
Darke Crescent and Darke Street and Darke Hall in Regina are named after him.
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
and served as Mayor of Regina, Member of Parliament and as a prominent businessman.
He was born near Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on his family's farm, remaining there until his late 20s when he decided to move to Western Canada
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 :...
.
He arrived in Regina in 1891 and settled there permanently after returning to PEI to marry.
He partnered with fellow islander Pople Balderson to raise livestock on a farm outside of Regina. Later, the two men purchased a butcher's shop in town and were soon able to obtain contracts with residential schools and the [North West Mounted Police].
Darke invested his earnings to purchase several blocks of land in town from 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...
. His real estate holdings were profitable enough to allow him to sell his cattle business in order to focus on land development.
He was elected to town council in 1895 and served as mayor in 1898 at the age of 35 and remains Regina's youngest ever mayor.
Darke was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1925 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1925
The Canadian federal election of 1925 was held on October 29 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's Liberal Party formed a minority government. This precipitated the "King-Byng Affair".The Liberals under...
as a 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...
MP for Regina electoral district
Regina (electoral district)
Regina was a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1908 to 1935.This riding was created in 1907 from parts of the former Northwest Territories ridings Assiniboia West and Qu'Appelle ridings...
but resigned his seat in early 1926 in order to allow Saskatchewan Premier
Premier of Saskatchewan
The Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
Charles Avery Dunning
Charles Avery Dunning
Charles Avery Dunning, PC was born in Croft, Leicestershire, England. During his career, he was a successful businessman, a Canadian politician , and a university chancellor.-Early life:...
to enter the federal parliament in a by-election after he was appointed Finance Minister
Minister of Finance (Canada)
The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
in the federal cabinet.
Darke donated $85,000 and raised a further $40,000 to help establish Regina College in 1910. The college eventually became the University of Regina
University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...
. He also donated money in 1929 to build the Darke Hall for Music and Art which served as the home of the Regina Symphony Orchestra
Regina Symphony Orchestra
The Regina Symphony Orchestra was founded by Frank Laubach, in Regina, Saskatchewan, as the Regina Orchestral Society in 1908, giving its inaugural concert December 3 of that same year...
for 41 years.
Darke Crescent and Darke Street and Darke Hall in Regina are named after him.