John R. Boyle
Encyclopedia
John Robert Boyle was a Canadian politician and jurist who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
, a cabinet minister in the Government of Alberta, and a judge on the Supreme Court of Alberta. Born in Ontario, he came west and eventually settled in Edmonton
, where he practiced law. After a brief stint on Edmonton's first city council
, he was elected in Alberta's inaugural provincial election
as a Liberal
. During the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal
, he was a leader of the Liberal insurgency that forced Premier
Alexander Cameron Rutherford
from office.
Though initially left out of cabinet by Arthur Sifton, Rutherford's successor, Boyle was named Minister of Education in 1912. He served in this capacity until 1918, during which time he alienated many non-English speakers by insisting on a unilingual English school system. In 1918 he was made Attorney-General. He retained his seat in the legislature after the Liberal defeat in the 1921 election
and briefly served as leader of the Liberal opposition, but was appointed to the bench in 1924. He was still a judge when he died in 1936.
and Irish
descent. His father died in 1884, and Boyle had to leave school to support his family; he eventually completed high school at Sarnia Collegiate Institute in 1888 and 1889. Following graduation, he taught school for three years in Lambton County
. In 1894, he came west, though accounts vary as to exactly where he settled and for what purpose: he either studied law in Regina
, taught school in Pilot Butte
, or settled in Edmonton
.
Sources agree that he was in the Edmonton area by 1896, and that he taught school there before being called to the bar in 1899. In either 1892 or 1902 he married Dora Shaw, with whom he had either two or three children. He partnered with Hedley C. Taylor to form Taylor & Boyle, which was later known as Boyle, Parlee, Freeman, Abbott & Mustard; the firm was a forerunner of the present day Parlee McLaws. Boyle was made King's Counsel in 1913.
He ran in the 1904 Edmonton municipal election
to elect the first Edmonton City Council
(Edmonton had hitherto been a town). He finished second of seventeen candidates in the aldermanic race, and was elected to a two year term. He resigned in 1906, before the completion of his term.
as the Liberal
candidate in Sturgeon
, where he defeated Conservative
Frank Knight by a wide margin. Boyle served as Deputy Speaker
in the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly
.
During his first term, Boyle supported the selection of Edmonton (over rival Calgary
) as the new province's capital, and supported the Liberal government of Alexander Cameron Rutherford
in its decision to borrow money to finance the creation of Alberta Government Telephones
(abandoning its usual "pay as you go
" approach). Boyle predicted that "Alberta, the first to undertake [a provincial government telephone system] will become a model for every province in the Dominion." He also sided with the government in its rejection of Conservative demands that it build and operate railways, as he felt that doing so would not be viable as long as the trunk lines were in private hands. He enthusiastically backed private construction of railways, however, and greeted the announcement of the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway—which was to run northward from Edmonton to Lac la Biche
and later Fort McMurray—with what historian L. G. Thomas describes as "an extravagant eulogy...[speaking] of Lac la Biche as another Lake Louise
, of Pullmans
running from New Orleans to the Arctic circle, and of northern Alberta as a second Cobalt
region."
; Boyle himself was acclaimed in Sturgeon. Shortly after the elections, rumours began to spread that all was not well with the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway (A&GWR), to which the government had given loan guarantees and on whose behalf it had sold bonds
in the London
bond market. When the new legislature convened in February 1910, Boyle tabled
a list of eleven questions for the government about the A&GWR. Rutherford, Minister of Railways as well as Premier, duly answered them in writing. Boyle found these answers unsatisfactory, and on February 21 gave notice of a motion to expropriate
the A&GWR's bond money; he held that the government had raised more money for the A&GWR than was needed for construction. He also alleged that S. B. Woods, deputy to Attorney-General Charles Wilson Cross, had removed key components the government's files on the A&GWR, in advance of their having been inspected by Boyle and Conservative leader R. B. Bennett
.
Boyle's resolution rapidly divided the Liberal members between insurgents, led by Boyle and William Henry Cushing
(who resigned his position as Minister of Public Works over the A&GWR issue), and loyalists, led by Rutherford and his remaining cabinet ministers, especially Cross. In the ensuing debate, several charges were levelled against Boyle himself: Agriculture Minister Duncan Marshall
accused him of being motivated by his rejection for the position of A&GWR solicitor. Boyle admitted applying for the position, but denied that it had anything to do with his attacks on the government. The Edmonton Bulletin
accused him of approaching two Liberal members who were also hotel keepers, Lucien Boudreau
and Robert L. Shaw
, and offering them immunity from prosecution for liquor offenses if they helped bring down Rutherford's government and replace it with one, led by Cushing, in which Boyle would be Attorney-General.
Though Rutherford survived a motion of non-confidence (moved by Ezra Riley
and seconded by Boyle) by three votes, he was successfully pressured to resign by Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta George Bulyea. It had been expected that Cushing would replace Rutherford if the latter was defeated, but Bulyea and other prominent Liberals did not have confidence in him, and instead selected Arthur Sifton, Alberta's Chief Justice.
