William Ives
Encyclopedia
William Carlos Ives was a provincial politician and provincial Supreme Court Justice.
, Quebec
on October 30, 1873. His family moved to the Alberta District in the Northwest Territories
shortly after he was born. When he reached his teenage years he left home to work his first job as a cowhand. He left the territories to attend McGill University
and graduated in 1899. Ives became a lawyer in Montreal
shortly after graduating and worked in the city for two years before moving back to Alberta.
in 1901 and joined a legal firm partnering with established lawyer Charles Conybeare
. He soon became interested in provincial politics and joined the Conservatives.
Ives ran twice as a candidate for the Alberta provincial Conservative
party. He ran for the first time in the Lethbridge
electoral district in the 1905 Alberta general election
. He was defeated by former Northwest Territories MLA Leverett DeVeber
in a hotly contested race.
Ives ran for a second time in the Lethbridge City
electoral district. He again finished second, this time in a three way race ahead of incumbent Labor MLA Donald McNabb
but was defeated by Liberal candidate William Ashbury Buchanan
. Ives was unable to expand his popular vote garnering the exact total as his run for office in 1905.
in 1914 after he was appointed to be a judge for the Supreme Court of Alberta. He retired from his judicial career in 1944. Early in his career he became known by the nickname of the "Cowboy Judge".
Ives had proceeded over the scandalous seduction trial
of United Farmers
Premier John Brownlee
. After the jury verdict came down, Ives threw out the jury decision in favour of the plaintiffs and dismissed the case; the Supreme Court of Canada
eventually overturned Ives' decision The trial scandalized the United Farmers government and helped lead to its defeat in the 1935 Alberta general election
.
Early life
William Carlos Ives was born in ComptonCompton
-Canada:* Compton, Quebec* Compton County, Quebec* Compton , a former Quebec provincial electoral district now part of Mégantic-Compton* Compton , a former Quebec federal electoral district-England:...
, 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....
on October 30, 1873. His family moved to the Alberta District in the 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...
shortly after he was born. When he reached his teenage years he left home to work his first job as a cowhand. He left the territories to attend 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...
and graduated in 1899. Ives became a lawyer 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...
shortly after graduating and worked in the city for two years before moving back to Alberta.
Political career
Ives moved to the town of LethbridgeLethbridge
Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
in 1901 and joined a legal firm partnering with established lawyer Charles Conybeare
Charles F. P. Conybeare
Charles Frederick Pringle Conybeare was a lawyer, businessman and author of poetry in British Columbia, Canada.-Early life:...
. He soon became interested in provincial politics and joined the Conservatives.
Ives ran twice as a candidate for the Alberta provincial Conservative
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
party. He ran for the first time in the Lethbridge
Lethbridge (provincial electoral district)
Lethbridge was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada.The riding has existed twice. The first incarnation was in 1905 when Alberta first became a province. Lethbridge covered a large patch of southern Alberta, It was broken into Lethbridge District and Lethbridge City in 1909...
electoral district in the 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...
. He was defeated by former Northwest Territories MLA Leverett DeVeber
Leverett DeVeber
Leverett George DeVeber was a Canadian politician who served as Member of the Legislative Assemblies of Alberta and the Northwest Territories, minister in the government of Alberta, and member of the Senate of Canada...
in a hotly contested race.
Ives ran for a second time in the Lethbridge City
Lethbridge City
Lethbridge City was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada.The riding was created after Lethbridge split into Lethbridge City and Lethbridge District in 1909.Lethbridge district was all the rural area surrounding the City of Lethbridge....
electoral district. He again finished second, this time in a three way race ahead of incumbent Labor MLA Donald McNabb
Donald McNabb
Donald McNabb was a politician from Alberta, Canada.In 1890 helped form a committee to raise money to buy books and periodicals and furnishings for the Miner's Library in Lethbridge....
but was defeated by Liberal candidate William Ashbury Buchanan
William Ashbury Buchanan
William Ashbury Buchanan, was a journalist, publisher and politician based in Alberta....
. Ives was unable to expand his popular vote garnering the exact total as his run for office in 1905.
Judicial career
Ives left his practice in Lethbridge moving to CalgaryCalgary
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...
in 1914 after he was appointed to be a judge for the Supreme Court of Alberta. He retired from his judicial career in 1944. Early in his career he became known by the nickname of the "Cowboy Judge".
Ives had proceeded over the scandalous seduction trial
John Brownlee sex scandal
The John Brownlee sex scandal occurred in 1934 in Alberta, Canada, and forced the resignation of the provincial Premier, John Edward Brownlee. Brownlee was accused of seducing Vivian MacMillan, a family friend and a secretary for Brownlee's attorney-general in 1930, when she was 18 years old, and...
of United Farmers
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...
Premier John 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...
. After the jury verdict came down, Ives threw out the jury decision in favour of the plaintiffs and dismissed the case; the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
eventually overturned Ives' decision The trial scandalized the United Farmers government and helped lead to its defeat in the 1935 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1935
The Alberta general election of 1935 was the eighth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 22, 1935 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
.