William L. Walsh
Encyclopedia
William Legh Walsh, KC (January 28, 1857 – January 13, 1938) was a Canadian
lawyer and judge. He served as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
from 1931 to 1936.
Walsh was born in that portion of the colonial Province of Canada
which would later become the province of Ontario
. Upon attending public schools in his hometown of Simcoe, Walsh received a law degree from the University of Toronto
in 1878. After being called to the bar, he joined a practice in Orangeville
, where he also held municipal offices as mayor and councillor. Drawn in by the Gold Rush, he then relocated to the Yukon
where he established a practice with two others. Shortly after being created a King's Counsel in 1903, Walsh moved south to Calgary
, where he quickly established another practice. He remained in that firm for 8 years, before being appointed to the Supreme Court of Alberta in 1912.
He was appointed Lieutenant Governor in 1931 and would serve in the office until 1936, when he was succeeded by his friend, Philip Primrose
. He then retired to Victoria, British Columbia
, where he died in 1938.
to Aquila
and Jane Adams Walsh (née
Wilson). His father, Aquila, born in Charlotteville Township, initially worked as a civil engineer
, later serving as Deputy Registrar for Norfolk County
and as a member of the Canadian House of Commons
.
Walsh attended public schools in Simcoe, before he moved to Toronto
to studying law at the University of Toronto
and Osgoode Hall
, where he earned his Bachelor of Laws
degree in 1878.
William Walsh was called to the bar in 1880 and practised law in Orangeville
in the firm Maitland and McCarthy but soon left the firm for independent practice, under his own name, from 1885 to 1900. In 1889, he was elected a town councillor, serving on assessment, finance, public works and printing committees. He had also participated as a school trustee. He went on to twice serve as mayor of Orangeville, from 1890 to 1891 and in 1899.
, Walsh moved to the Yukon
. After being called to the Yukon bar in 1900, he became a partner in the firm, Tabor, Walsh, & Hulme in Dawson. He was created a King's Counsel in 1903. He also invested in gold-mining, but failed to gain profits from the investments. In 1904, Walsh was an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of Dawson.
Walsh moved to Calgary in 1904, and was admitted to the bar on June 10 of that year. He joined a law firm as a senior partner of the firm Walsh, McCarthy and Carson. One of his first cases, in 1904 was defending a man accused of horse theft, being heard by the Chief Justice Arthur Sifton and the Supreme Court of Alberta. He served as a member of the Benchers of the Law Society of Alberta from 1907 to 1912, and in 1910 was appointed as one of two counsels to the Royal Commission
on the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal
.
Walsh was a prominent trial lawyer, claiming several victories in several "major precedent-setting cases". Fellow lawyer and future Prime Minister of Canada
R. B. Bennett
reportedly referred to Walsh as "the best potential railway lawyer in the province". He was appointed to the Supreme Court of Alberta
in 1912, and upon its restructuring of courts into appellate and trial divisions in 1921, became a judge of the Appellate Division in Calgary.
He travelled all over the province, going as far north to Peace River
, and south to Lethbridge
to hear cases. The most notable trial that Walsh presided over was that of Emilio Picariello
, for the murder of Alberta Provincial Police Constable Stephen Lawson. After the murder
charge was laid by Attorney General of Alberta John Edward Brownlee
, Picariello and his accomplice, Florence Lassandra were found guilty of their crimes and were sentenced to hang
. The execution was carried out on May 2, 1923. Walsh was a strong believer that capital punishment
was a strong deterrent to crime, sentencing 18 convicted criminals to hang, earning him the nickname, "the Hanging Judge".
, Walsh was an unsuccessful Conservative
candidate for the Cardwell constituency in Ontario.
In 1905, he became the first President of the Conservative Association of Alberta
, in which he also served as the party's chief organizer. He ran in a 1906 by-election for the provincial constituency of Gleichen, but was unsuccessful, losing by just over 100 votes to Liberal Ezra Riley
.
R. B. Bennett
, William L. Walsh was appointed to Lieutenant Governor of Alberta by Governor General of Canada
Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough
on April 24, 1931. He was sworn in on May 5 of the same year. His term in office of Lieutenant Governor was associated with the John Brownlee sex scandal
, when Premier John Brownlee was accused of seducing Vivian MacMillan, a family friend and secretary of Brownlee. Although awarded a legal victory on July 2, 1934, Brownlee resigned from the post a week later. The United Farmers of Alberta
caucus selected Richard Gavin Reid
as their new leader, and, at Reid's request, Walsh delayed his acceptance of Brownlee's resignation to allow Reid to form a cabinet.
