Charles Duncan McPherson
Encyclopedia
Col. Charles Duncan McPherson (April 11, 1877—?) was a soldier and politician from Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1910 to 1914, and again from 1915 to 1922. McPherson was a Liberal
, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Tobias C. Norris.
McPherson was born in Forest
, Ontario
, and educated in the neighbouring area. He later moved to Manitoba, and worked as a publisher. He served as president of the Western Canada Press Association in 1906-07, and was secretary of the Lakeside Liberal Association from 1902 to 1910. He also became secretary of the Portage St. Andrew Society in 1909.
He served as lieutenant and captain in the 12th Manitoba Dragoons from 1904 to 1908, and later as Major of the 18th Mounted Rifles from 1908 until 1913, when he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel.
McPherson was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1910 provincial election
, defeating Conservative
incumbent Edwin D. Lynch
by 68 votes in the Lakeside constituency. Manitoba was governed by Rodmond P. Roblin's Conservative Party in this period, and McPherson served as an opposition member for the next four years. In the 1914 election
, he lost to Conservative candidate John J. Garland
by ten votes.
Early in 1915, the Roblin government was forced to resign from office amid a corruption scandal. The Liberals won a landslide majority in the 1915 provincial election
. McPherson was returned for the Lakeside constituency, defeating Garland by 163 votes. He did not serve in the legislature at its convening, however, having been previously called to active service in World War I
.
McPherson traveled with the first Canadian contingent to England
at the start of the war, but was called home again to take second command of the 32nd Battalion. Promoted to the officer class at Shornecliffe, he was the first Canadian officer to tour the western front before Canadian soldiers were sent into the area. McPherson then served in France
for twenty months as second-in-command of the 28th Battalion. He received command of the 31st Alberta
Battalion in 1917, and led this battalion at the Battle of Passchendale. McPherson was twice decorated for his war service.
He returned to Manitoba after the war to take his seat in the legislature, and served as a backbench supporter of Tobias C. Norris's government.
The Liberals were reduced to a minority government
in the 1920 provincial election
. McPherson was re-elected in Lakeside, defeating Conservative E. Herbert Muir by 23 votes. On January 20, 1921, he was appointed to Norris's cabinet as Minister of Public Works.
During this period of Canadian history, newly-appointed ministers were required to resign their seats and seek the renewed consent of their electorate to assume office. The resulting by-election
s were often formalities, as many ministers were unopposed following their appointments. McPherson, however, was forced to contest another challenge from Muir, who was now campaigning as a Farmer's candidate. McPherson won by 156 votes, and continued to serve in cabinet.
In the 1922 provincial election
, McPherson left the Lakeside constituency to challenge Conservative party leader Fawcett Taylor in Portage la Prairie. Taylor won the challenge in a close contest, defeating McPherson by 129 votes. The Liberals were defeated provincially by the United Farmers of Manitoba, and McPherson resigned from cabinet with the rest of the Norris ministry on August 8, 1922.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
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...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1910 to 1914, and again from 1915 to 1922. McPherson was a Liberal
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Tobias C. Norris.
McPherson was born in Forest
Forest, Ontario
Forest is a small town located near Sarnia, Ontario in Canada. It is very close to the shore of Lake Huron and is part of the municipality of Lambton Shores and the county of Lambton.- Population :...
, 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....
, and educated in the neighbouring area. He later moved to Manitoba, and worked as a publisher. He served as president of the Western Canada Press Association in 1906-07, and was secretary of the Lakeside Liberal Association from 1902 to 1910. He also became secretary of the Portage St. Andrew Society in 1909.
He served as lieutenant and captain in the 12th Manitoba Dragoons from 1904 to 1908, and later as Major of the 18th Mounted Rifles from 1908 until 1913, when he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel.
McPherson was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1910 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1910
Manitoba's general election of July 11, 1910 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a fourth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, led by premier Rodmond Palen Roblin. Roblin's electoral machine won...
, defeating Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
incumbent Edwin D. Lynch
Edwin D. Lynch
Edwin D. Lynch was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1903 to 1910, as a member of the Conservative Party....
by 68 votes in the Lakeside constituency. Manitoba was governed by Rodmond P. Roblin's Conservative Party in this period, and McPherson served as an opposition member for the next four years. In the 1914 election
Manitoba general election, 1914
Manitoba's general election of July 10, 1914 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a fifth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party, led by premier Rodmond P. Roblin...
, he lost to Conservative candidate John J. Garland
John J. Garland
John James Garland was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1914 to 1915, as a member of the Conservative Party....
by ten votes.
Early in 1915, the Roblin government was forced to resign from office amid a corruption scandal. The Liberals won a landslide majority in the 1915 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1915
Manitoba's general election of August 6, 1915 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was held only one year after the previous general election of 1914. In that election, the governing Conservatives of premier Rodmond P. Roblin were...
. McPherson was returned for the Lakeside constituency, defeating Garland by 163 votes. He did not serve in the legislature at its convening, however, having been previously called to active service in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
McPherson traveled with the first Canadian contingent to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the start of the war, but was called home again to take second command of the 32nd Battalion. Promoted to the officer class at Shornecliffe, he was the first Canadian officer to tour the western front before Canadian soldiers were sent into the area. McPherson then served in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for twenty months as second-in-command of the 28th Battalion. He received command of the 31st Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
Battalion in 1917, and led this battalion at the Battle of Passchendale. McPherson was twice decorated for his war service.
He returned to Manitoba after the war to take his seat in the legislature, and served as a backbench supporter of Tobias C. Norris's government.
The Liberals were reduced to a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
in the 1920 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1920
Manitoba's general election of 29 June 1920 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.-Background:...
. McPherson was re-elected in Lakeside, defeating Conservative E. Herbert Muir by 23 votes. On January 20, 1921, he was appointed to Norris's cabinet as Minister of Public Works.
During this period of Canadian history, newly-appointed ministers were required to resign their seats and seek the renewed consent of their electorate to assume office. The resulting by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s were often formalities, as many ministers were unopposed following their appointments. McPherson, however, was forced to contest another challenge from Muir, who was now campaigning as a Farmer's candidate. McPherson won by 156 votes, and continued to serve in cabinet.
In the 1922 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1922
Manitoba's general election of July 18, 1922 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.As in the previous election of 1920, the city of Winnipeg elected ten members by the single transferable ballot...
, McPherson left the Lakeside constituency to challenge Conservative party leader Fawcett Taylor in Portage la Prairie. Taylor won the challenge in a close contest, defeating McPherson by 129 votes. The Liberals were defeated provincially by the United Farmers of Manitoba, and McPherson resigned from cabinet with the rest of the Norris ministry on August 8, 1922.