Arthur James Richard Ash (September 30, 1906 – January 15, 1988) was a merchant and political figure in British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. He represented Saanich

Saanich (electoral district)

Saanich was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It made its first appearance in the election of 1903 and its last in the general election of 1963 after which it was combined with parts of the former Nanaimo and the Islands riding to form Saanich and the...

 in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....

 from 1948 to 1952 as a Liberal

British Columbia Liberal Party

The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...

.

He was born in Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...

, the son of W.H. Ash and Catherine McDonald, and was educated in Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

. In 1934, he was named a lieutenant in the Princess Louise Dragoon Guards of Ottawa. Ash married Vera Marie Carnie in 1943. He was an alderman in Ottawa from 1934 to 1942, served during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 and moved to Saanich, British Columbia

Saanich, British Columbia

The District of Saanich is a municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is located north of the provincial capital, Victoria. It has a population of 108,265 people, making it the most populous municipality on Vancouver Island, and the seventh most populous in the province...

 in 1946. Ash was first elected to the assembly in a 1948 by-election held after Norman William Whittaker

Norman William Whittaker

Norman William Whittaker was a lawyer, judge and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Saanich in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1933 to 1947 as a Liberal member....

 was named to the BC Supreme Court. He was a member of the Liberal-Conservative coalition in the provincial assembly. Ash was defeated when he ran for reelection in 1952. He also served two terms as reeve of Saanich. Ash died in Victoria

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...

at the age of 81.