Attorney-General. However, in 1912 he decided that enough time had passed for old wounds to heal, and re-appointed Cross as Attorney-General. At the same time, he brought Boyle into his cabinet as Minister of Education. The law required that members newly admitted to cabinet resign their seats in the legislature and immediately contest a by-election; Boyle was re-elected in Sturgeon by a safe margin.
Boyle's time as Education Minister was tumultuous: many teachers enlisted to fight in World War I
, and many others left the profession for more lucrative opportunities elsewhere. In its members' handbook, the Alberta Teachers' Association
describes Boyle's efforts to remedy this situation as "heroic", citing in particular his convincing the legislature to set a minimum teachers' salary of $840 per year. Another of Boyle's tactics to alleviate the teacher shortage was to make it easier for teachers qualified in Quebec
to teach in Alberta. However, this liberalization was subject to applicants' English proficiency: Boyle insisted that all instruction in Alberta schools be delivered in English. A Québécois teacher who passed an English language proficiency exam would be granted a temporary teaching license, which could be upgraded to a full Alberta Teaching Certificate with five months' study at a normal school
. Boyle's insistence that Alberta was English offended not only the province's French Canadian
minority, but also its Ukrainian
-speaking population; an editorial in a Ukrainian newspaper maintained angrily that "the minister of education lies when he says that Alberta is an English province. Alberta is a Canadian province, where everyone has equal rights, including the Ukrainians." During a by-election in Whitford
Boyle accused the Conservatives of promising Ukrainian language schools to court the immigrant vote.
In 1918, new premier Charles Stewart
, who had succeeded Sifton when the latter entered federal politics in 1917, fired Cross and appointed Boyle Attorney-General. The following year Boyle introduced legislation formally making English Alberta's only official language. At the time, he boasted that in the past election "my majority came from English electors" in contrast to a Conservative who supported "Russian schools for Russian people". As Attorney-General, he also supported unsuccessful legislation to allow Imperial Oil
to construct a pipeline
in Alberta; in response to bipartisan opposition calling for pipelines to be common carriers, he said that to adopt such a course would be to tell oil companies that they "were free to spend vast sums in exploration work but if oil were found, they were not to pipe it out."
One of Boyle's chief responsibilities as Attorney-General was to enforce Alberta's recently enacted prohibition
. This proved difficult, as the law was widely disparaged—not least by judges, who reputedly presided over liquor trials while hungover. In 1921, Boyle estimated that bootleggers were profiting from prohibition to the tune of C$7 million. He was denounced by supporters of prohibition for his ineffectiveness at enforcing it, and by its opponents for "arrogating to himself the powers of a czar."
In the 1921 election
, Boyle both sought re-election in Sturgeon and election in the new multi-member constituency of Edmonton
. He was defeated in the former but victorious in the latter, making him one of two members from the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly
to be elected to the 5th
; the other was Cross, Boyle's predecessor as Attorney-General and rival from the Alberta and Great Waterways Affair. Provincially, the Liberals were soundly defeated by the United Farmers of Alberta
(UFA), which, contesting their first election, won 39 seats to the Liberals' 14.
historian Franklin Foster, Boyle "showed vigour" in the legislature, where he presented a strong opposition to the new UFA government of Herbert Greenfield
. Even so, he showed some private courtesy: when John Edward Brownlee
, Greenfield's Attorney-General and his strongman in the legislature, missed a session due to illness, Boyle assured him that the Liberals would not attack the government too vigorously in his absence.
As leader of the Alberta Liberals, Boyle corresponded extensively with Liberal Party of Canada
leader (and Prime Minister of Canada
) William Lyon Mackenzie King
; according to Foster, Boyle's letters to King were "a mixture of useless information and pleas to be rescued by an appointment to the bench." It is possible that one of his letters had some impact on history, however: in 1924, while Greenfield was attempting to negotiate control of Alberta's natural resources from King's federal government, Boyle sent King a letter warning him that the UFA was doomed in the next election unless "something extraordinary happens. That extraordinary thing which Greenfield wants to happen now is obtaining from you the natural resources at once." King drew out negotiations until Greenfield returned to Alberta empty-handed; soon after, Greenfield was forced from office by his own backbenchers, and replaced by Brownlee.
. As judge, Boyle once refused to issue an injunction
to end a coal miners' strike
that had turned violent, because he believed that the Alberta Provincial Police
could contain the violence if properly instructed (another judge later issued the injunction). It was also before Boyle that the statement of claim was filed in MacMillan v. Brownlee, the case that forced Brownlee to resign as premier.