Most of Walsh's everyday duties as Lieutenant Governor consisted of attending official functions and supporting charitable causes. He also gave many speeches and addresses, including one at the June 7, 1931 unveiling of the Lethbridge War Memorial, and a radio address as Chief Scout of Alberta to assist Boy Scouts
with fundraising efforts. Walsh's term as Lieutenant Governor was extended twice, initially for four months, and subsequently for another month. He served until his successor, a good friend of his from his days in the Yukon, Philip Primrose
was sworn in on October 1, 1936. Sworn in at the age of 74, Walsh is the third oldest person sworn in to the office of Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.
on November 14, 1883. The couple had 2 children: Marguerite "Greta" Clare (1886–1913) and Legh Aquila (1895–1938). His daughter Marguerite married Dr. George Robinson Pirie (1879–1938), a prominent children's doctor and member of the Royal College of Physicians (1931). They were married in Calgary on April 14, 1909. Dr. Pirie was Superintendent of the Great Ormond Street children's hospital
in England from 1914-1919. They had one child, Miss Margaret Walsh Pirie (Mrs. R. O. Funston). Legh Walsh enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I and served the duration of the war. At the time of his enlistment he described his occupation as law student. He became a Lieutenant in the 82nd Battalion in May 1916. He was wounded at Courcelette in 1916, returned briefly to Calgary, and then sailed back to the front. After the war he returned to Calgary in April 1919 and resumed his law studies. After being called to the Law Society of Alberta
in 1920, he was created a King's Counsel and made secretary of the Law Society of Alberta in 1932. Bessie Walsh died after a long illness in 1925. William Legh Walsh later married Bertha Main Barber, widower of a Royal Navy Commander, on April 22, 1931.
Walsh enjoyed many activities in his free time. While living in the Yukon, he was a member of a curling
team that won the Yukon championship. In Calgary, Walsh was a member of the Calgary Golf and Country Club, and, 1907 served as the first president of the Canadian Club of Calgary. An avid golfer, Walsh founded a seniors' golf tournament named for him that still is held presently, alternatively in Edmonton
and Calgary
.
In 1931, he was made an honourary chief, "Sitting Eagle (Pee'topi)" of the Blood Nation
First Nations
tribe. He received an honourary Doctor of Laws degree and an honourary rank of Colonel of the University of Alberta Contingent of the Canadian Officers' Training Corps from the University of Alberta
in 1932. In 1934, he was admitted as a Knight of Grace of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. Additionally, in 1981, the City of Edmonton named Walsh Crescent, in a southwestern part of the city after the former Lieutenant Governor.
. A simple service was held in Calgary
at the Pro-Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, which was attended by then-Lieutenant Governor of Alberta John C. Bowen
, University of Alberta President William Alexander Robb Kerr
and leaders of Alberta's legal system and Royal Canadian Mounted Police
. He was buried in Calgary's Union Cemetery. His wife, Bertha died on August 20, 1943 and was cremated. His first wife, Bessie, who died in 1925, was buried in Simcoe.
Affectionately referred to as "Daddy Walsh", Walsh was well-liked amongst his many friends. William A. R. Kerr, president of the University of Alberta said of him, "All who knew [Walsh] … not only respected him for his gifts of mind and character but loved him as a fine warm-hearted human being." L. Ralph Sherman, a Anglican bishop on Calgary described his legacy as "a record of integrity, devotion to duty and service which will be an inspiration."
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 and judge. He served as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta is the viceregal representative in Alberta of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the nine other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
from 1931 to 1936.
Walsh was born in that portion of the colonial Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
which would later become the province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Upon attending public schools in his hometown of Simcoe, Walsh received a law degree 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...
in 1878. After being called to the bar, he joined a practice in Orangeville
Orangeville, Ontario
Orangeville is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada, and the seat of Dufferin County.-History:Before European settlers, Orangeville was thought to be a native hunting ground...
, where he also held municipal offices as mayor and councillor. Drawn in by the Gold Rush, he then relocated to the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
where he established a practice with two others. Shortly after being created a King's Counsel in 1903, Walsh moved south to 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...
, where he quickly established another practice. He remained in that firm for 8 years, before being appointed to the Supreme Court of Alberta in 1912.
He was appointed Lieutenant Governor in 1931 and would serve in the office until 1936, when he was succeeded by his friend, Philip Primrose
Philip Primrose
Philip Carteret Hill Primrose was a Canadian police officer and the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta....
. He then retired to Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, where he died in 1938.
Early life, education and career
Walsh was born in 1857 at Simcoe, OntarioSimcoe, Ontario
Simcoe is an unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada located near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County....
to Aquila
Aquila Walsh
Aquila Walsh was a Canadian civil engineer, politician, and civil servant.Walsh was born in Charlotteville Township in 1823, the son of Francis Leigh Walsh and grandson of Thomas Welch. He represented Norfolk in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from 1861 until 1867...
and Jane Adams Walsh (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Wilson). His father, Aquila, born in Charlotteville Township, initially worked as a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
, later serving as Deputy Registrar for Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Ontario
Norfolk County is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the north shore of Lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Bloomsburg is a small town located in Norfolk County and is the hometown of David Slater. The county seat and largest community is Simcoe...
and as a member of 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...
