Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
Encyclopedia
Sir Frederick William Alpin Gordon Haultain (November 25, 1857 – January 30, 1942) was a lawyer and a long serving Canadian politician and judge. His career in provincial and territorial legislatures stretched into four decades. He served as the first premier
of Canada
's Northwest Territories
from 1897 to 1905 as is recognized as having a significant contribution towards the creation of the provinces of Alberta
and Saskatchewan
. From 1905 on he served as Leader of the Official Opposition in Saskatchewan as well as Leader of the Provincial Rights Party. His legislative career ended when he was appointed to the judiciary in 1912.
, England
in 1857, the son of Frederick W. Haultain
(1821–1882) and Lucinde Helen Gordon (1828–1915), and came to Peterborough, Ontario
with his family in 1860. He grew up in Peterborough and Montreal
, later receiving a Bachelor of Arts
from the University of Toronto
. He went on to study law at Osgoode Hall
and was called to the bar in Ontario in 1882 and in the North-West Territories in 1884.
by a large margin. Haultain would win his next five elections by acclamation.
Haultain was appointed the first Premier of the territories on October 7, 1897.
, and wanted the new province to be governed by non-partisan governments. The federal Liberal
government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier
, however, fearful of a large conservative province in the west, decided to create two provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, in 1905.
Frustrated in negotiations with the federal Liberal government, Haultain became increasingly identified with the Conservative Party
and campaigned for it in the 1904 federal election
. Laurier's Liberals were re-elected, and when the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were formed, the Liberal government passed over Haultain and appointed loyal Liberals to form those provinces' first governments.
in the 1905 Saskatchewan provincial election
, which was won by the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan. From 1905 to 1912, Haultain sat in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
as leader of the Opposition
.
made Haultain Chief Justice
of Saskatchewan's superior court
. He was knight
ed in 1916, and in 1917 was made Chief Justice
of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, a position he held until his retirement in 1938.
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
of 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...
's Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
from 1897 to 1905 as is recognized as having a significant contribution towards the creation of the provinces of 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...
and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. From 1905 on he served as Leader of the Official Opposition in Saskatchewan as well as Leader of the Provincial Rights Party. His legislative career ended when he was appointed to the judiciary in 1912.
Early life
He was born in WoolwichWoolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1857, the son of Frederick W. Haultain
Frederick W. Haultain
Frederick W. Haultain was a political figure in Canada West.He was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1821 to Major General Francis Haultain and Eliza Ann Dean. Haultain lived in Beligum while his father was stationed there and eventually returned to Britain. studied at the Royal Military Academy in...
(1821–1882) and Lucinde Helen Gordon (1828–1915), and came to Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
with his family in 1860. He grew up in Peterborough and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, later receiving a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. He went on to study law at Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall is a landmark building in downtown Toronto constructed between 1829 and 1832 in the late Georgian Palladian and Neoclassical styles. It houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice, and the Law Society of Upper Canada...
and was called to the bar in Ontario in 1882 and in the North-West Territories in 1884.
Northwest Territories politics
Haultain was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in a by-election held on September 5, 1887. He defeated Charles ConybeareCharles F. P. Conybeare
Charles Frederick Pringle Conybeare was a lawyer, businessman and author of poetry in British Columbia, Canada.-Early life:...
by a large margin. Haultain would win his next five elections by acclamation.
Haultain was appointed the first Premier of the territories on October 7, 1897.
Premier
As premier, Haultain led negotiations for the granting of provincial status. Haultain argued for these territories to be admitted as a single province named BuffaloProvince of Buffalo
The Province of Buffalo was a proposal for the creation of a new Canadian province in the early 1900s. Its main proponent was Sir Frederick Haultain, the premier of the North-West Territories...
, and wanted the new province to be governed by non-partisan governments. The federal 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...
government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
, however, fearful of a large conservative province in the west, decided to create two provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, in 1905.
Frustrated in negotiations with the federal Liberal government, Haultain became increasingly identified with the Conservative Party
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...
and campaigned for it in the 1904 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1904
The Canadian federal election of 1904 was held on November 3 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 10th Parliament of Canada...
. Laurier's Liberals were re-elected, and when the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were formed, the Liberal government passed over Haultain and appointed loyal Liberals to form those provinces' first governments.
Saskatchewan politics
Haultain led the Provincial Rights PartyProvincial Rights Party
The Provincial Rights Party was a Canadian political party founded and led by Frederick W.A.G. Haultain in 1905 to contest elections in the new province of Saskatchewan.Haultain had been Premier of the North-West Territories prior to the province's creation...
in the 1905 Saskatchewan provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1905
The Saskatchewan general election of 1905 was the first provincial election in the newly created Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on 13 December 1905 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. Walter Scott led the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan to victory over the...
, which was won by the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan. From 1905 to 1912, Haultain sat in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
as leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Saskatchewan)
A list of parliamentary opposition leaders in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, from 1906 to the present. There was no designated Leader of the Opposition for the sessions of 1921 and 1922.In the period 1925-1929 C.E. Tran and J.T.M...
.
Late life
In 1912, the newly elected Conservative federal government of Sir Robert BordenRobert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
made Haultain Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of Saskatchewan's superior court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
. He was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1916, and in 1917 was made Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, a position he held until his retirement in 1938.