John Smythe Hall was a Canadian

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...

 lawyer, politician, and editor.

Born in 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...

, the son of John Smythe Hall, a lumber merchant, and Emma Brigham, he attended Bishop's College School

Bishop's College School

This article is about the school in Canada. Alternatively, visit Diocesan College in Cape Town, South Africa.Bishop's College School is a private school in Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada....

 in Lennoxville, Quebec

Lennoxville, Quebec

Lennoxville is an arrondissement, or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometers south of downtown Sherbrooke....

 and received a Bachelor of Law degree from McGill University

McGill University

Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...

 in 1875. He was called to the Quebec Bar in 1876 and then started a law career which would see him become a principal partner of the law firm Hall, Cross, Brown, and Sharp.

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec

Legislative Assembly of Quebec

The Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...

 in the 1886 election

Quebec general election, 1886

The Quebec general election of 1886 on October 14, 1886 to elect members of the 6th Legislative Assembly for the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Parti libéral du Québec, led by Honoré Mercier, won a majority of seats against the Parti conservateur du Québec, led by John Jones Ross.The...

 for the riding of Montreal West. A Conservative

Parti conservateur du Québec

The Parti conservateur du Québec was a political party in Quebec, Canada.-Origins:The party originated as the Parti bleu which was formed around 1850 by the followers of Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine...

, he was acclaimed in the 1890 election

Quebec general election, 1890

The Quebec general election of 1890 was held on June 17, 1890 to elect members of the 7th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Honoré Mercier, was re-elected, defeating the Quebec Conservative Party, led by Louis-Olivier Taillon.A...

 in the riding of Montreal, Division No. 5

Westmount (provincial electoral district)

Westmount was a provincial electoral district located in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Montreal region, Westmount was formed in 1912. In 1994, it became part of Westmount—Saint-Louis. From 1939 to 1966, it was part of Westmount-Saint-Georges...

 and was re-elected in the 1892 election

Quebec general election, 1892

In the Quebec general election of 1892 on March 8, 1892 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Conservative Party, led by Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville, defeated the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Honoré Mercier.Mercier had been...

. He was defeated in the 1897 election

Quebec general election, 1897

The Quebec general election of 1897 was held on May 11, 1897 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by Félix-Gabriel Marchand, defeated the incumbent Quebec Conservative Party, led by Edmund James Flynn.This marked the start of...

. In 1891, he was appointed provincial treasurer in the cabinet of Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville and served in the cabinet of Louis-Olivier Taillon

Louis-Olivier Taillon

Sir Louis-Olivier Taillon, PC was born in Terrebonne, Quebec. He twice served as the eighth Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec....

.

After being ill and spending time to recover in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...

 and Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado

The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

, Hall moved to Calgary, Alberta where he became editor-in-chief of th Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

The Calgary Herald is a daily newspaper published in the Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta.- History :The paper was first published on August 31, 1883 by Andrew Armour and Thomas Braden as The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser. It started as a weekly paper with only...

. As well he opened a law firm call Hall and Stewart. He was also a member of the Calgary Municipal Council and a city solicitor. He died in Calgary in 1909 and was buried in Montreal.