.
Walsh attended public schools in Simcoe, before he moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to studying law at 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...
and 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...
, where he earned his Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree in 1878.
William Walsh was called to the bar in 1880 and practised law in Orangeville
Orangeville, Ontario
Orangeville is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada, and the seat of Dufferin County.-History:Before European settlers, Orangeville was thought to be a native hunting ground...
in the firm Maitland and McCarthy but soon left the firm for independent practice, under his own name, from 1885 to 1900. In 1889, he was elected a town councillor, serving on assessment, finance, public works and printing committees. He had also participated as a school trustee. He went on to twice serve as mayor of Orangeville, from 1890 to 1891 and in 1899.
Legal career
In 1900, enticed by the Klondike Gold RushKlondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
, Walsh moved to the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
. After being called to the Yukon bar in 1900, he became a partner in the firm, Tabor, Walsh, & Hulme in Dawson. He was created a King's Counsel in 1903. He also invested in gold-mining, but failed to gain profits from the investments. In 1904, Walsh was an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of Dawson.
Walsh moved to Calgary in 1904, and was admitted to the bar on June 10 of that year. He joined a law firm as a senior partner of the firm Walsh, McCarthy and Carson. One of his first cases, in 1904 was defending a man accused of horse theft, being heard by the Chief Justice Arthur Sifton and the Supreme Court of Alberta. He served as a member of the Benchers of the Law Society of Alberta from 1907 to 1912, and in 1910 was appointed as one of two counsels to the Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
on 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...
.
Walsh was a prominent trial lawyer, claiming several victories in several "major precedent-setting cases". Fellow lawyer and future 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...
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...
reportedly referred to Walsh as "the best potential railway lawyer in the province". He was appointed to the Supreme Court of Alberta
Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta
The Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta is the superior court of the Canadian province of Alberta....
in 1912, and upon its restructuring of courts into appellate and trial divisions in 1921, became a judge of the Appellate Division in Calgary.
He travelled all over the province, going as far north to Peace River
Peace River, Alberta
Peace River is a town in northwestern Alberta, Canada, situated along the banks of the Peace River, at its confluence with the Smoky River, the Heart River and Pat's Creek. It is located northwest of Edmonton, and northeast of Grande Prairie, along Highway 2. The Peace River townsite is nearly ...
, and south to Lethbridge
Lethbridge
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...
to hear cases. The most notable trial that Walsh presided over was that of Emilio Picariello
Emilio Picariello
Emilio Picariello was an Italian-Canadian bootlegger and convicted murderer, who was hanged at Fort Saskatchewan in 1923 for killing an Alberta police constable the previous year.-Early life:Picariello was born in Sicily and migrated to Canada in 1899...
, for the murder of Alberta Provincial Police Constable Stephen Lawson. After the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
charge was laid by Attorney General of Alberta 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...
, Picariello and his accomplice, Florence Lassandra were found guilty of their crimes and were sentenced to hang
Capital punishment in Canada
Capital punishment in Canada dates back to 1749. Before Canada eliminated the death penalty for murder on July 14, 1976, 1,481 people were sentenced to death, with 710 executed. Of those executed, 697 were men and 13 were women. The only method used in Canada for capital punishment in nonmilitary...
. The execution was carried out on May 2, 1923. Walsh was a strong believer that capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
was a strong deterrent to crime, sentencing 18 convicted criminals to hang, earning him the nickname, "the Hanging Judge".
Political career
In the 1896 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1896
The Canadian federal election of 1896 was held on June 23, 1896 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Canada. Though the Conservative Party won a plurality of the popular vote, the Liberal Party, led by Wilfrid Laurier, won the majority of seats to form the...
, Walsh was an unsuccessful Conservative
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...
candidate for the Cardwell constituency in Ontario.
In 1905, he became the first President of the Conservative Association of Alberta
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
, in which he also served as the party's chief organizer. He ran in a 1906 by-election for the provincial constituency of Gleichen, but was unsuccessful, losing by just over 100 votes to Liberal 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...
.
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
Upon the advice of Prime Minister of CanadaPrime 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...
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...
, William L. Walsh was appointed to Lieutenant Governor of Alberta by Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough
Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough
Captain Vere Brabazon Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough was a British businessman and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 14th since Canadian Confederation....
on April 24, 1931. He was sworn in on May 5 of the same year. His term in office of Lieutenant Governor was associated with the John Brownlee sex scandal
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...