Boyle was a member of the Presbyterian Church, the Masonic Order
, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
. He was still sitting as a judge when he died February 15, 1936, on his way to Jamaica. The Edmonton neighbourhood of Boyle Street and the village of Boyle
are named in his honour; perhaps ironically, the latter lies on what was once the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway line.
Legislative 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...
, a cabinet minister in the Government of Alberta, and a judge on the Supreme Court of Alberta. Born in Ontario, he came west and eventually settled 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...
, where he practiced law. After a brief stint on Edmonton's first city council
Edmonton City Council
The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors. Until 2010, Edmonton was divided in six wards with two councillors representing citizens in each ward...
, he was elected in Alberta's inaugural provincial election
Alberta general election, 1905
The Alberta general election of 1905 was the first general election held in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 9 November 1905, to elect members of the Alberta legislature to the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly, shortly after the province was created out of the Northwest Territories...
as a Liberal
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...
. During the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal
Alberta 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...
, he was a leader of the Liberal insurgency that forced Premier
Premier of Alberta
The Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Alberta is Alison Redford. She became Premier by winning the Progressive Conservative leadership elections on...
Alexander Cameron Rutherford
Alexander Cameron Rutherford
Alexander Cameron Rutherford was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the first Premier of Alberta from 1905 to 1910. Born in Ormond, Ontario, he studied and practised law in Ottawa before moving with his family to the Northwest Territories in 1895...
from office.
Though initially left out of cabinet by Arthur Sifton, Rutherford's successor, Boyle was named Minister of Education in 1912. He served in this capacity until 1918, during which time he alienated many non-English speakers by insisting on a unilingual English school system. In 1918 he was made Attorney-General. He retained his seat in the legislature after the Liberal defeat in the 1921 election
Alberta general election, 1921
The Alberta general election of 1921 was the fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on July 18, 1921 to elect members to the 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly....
and briefly served as leader of the Liberal opposition, but was appointed to the bench in 1924. He was still a judge when he died in 1936.
Early life
Boyle was born in Sykeston, Ontario on either February 1, 1870 or February 3, 1871, of ScottishScottish Canadian
Scottish Canadians are people of Scottish descent or heritage living in Canada. As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and among the first to settle in Canada, Scottish people have made a large impact on Canadian culture since colonial times...
and Irish
Irish Canadian
Irish Canadian are immigrants and descendants of immigrants who originated in Ireland. 1.2 million Irish immigrants arrived, 1825 to 1970, at least half of those in the period from 1831-1850. By 1867, they were the second largest ethnic group , and comprised 24% of Canada's population...
descent. His father died in 1884, and Boyle had to leave school to support his family; he eventually completed high school at Sarnia Collegiate Institute in 1888 and 1889. Following graduation, he taught school for three years in Lambton County
Lambton County, Ontario
Lambton County is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county is located in Southwestern Ontario. It is bordered on the north by Lake Huron, which flows into the St. Clair River, the county's western border and part of the Canada-United States border. To the south is Lake...
. In 1894, he came west, though accounts vary as to exactly where he settled and for what purpose: he either studied law in Regina
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...
, taught school in Pilot Butte
Pilot Butte, Saskatchewan
Pilot Butte is a town outside of Regina, Saskatchewan. It is located 8 miles east of Regina and has a population of approximately 2000. It has an elementary school, public library, insurance office, two convenience stores, two restaurants, three manufacturing plants, a riding club, hockey arena,...
, or settled 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...
.
Sources agree that he was in the Edmonton area by 1896, and that he taught school there before being called to the bar in 1899. In either 1892 or 1902 he married Dora Shaw, with whom he had either two or three children. He partnered with Hedley C. Taylor to form Taylor & Boyle, which was later known as Boyle, Parlee, Freeman, Abbott & Mustard; the firm was a forerunner of the present day Parlee McLaws. Boyle was made King's Counsel in 1913.
He ran in the 1904 Edmonton municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1904
The 1904 municipal election was held December 12, 1904 for the purpose of electing a mayor and eight aldermen to sit on the Edmonton City Council, as well as five public school trustees and five separate school trustees. It was Edmonton's first election as a city, and the first in which there were...
to elect the first Edmonton City Council
Edmonton City Council
The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors. Until 2010, Edmonton was divided in six wards with two councillors representing citizens in each ward...
(Edmonton had hitherto been a town). He finished second of seventeen candidates in the aldermanic race, and was elected to a two year term. He resigned in 1906, before the completion of his term.
Early provincial career
In 1905, Boyle ran in Alberta's inaugural provincial electionAlberta general election, 1905
The Alberta general election of 1905 was the first general election held in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 9 November 1905, to elect members of the Alberta legislature to the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly, shortly after the province was created out of the Northwest Territories...
as the Liberal
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...
candidate in Sturgeon
Sturgeon (provincial electoral district)
Sturgeon is a former provincial electoral district that existed from 1905 to 1940 in Alberta, Canada.-1905 general election:-External links:*...
