John Frederick Johnston
Encyclopedia
John Frederick Johnston was a Saskatchewan politician.
Johnston was born to a wealthy family in Bogarttown, Ontario
that owned lumber and flour mills in Simcoe County
.
He moved to Saskatchewan
in 1905 and ultimately settled on a farm near Bladworth, Saskatchewan
. In addition to his farm, he owned a lumberyard and hardware store in town and developed a string of general store
s in the region.
He was elected by acclamation
to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1917 wartime election
as a Liberal-Unionist
representing Last Mountain
. The Liberal Party
had split over the Conscription Crisis of 1917
and Johnston was one of the Liberals who broke with Sir Wilfrid Laurier
in order to support the pro-conscription
Union Government formed by Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden
.
During the parliament, Johnston broke with both the government and the Liberals to support the new agrarian based Progressive Party
formed by Thomas Crerar
. He won the Progressive Party nomination in his riding and was re-elected in the 1921 federal election
as a Progressive MP and became the party's chief whip in the Canadian House of Commons
.
Johnston supported co-operation between the Progressives and the Liberals. He was re-electedas a Progressive MP, this time in the riding of Long Lake
in the 1925 federal election
. The Liberals lost seats in the election but stayed in power leading a minority government
. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King
convinced Johnston to cross the floor and join the Liberals in early 1926 in an attempt to buttress his government's support. He was re-elected as a Liberal in the 1926 federal election
and, in December 1926, became Deputy Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
.
Johnston was defeated in the 1930 federal election
by his Conservative opponent and returned to the farm. He was again elected to parliament in the 1935 federal election
, this time in the riding of Lake Centre
but was defeated in the 1940 federal election
by John George Diefenbaker of the Tories.
Johnston was appointed to the Canadian Senate
by Mackenzie King in 1943 and sat in the upper house
until his death in 1948.
Johnston was born to a wealthy family in Bogarttown, Ontario
Bogarttown, Ontario
Bogarttown is a small community located at Mulock Drive and Leslie Street between Bayview Avenue and Woodbine Avenue in York Region, Ontario. It is roughly 40 km north of Toronto. Formerly a distinct rural hamlet, it is now a part of the Town of Newmarket, Ontario both administratively and...
that owned lumber and flour mills in Simcoe County
Simcoe County, Ontario
Simcoe County is located in central portion of Southern Ontario. The County is situated just north of the Greater Toronto Area stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west...
.
He moved to 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....
in 1905 and ultimately settled on a farm near Bladworth, Saskatchewan
Bladworth, Saskatchewan
-Architecture:Bladworth is the site of a Saskatchewan Municipal Heritage property, a two story brick house clearly visible from adjacent Highway 11. The J. Fred Johnston house is named for its builder, a Saskatchewan entrepreneur, Liberal Member of Parliament and later a Senator, from 1943 to...
. In addition to his farm, he owned a lumberyard and hardware store in town and developed a string of general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
s in the region.
He was elected by acclamation
Acclamation
An acclamation, in its most common sense, is a form of election that does not use a ballot. "Acclamation" or "acclamatio" can also signify a kind of ritual greeting and expression of approval in certain social contexts in ancient Rome.-Voting:...
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 1917 wartime election
Canadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
as a Liberal-Unionist
Liberal-Unionist
For the British party see Liberal Unionist PartyLiberal-Unionists were supporters of the Liberal Party of Canada who, as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917 rejected Sir Wilfrid Laurier's leadership and supported the coalition Unionist government of Sir Robert Borden.Much of the Ontario...
representing Last Mountain
Last Mountain (electoral district)
Last Mountain was a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1935...
. The Liberal Party
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...
had split over the Conscription Crisis of 1917
Conscription Crisis of 1917
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I.-Background:...
and Johnston was one of the Liberals who broke with 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....
in order to support the pro-conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
Union Government formed by Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden
Robert 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...
.
During the parliament, Johnston broke with both the government and the Liberals to support the new agrarian based Progressive Party
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
formed by Thomas Crerar
Thomas Crerar
Thomas Alexander Crerar, was a western Canadian politician and a leader of the short-lived Progressive Party of Canada. He was born in Molesworth, Ontario, and moved to Manitoba at a young age....
. He won the Progressive Party nomination in his riding and was re-elected in the 1921 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1921
The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Canada. The Union government that had governed Canada through the First World War was defeated, and replaced by a Liberal government under the young leader...
as a Progressive MP and became the party's chief whip in 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...
.
Johnston supported co-operation between the Progressives and the Liberals. He was re-electedas a Progressive MP, this time in the riding of Long Lake
Long Lake (electoral district)
Long Lake was a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1935.This riding was created in 1924 from parts of Last Mountain and Regina ridings....
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...
. The Liberals lost seats in the election but stayed in power leading a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
convinced Johnston to cross the floor and join the Liberals in early 1926 in an attempt to buttress his government's support. He was re-elected as a Liberal in the 1926 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1926
The Canadian federal election of 1926 was held on September 14 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 16th Parliament of Canada. The election was called following an event known as the King-Byng Affair...
and, in December 1926, became Deputy Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
.
Johnston was defeated in the 1930 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1930
The Canadian federal election of 1930 was held on July 28, 1930 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 17th Parliament of Canada...
by his Conservative opponent and returned to the farm. He was again elected to parliament in the 1935 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1935
The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of William Lyon Mackenzie King won a majority government, defeating Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's Conservative Party.The central...
, this time in the riding of Lake Centre
Lake Centre
Lake Centre was a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1953. This riding was created in 1933 from parts of Last Mountain, Long Lake and Regina ridings....
but was defeated in the 1940 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1940
The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada...
by John George Diefenbaker of the Tories.
Johnston was appointed to the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
by Mackenzie King in 1943 and sat in the upper house
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
until his death in 1948.