William McCartney Davidson
Encyclopedia
William McCartney Davidson (November 12, 1872 – March 23, 1942) was a Canadian
journalist, politician, and author.
, the son of James C. Davidson, a farmer, and Sarah McCartney Davidson, Davidson was educated at the public school of his district, Picton High School, St. Catharines Collegiate Institute, and the University of Toronto
where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1893. He started working as a reporter fort the Toronto World and soon joined the Toronto Star
. He would report from the Ontario legislature for seven years.
region that would become the Calgary Sun
, it was printed and published by his company The Albertan Pub. Co.
. He defeated Conservative incumbent Samuel Bacon Hillocks by a comfortable margin to win his first term in office and represent the North Calgary
electoral district.
Davidson retired at the end of his first term in office to run in the 1925 Canadian federal election
in Calgary East
he was badly defeated finishing a distant 3rd place behind Conservative Fred Davis
the winner and Labor candidate William Irvine
.
Davidson would seek another term in the Alberta Legislature in the Calgary
electoral district as an Independent in a by-election on January 15, 1923 held after the death of Robert Edwards
. He defeated Liberal candidate Clinton J. Ford to win. He retired from provincial politics for the second time in 1926.
. As a result he wrote 2 biographical books on the life of Louis Riel. Louis Riel, 1844-1885 : a biography and The life and times of Louis Riel. The second book was published as a condensed form of the first. Both books were published through his company The Albertan Pub. Co.
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...
journalist, politician, and author.
Early life
Born in Hillier, Prince Edward County, OntarioPrince Edward County, Ontario
Prince Edward County is a single-tier municipality and a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario.-Geography:Prince Edward County is located in Southern Ontario on a large irregular headland or littoral at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, just west of the head of the St. Lawrence River...
, the son of James C. Davidson, a farmer, and Sarah McCartney Davidson, Davidson was educated at the public school of his district, Picton High School, St. Catharines Collegiate Institute, and 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...
where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1893. He started working as a reporter fort the Toronto World and soon joined the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
. He would report from the Ontario legislature for seven years.
The Albertan
In 1902, Davidson founded The Albertan, a daily newspaper published in the 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...
region that would become the Calgary Sun
Calgary Sun
The Calgary Sun is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is a division of Sun Media, a Quebecor company.First published in 1980, the tabloid-format daily replaced the long-running broadsheet newspaper, The Albertan soon after it was acquired by the publishers of the Toronto...
, it was printed and published by his company The Albertan Pub. Co.
Political career
Davidson was first elected to the Alberta Legislature in the 1917 Alberta general electionAlberta 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....
. He defeated Conservative incumbent Samuel Bacon Hillocks by a comfortable margin to win his first term in office and represent the North Calgary
North Calgary
North Calgary was a provincial electoral district that existed from 1913 to 1921. The district returned a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in two general elections.-Boundary history:-Electoral history:...
electoral district.
Davidson retired at the end of his first term in office to run in the 1925 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 1925
The Canadian federal election of 1925 was held on October 29 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's Liberal Party formed a minority government. This precipitated the "King-Byng Affair".The Liberals under...
in Calgary East
Calgary East
Calgary East is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1953, 1979 to 1988, and since 1997...
he was badly defeated finishing a distant 3rd place behind Conservative Fred Davis
Fred Davis (politician)
Frederick "Fred" Davis was a farmer and a politician on the federal and provincial level in Canada.-Political career:...
the winner and Labor candidate William Irvine
William Irvine (Canadian politician)
William Irvine was a Canadian politician, journalist and clergyman. He served in the Canadian House of Commons on three different occasions, as a representative of Labour, the United Farmers of Alberta and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
.
Davidson would seek another term in the Alberta Legislature in the Calgary
Calgary (provincial electoral district)
Calgary was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada that existed from 1905 to 1913 and was recreated from 1921 to 1959. The district returned from one to six members to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta...
electoral district as an Independent in a by-election on January 15, 1923 held after the death of Robert Edwards
Robert Chambers Edwards
Robert Chambers Edwards, , was a Canadian newsman, humorist, editorialist, entrepreneur, and provincial politician. He is best known as the writer and publisher of the Calgary Eye Opener weekly newspaper in the early 20th Century .-Early life and work :Bob Edwards was born in Edinburgh...
. He defeated Liberal candidate Clinton J. Ford to win. He retired from provincial politics for the second time in 1926.
Published works
After he retired from provincial politics Davidson spent 2 years from 1926 to 1928 researching Louis RielLouis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
. As a result he wrote 2 biographical books on the life of Louis Riel. Louis Riel, 1844-1885 : a biography and The life and times of Louis Riel. The second book was published as a condensed form of the first. Both books were published through his company The Albertan Pub. Co.