, where he defeated Conservative
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
Frank Knight by a wide margin. Boyle served as Deputy Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
in the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly
1st Alberta Legislative Assembly
1st Legislative Assembly of Alberta lasted from November 9, 1905 to Monday, March 22, 1909.The government was led by Alexander Rutherford of the Alberta Liberal Party, they held an overwhelming majority of seats during the first legislature....
.
During his first term, Boyle supported the selection of Edmonton (over rival 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...
) as the new province's capital, and supported the Liberal government of Alexander Cameron Rutherford
Alexander Cameron Rutherford
Alexander Cameron Rutherford was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the first Premier of Alberta from 1905 to 1910. Born in Ormond, Ontario, he studied and practised law in Ottawa before moving with his family to the Northwest Territories in 1895...
in its decision to borrow money to finance the creation of Alberta Government Telephones
Alberta Government Telephones
Alberta Government Telephones was formed by the Liberal government of Alexander Cameron Rutherford in 1906 following the acquisitions by the government of several independent telephone companies...
(abandoning its usual "pay as you go
PAYGO
PAYGO is the practice in the United States of financing expenditures with funds that are currently available rather than borrowed.-Budgeting:The PAYGO compels new spending or tax changes not to add to the federal deficit. Not to be confused with pay-as-you-go financing, which is when a government...
" approach). Boyle predicted that "Alberta, the first to undertake [a provincial government telephone system] will become a model for every province in the Dominion." He also sided with the government in its rejection of Conservative demands that it build and operate railways, as he felt that doing so would not be viable as long as the trunk lines were in private hands. He enthusiastically backed private construction of railways, however, and greeted the announcement of the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway—which was to run northward from Edmonton to Lac la Biche
Lac la Biche
Lac la Biche can refer to:*Lac la Biche , a lake in Alberta, Canada*Lac La Biche, Alberta, a town in Alberta, Canada*Lac La Biche County, Alberta, a municipal district in Alberta, Canada...
and later Fort McMurray—with what historian L. G. Thomas describes as "an extravagant eulogy...[speaking] of Lac la Biche as another Lake Louise
Lake Louise
-Canada:*Lake Louise , a lake in Alberta, Canada*Lake Louise, Alberta, a hamlet which takes its name from the lake**Chateau Lake Louise, hotel in Alberta, Canada, one of Canada's Grand Railway Resorts...
, of Pullmans
Pullman (car or coach)
In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars which were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968....
running from New Orleans to the Arctic circle, and of northern Alberta as a second Cobalt
Cobalt, Ontario
Cobalt is a town in the district of Timiskaming, province of Ontario, Canada, with a population of 1,223 In 2001 Cobalt was named "Ontario's Most Historic Town" by a panel of judges on the TV Ontario program Studio 2, and in 2002 the area was designated a National Historic Site.-History:Silver was...
region."
Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal
The Rutherford government was comfortably re-elected in the 1909 electionAlberta 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....
; Boyle himself was acclaimed in Sturgeon. Shortly after the elections, rumours began to spread that all was not well with the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway (A&GWR), to which the government had given loan guarantees and on whose behalf it had sold bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
bond market. When the new legislature convened in February 1910, Boyle tabled
Table (parliamentary procedure)
In parliamentary procedure, a motion to table has two different and contradictory meanings:*In the United States, table usually means the motion to lay on the table or motion to postpone consideration; a proposal to suspend consideration of a pending motion...
a list of eleven questions for the government about the A&GWR. Rutherford, Minister of Railways as well as Premier, duly answered them in writing. Boyle found these answers unsatisfactory, and on February 21 gave notice of a motion to expropriate
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
the A&GWR's bond money; he held that the government had raised more money for the A&GWR than was needed for construction. He also alleged that S. B. Woods, deputy to Attorney-General Charles Wilson Cross, had removed key components the government's files on the A&GWR, in advance of their having been inspected by Boyle and Conservative leader R. B. Bennett
R. B. Bennett
Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, PC, KC was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of Canada from August 7, 1930, to October 23, 1935, during the worst of the Great Depression years...
.
Boyle's resolution rapidly divided the Liberal members between insurgents, led by Boyle and William Henry Cushing
William Henry Cushing
William Henry Cushing was a Canadian politician. Born in Ontario, he migrated west as a young adult where he started a successful lumber company and later became Alberta's first Minister of Public Works and the 11th mayor of Calgary...