, when Premier John Brownlee was accused of seducing Vivian MacMillan, a family friend and secretary of Brownlee. Although awarded a legal victory on July 2, 1934, Brownlee resigned from the post a week later. 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...
caucus selected Richard Gavin Reid
Richard Gavin Reid
Richard Gavin "Dick" Reid was a Canadian politician who served as the sixth Premier of Alberta from 1934 to 1935...
as their new leader, and, at Reid's request, Walsh delayed his acceptance of Brownlee's resignation to allow Reid to form a cabinet.
Most of Walsh's everyday duties as Lieutenant Governor consisted of attending official functions and supporting charitable causes. He also gave many speeches and addresses, including one at the June 7, 1931 unveiling of the Lethbridge War Memorial, and a radio address as Chief Scout of Alberta to assist Boy Scouts
Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association that, in affiliation with the French-language Association des Scouts du Canada, is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement...
with fundraising efforts. Walsh's term as Lieutenant Governor was extended twice, initially for four months, and subsequently for another month. He served until his successor, a good friend of his from his days in the Yukon, Philip Primrose
Philip Primrose
Philip Carteret Hill Primrose was a Canadian police officer and the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta....
was sworn in on October 1, 1936. Sworn in at the age of 74, Walsh is the third oldest person sworn in to the office of Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.
Personal life
Walsh married Bessie Amelia McVittie at Barrie, OntarioBarrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
on November 14, 1883. The couple had 2 children: Marguerite "Greta" Clare (1886–1913) and Legh Aquila (1895–1938). His daughter Marguerite married Dr. George Robinson Pirie (1879–1938), a prominent children's doctor and member of the Royal College of Physicians (1931). They were married in Calgary on April 14, 1909. Dr. Pirie was Superintendent of the Great Ormond Street children's hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children is a children's hospital located in London, United Kingdom...
in England from 1914-1919. They had one child, Miss Margaret Walsh Pirie (Mrs. R. O. Funston). Legh Walsh enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I and served the duration of the war. At the time of his enlistment he described his occupation as law student. He became a Lieutenant in the 82nd Battalion in May 1916. He was wounded at Courcelette in 1916, returned briefly to Calgary, and then sailed back to the front. After the war he returned to Calgary in April 1919 and resumed his law studies. After being called to the Law Society of Alberta
Law Society of Alberta
The Law Society of Alberta is the self-regulating body for lawyers in Alberta, Canada.-Purpose:The Law Society is created and governed by the . As a law society, the Law Society is much more than a professional association and every lawyer who practices in Alberta must belong to it...
in 1920, he was created a King's Counsel and made secretary of the Law Society of Alberta in 1932. Bessie Walsh died after a long illness in 1925. William Legh Walsh later married Bertha Main Barber, widower of a Royal Navy Commander, on April 22, 1931.
Walsh enjoyed many activities in his free time. While living in the Yukon, he was a member of a curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
team that won the Yukon championship. In Calgary, Walsh was a member of the Calgary Golf and Country Club, and, 1907 served as the first president of the Canadian Club of Calgary. An avid golfer, Walsh founded a seniors' golf tournament named for him that still is held presently, alternatively 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...
and 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...
.
In 1931, he was made an honourary chief, "Sitting Eagle (Pee'topi)" of the Blood Nation
Blood Nation
Blood Nation is a four-issue comic book mini-series by Platinum Studios. -Plot:In the future, the world is reeling from an outbreak of vampirism...
First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
tribe. He received an honourary Doctor of Laws degree and an honourary rank of Colonel of the University of Alberta Contingent of the Canadian Officers' Training Corps from the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
in 1932. In 1934, he was admitted as a Knight of Grace of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. Additionally, in 1981, the City of Edmonton named Walsh Crescent, in a southwestern part of the city after the former Lieutenant Governor.
Death and legacy
William L. Walsh died on January 13, 1938 of heart failure following a stroke in Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. A simple service was held in 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...
at the Pro-Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, which was attended by then-Lieutenant Governor of Alberta John C. Bowen
John C. Bowen
John Campbell Bowen was a clergy man, insurance broker and long serving politician. He served as an Alderman in the City of Edmonton on the municipal level and then went on to serve as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1926 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition...
, University of Alberta President William Alexander Robb Kerr
William Alexander Robb Kerr
William Alexander Robb Kerr was a Canadian academic and the third president of the University of Alberta....
and leaders of Alberta's legal system and Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
. He was buried in Calgary's Union Cemetery. His wife, Bertha died on August 20, 1943 and was cremated. His first wife, Bessie, who died in 1925, was buried in Simcoe.
Affectionately referred to as "Daddy Walsh", Walsh was well-liked amongst his many friends. William A. R. Kerr, president of the University of Alberta said of him, "All who knew [Walsh] … not only respected him for his gifts of mind and character but loved him as a fine warm-hearted human being." L. Ralph Sherman, a Anglican bishop on Calgary described his legacy as "a record of integrity, devotion to duty and service which will be an inspiration."