(who resigned his position as Minister of Public Works over the A&GWR issue), and loyalists, led by Rutherford and his remaining cabinet ministers, especially Cross. In the ensuing debate, several charges were levelled against Boyle himself: Agriculture Minister Duncan Marshall
Duncan Marshall
Duncan McLean Marshall was a journalist, publisher, rancher provincial level politician and Minister of Agriculture in 2 provinces and later served in the Canadian Senate representing the province of Ontario.-Early life:Marshall made his first run at federal politics running in the Muskoka riding...
accused him of being motivated by his rejection for the position of A&GWR solicitor. Boyle admitted applying for the position, but denied that it had anything to do with his attacks on the government. The Edmonton Bulletin
Edmonton Bulletin
The Edmonton Bulletin was a newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta published from 1880 until January 20, 1951. It was founded by Frank Oliver, a politician and future minister in the Canadian Government....
accused him of approaching two Liberal members who were also hotel keepers, Lucien Boudreau
Lucien Boudreau
Lucien Boudreau was a politician, mayor of St. Albert, Alberta, and member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta .-Early life:...
and Robert L. Shaw
Robert L. Shaw
Robert L. Shaw was a politician from Alberta, Canada.Shaw was first elected to the Alberta Legislature in the 1909 Alberta general election. He defeated Conservative candidate J.K. Creighton in a landslide to become the first MLA for the new Stettler electoral district.Shaw would be re-elected to...
, and offering them immunity from prosecution for liquor offenses if they helped bring down Rutherford's government and replace it with one, led by Cushing, in which Boyle would be Attorney-General.
Though Rutherford survived a motion of non-confidence (moved by Ezra Riley
Ezra Riley
Ezra Hounsfield Riley was a politician and rancher from Alberta, Canada.-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...
and seconded by Boyle) by three votes, he was successfully pressured to resign by Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta George Bulyea. It had been expected that Cushing would replace Rutherford if the latter was defeated, but Bulyea and other prominent Liberals did not have confidence in him, and instead selected Arthur Sifton, Alberta's Chief Justice.
Minister of the Crown
Sifton left all major figures of the A&GWR affair, including Boyle, out of his first cabinet, and instead appointed fellow judge Charles R. MitchellCharles R. Mitchell
Charles Richmond Mitchell was a Canadian lawyer, judge, cabinet minister and former Leader of the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.-Early life:...
Attorney-General. However, in 1912 he decided that enough time had passed for old wounds to heal, and re-appointed Cross as Attorney-General. At the same time, he brought Boyle into his cabinet as Minister of Education. The law required that members newly admitted to cabinet resign their seats in the legislature and immediately contest a by-election; Boyle was re-elected in Sturgeon by a safe margin.
Boyle's time as Education Minister was tumultuous: many teachers enlisted to fight 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...
, and many others left the profession for more lucrative opportunities elsewhere. In its members' handbook, the Alberta Teachers' Association
Alberta Teachers' Association
The Alberta Teachers' Association is the union and professional association for the teachers of Alberta, Canada. It represents all teachers and teacher administrators in all schools in Alberta's public, separate and francophone school divisions. It also represents teachers in some charter and...
describes Boyle's efforts to remedy this situation as "heroic", citing in particular his convincing the legislature to set a minimum teachers' salary of $840 per year. Another of Boyle's tactics to alleviate the teacher shortage was to make it easier for teachers qualified in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
to teach in Alberta. However, this liberalization was subject to applicants' English proficiency: Boyle insisted that all instruction in Alberta schools be delivered in English. A Québécois teacher who passed an English language proficiency exam would be granted a temporary teaching license, which could be upgraded to a full Alberta Teaching Certificate with five months' study at a normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
. Boyle's insistence that Alberta was English offended not only the province's French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
minority, but also its Ukrainian
Ukrainian Canadian
A Ukrainian Canadian is a person of Ukrainian descent or origin who was born in or immigrated to Canada. In 2006, there were an estimated 1,209,085 persons residing in Canada of Ukrainian origin, making them Canada's ninth largest ethnic group; and giving Canada the world's third-largest...
-speaking population; an editorial in a Ukrainian newspaper maintained angrily that "the minister of education lies when he says that Alberta is an English province. Alberta is a Canadian province, where everyone has equal rights, including the Ukrainians." During a by-election in Whitford
Whitford (provincial electoral district)
Whitford was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district was created in 1913 out of the south west part of the Pakan district and the north part of Vegreville.In 1940 the district was split between Redwater, Willingdon and Vegreville....
Boyle accused the Conservatives of promising Ukrainian language schools to court the immigrant vote.
In 1918, new premier Charles Stewart
Charles Stewart (Canadian politician)
Charles Stewart, PC was a Canadian politician who served as the third Premier of Alberta from 1917 until 1921. Born in Strabane, Ontario, in Wentworth County, Stewart was a farmer who moved west to Alberta after his farm was destroyed by a storm...
, who had succeeded Sifton when the latter entered federal politics in 1917, fired Cross and appointed Boyle Attorney-General. The following year Boyle introduced legislation formally making English Alberta's only official language. At the time, he boasted that in the past election "my majority came from English electors" in contrast to a Conservative who supported "Russian schools for Russian people". As Attorney-General, he also supported unsuccessful legislation to allow Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest petroleum company. The company is engaged in the exploration, production and sale of crude oil and natural gas. It is controlled by US based ExxonMobil, which owns 69.6% of its stock...
to construct a pipeline
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
in Alberta; in response to bipartisan opposition calling for pipelines to be common carriers, he said that to adopt such a course would be to tell oil companies that they "were free to spend vast sums in exploration work but if oil were found, they were not to pipe it out."
One of Boyle's chief responsibilities as Attorney-General was to enforce Alberta's recently enacted prohibition
Prohibition in Canada
The temperance movement reached its height in Canada in the 1920s, when outside imports were cut off by provincial referendums. As legislation prohibiting consumption of alcohol was repealed, it was typically replaced with regulation restricting the sale of alcohol to minors and imposing excise...
. This proved difficult, as the law was widely disparaged—not least by judges, who reputedly presided over liquor trials while hungover. In 1921, Boyle estimated that bootleggers were profiting from prohibition to the tune of C$7 million. He was denounced by supporters of prohibition for his ineffectiveness at enforcing it, and by its opponents for "arrogating to himself the powers of a czar."
In the 1921 election
Alberta general election, 1921
The Alberta general election of 1921 was the fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on July 18, 1921 to elect members to the 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly....
, Boyle both sought re-election in Sturgeon and election in the new multi-member constituency of Edmonton
Edmonton (provincial electoral district)
Edmonton provincial electoral district existed in two incarnations from 1905 - 1909 and again from 1921 - 1955. The district was created when Alberta first became a province....
. He was defeated in the former but victorious in the latter, making him one of two members from the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly
1st Alberta Legislative Assembly
1st Legislative Assembly of Alberta lasted from November 9, 1905 to Monday, March 22, 1909.The government was led by Alexander Rutherford of the Alberta Liberal Party, they held an overwhelming majority of seats during the first legislature....
to be elected to the 5th
5th Alberta Legislative Assembly
The 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly lasted from 1921 until 1926. The United Farmers of Alberta swept into power after contesting their first general election held in 1921.-Standings changes since the 5th general election:...
; the other was Cross, Boyle's predecessor as Attorney-General and rival from the Alberta and Great Waterways Affair. Provincially, the Liberals were soundly defeated by the United Farmers of Alberta
United Farmers of Alberta
The United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary...
(UFA), which, contesting their first election, won 39 seats to the Liberals' 14.
Leader of the Alberta Liberals
Late in Stewart's term as premier, there had been speculation that he would resign due to ill-health, and Boyle was among the candidates mentioned as possible successors. When Stewart did resign, immediately following the 1921 election, Boyle was selected to replace him. In the assessment of Lakeland CollegeLakeland College (Alberta)
Lakeland College is a post-secondary college in Alberta. It is publicly funded, and maintains two campuses in Vermilion and Lloydminster. Lakeland serves about 7,500 full- and part-time students....
historian Franklin Foster, Boyle "showed vigour" in the legislature, where he presented a strong opposition to the new UFA government of Herbert Greenfield
Herbert Greenfield
Herbert W. Greenfield was a Canadian politician who served as the fourth Premier of Alberta from 1921 until 1925. Born in Winchester, Hampshire, in England, he immigrated to Canada in his late twenties, settling first in Ontario and then in Alberta, where he farmed...
. Even so, he showed some private courtesy: when John Edward Brownlee
John Edward Brownlee
John Edward Brownlee was the fifth Premier of Alberta, Canada, serving from 1925 until 1934. Born in Port Ryerse, Ontario, he studied history and political science at the University of Toronto's Victoria College before moving west to Calgary to become a lawyer...
, Greenfield's Attorney-General and his strongman in the legislature, missed a session due to illness, Boyle assured him that the Liberals would not attack the government too vigorously in his absence.
As leader of the Alberta Liberals, Boyle corresponded extensively with Liberal Party of Canada
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...
leader (and 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...
) 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...
; according to Foster, Boyle's letters to King were "a mixture of useless information and pleas to be rescued by an appointment to the bench." It is possible that one of his letters had some impact on history, however: in 1924, while Greenfield was attempting to negotiate control of Alberta's natural resources from King's federal government, Boyle sent King a letter warning him that the UFA was doomed in the next election unless "something extraordinary happens. That extraordinary thing which Greenfield wants to happen now is obtaining from you the natural resources at once." King drew out negotiations until Greenfield returned to Alberta empty-handed; soon after, Greenfield was forced from office by his own backbenchers, and replaced by Brownlee.
Judicial career and later life
In 1924, Boyle was appointed to the Supreme Court of Alberta, and resigned from the legislature. He was succeeded as Liberal leader by another former Attorney-General, Charles R. MitchellCharles R. Mitchell
Charles Richmond Mitchell was a Canadian lawyer, judge, cabinet minister and former Leader of the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.-Early life:...
. As judge, Boyle once refused to issue an injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
to end a coal miners' strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
that had turned violent, because he believed that the Alberta Provincial Police
Alberta Provincial Police
The Alberta Provincial Police was a police force active in Alberta, Canada between 1917 and 1932. In 1917, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police left Alberta due to a lack of sufficient resources in light of its increased responsibilities for national security during World War I...
could contain the violence if properly instructed (another judge later issued the injunction). It was also before Boyle that the statement of claim was filed in MacMillan v. Brownlee, the case that forced Brownlee to resign as premier.
Boyle was a member of the Presbyterian Church, the Masonic Order
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
. He was still sitting as a judge when he died February 15, 1936, on his way to Jamaica. The Edmonton neighbourhood of Boyle Street and the village of Boyle
Boyle, Alberta
Boyle is a village in northern Alberta, Canada within Athabasca County. It is located on Highway 63, approximately north of Edmonton.Boyle is named after former Alberta Minister of Education Justice John R...
are named in his honour; perhaps ironically, the latter lies on what was once the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway line.
Electoral record
| 1921 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1921 The Alberta general election of 1921 was the fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on July 18, 1921 to elect members to the 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly.... results (Edmonton Edmonton (provincial electoral district) Edmonton provincial electoral district existed in two incarnations from 1905 - 1909 and again from 1921 - 1955. The district was created when Alberta first became a province.... ) (five candidates elected) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout N.A. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
Liberal 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... |
Andrew Robert McLennan Andrew Robert McLennan Andrew Robert McLennan was a business man and politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of Edmonton City Council from 1918 to 1922 and also served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1925 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition.-Municipal... |
6,498 | 36.20% |
Liberal 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... |
John Campbell Bowen | 5,803 | 32.33% |
Liberal 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... |
Nellie McClung Nellie McClung Nellie McClung, born Nellie Letitia Mooney , was a Canadian feminist, politician, and social activist. She was a part of the social and moral reform movements prevalent in Western Canada in the early 1900s... |
5,388 | 30.02% |
Liberal 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... |
John Robert Boyle | 5,361 | 29.86% |
Liberal 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... |
Jeremiah Wilfred Heffernan | 5,289 | 29.46% |
United Farmers of Alberta United Farmers of Alberta The United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary... |
William Jackman | 4,978 | 27.73% |
Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
Albert Freeman Ewing | 4,777 | 26.61% |
Labour Labour candidates and parties in Canada There have been various groups in Canada that have nominated candidates under the label Labour Party or Independent Labour Party or other variations from the 1870s until the 1960s... |
A. A. Campbell | 3,736 | 20.81% |
Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
Herbert Howard Crawford | 3,553 | 19.79% |
Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
Elizabeth Ferris | 3,188 | 17.76% |
Labour Labour candidates and parties in Canada There have been various groups in Canada that have nominated candidates under the label Labour Party or Independent Labour Party or other variations from the 1870s until the 1960s... |
Robert McCreath | 2,931 | 16.33% |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Joseph Woods Adair | 2,571 | 14.32% |
Labour Labour candidates and parties in Canada There have been various groups in Canada that have nominated candidates under the label Labour Party or Independent Labour Party or other variations from the 1870s until the 1960s... |
Elmer Ernest Roper Elmer Ernest Roper Elmer Ernest Roper was a politician in Alberta, Canada. He served as leader of the Alberta Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, the mayor of Edmonton, and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He was also a candidate for the Canadian House of Commons.-Early life:Roper was born in... |
2,515 | 14.01% |
Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
Ambrose Upton Gledstanes Bury Ambrose Upton Gledstanes Bury Ambrose Upton Gledstanes Bury was a politician in Alberta, Canada, a mayor of Edmonton, and a member of the Canadian House of Commons.-Early life:... |
2,509 | 13.98% |
Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
William A. Wells | 2,329 | 12.97% |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
James Kennedy Cornwall | 2,082 | 11.60% |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
A. L. Marks | 1,744 | 9.72% |
Independent Liberal | Gerald Pelton | 1,467 | 8.17% |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
William Short William Short (Alberta politician) William Short was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a two time mayor of Edmonton.-Biography:Short was born July 11, 1866 near Elora, Ontario and studied law at the University of Toronto before coming to Alberta in 1889. He articled to James Alexander Lougheed from 1891 until 1894, when he was... |
1,447 | 8.06% |
Independent Labour | William R. Ball | 1,409 | 7.85% |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
A. Boileau | 1,226 | 6.83% |
Independent Labour | Mary Cantin | 1,133 | 6.31% |
Independent Labour | Ernest Brown | 1,073 | 5.98% |
Independent Labour | James Bailey | 941 | 5.24% |
Independent Labour | Joe E. White | 927 | 5.16% |
Labour Socialist | Marie Millard | 883 | 4.92% | |
| 1921 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1921 The Alberta general election of 1921 was the fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on July 18, 1921 to elect members to the 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly.... results (Sturgeon Sturgeon (provincial electoral district) Sturgeon is a former provincial electoral district that existed from 1905 to 1940 in Alberta, Canada.-1905 general election:-External links:*... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 75.6% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Farmers of Alberta United Farmers of Alberta The United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary... |
Samuel Allen Carson Samuel Allen Carson Samuel Allen Carson was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1935 sitting with the United Farmers caucus in government.-Political career:... |
2,815 | 59.09% |
Liberal 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... |
John Robert Boyle | 1,949 | 40.91% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1917 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1917 The Alberta general election of 1917 was the fourth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada, held on 7 June 1917 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.... results (Sturgeon Sturgeon (provincial electoral district) Sturgeon is a former provincial electoral district that existed from 1905 to 1940 in Alberta, Canada.-1905 general election:-External links:*... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 93.5% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liberal 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... |
John Robert Boyle | 1,546 | 47.19% |
Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
J. Sutherland | 1,212 | 37.00% |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
H. Mickleson | 518 | 15.81% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1913 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1913 The Alberta general election of 1913 was the third general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. The writ was dropped on 25 March 1913 and election day was held 17 April 1913 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Elections in two northern districts took place on 30 July... results (Sturgeon Sturgeon (provincial electoral district) Sturgeon is a former provincial electoral district that existed from 1905 to 1940 in Alberta, Canada.-1905 general election:-External links:*... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 69.9% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liberal 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... |
John Robert Boyle | 936 | 62.73% |
Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
James Duncan Hyndman | 556 | 37.27% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1912 by-election results (Sturgeon Sturgeon (provincial electoral district) Sturgeon is a former provincial electoral district that existed from 1905 to 1940 in Alberta, Canada.-1905 general election:-External links:*... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout N.A. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liberal 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... |
John Robert Boyle | 1,173 | 66.08% |
Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
A. W. Taylor | 602 | 33.92% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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.... results (Sturgeon Sturgeon (provincial electoral district) Sturgeon is a former provincial electoral district that existed from 1905 to 1940 in Alberta, Canada.-1905 general election:-External links:*... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout N/A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liberal 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... |
John Robert Boyle | Acclaimed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1905 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1905 The Alberta general election of 1905 was the first general election held in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 9 November 1905, to elect members of the Alberta legislature to the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly, shortly after the province was created out of the Northwest Territories... results (Sturgeon Sturgeon (provincial electoral district) Sturgeon is a former provincial electoral district that existed from 1905 to 1940 in Alberta, Canada.-1905 general election:-External links:*... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout N.A. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liberal 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... |
John Robert Boyle | 721 | 76.78% |
Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
Frank Knight | 218 | 23.22% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1904 Edmonton municipal election Edmonton municipal election, 1904 The 1904 municipal election was held December 12, 1904 for the purpose of electing a mayor and eight aldermen to sit on the Edmonton City Council, as well as five public school trustees and five separate school trustees. It was Edmonton's first election as a city, and the first in which there were... results (aldermanic candidates) (eight elected) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout N.A. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charles May | 471 | 63.39% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Robert Boyle | 349 | 46.97% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kenneth McLeod Kenneth McLeod Kenneth Archibald McLeod , was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a municipal councillor in Edmonton. He was also the builder of the McLeod Building, the Edmonton's first skyscraper.-Early life and career:... |
330 | 44.41% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thomas Bellamy Thomas Bellamy Thomas Bellamy was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a municipal councillor in Edmonton.-Biography:Bellamy was born in Durham County, Ontario in 1853. He moved to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in 1881 after marrying Lora Davis in 1875... |
310 | 41.72% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Clark | 277 | 37.28% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph Henri Picard Joseph Henri Picard Joseph Henri Picard was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a municipal councillor in Edmonton.-Biography:... |
262 | 35.26% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daniel Fraser | 257 | 34.59% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Antrobus Griesbach William Antrobus Griesbach Major General William Antrobus Griesbach CB CMG DSO was a Canadian politician, decorated soldier, mayor of Edmonton, and member of the Canadian House of Commons and Senate of Canada.-Early life:... |
239 | 32.17% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thomas Grindley Thomas Grindley Thomas Maltby Grindley was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a municipal councillor in Edmonton.-Biography:... |
231 | 31.09% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gustave Koerman | 224 | 30.15% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Butchart | 204 | 27.46% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Donald MacDonald | 171 | 23.01% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Deyl | 170 | 22.88% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Herbert Charles Wilson Herbert Charles Wilson Herbert Charles Wilson was a Canadian politician and physician. He served as mayor of the Town of Edmonton and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories.... |
162 | 21.80% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Frank Haldane | 161 | 21.67% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samuel Paton | 143 | 19.25% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| W. S. Weeks | 80 | 10.77% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||