Charles W. Fisher
Encyclopedia
Charles Wellington Fisher (August 4, 1866 – May 5, 1919) was a Canadian politician who served as the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
from Ontario
in 1899, and became the town's leading merchant. In 1907 he married a niece of the Carling family (of Carling
Brewery fame), and promised her that they would live in a castle. By way of fulfilling that promise, he built a mansion in Cochrane in 1908 (which became the Just Home Guest Ranch in 1931 and was donated to a Franciscan
order in 1948).
In January 1903, Arthur Sifton, the Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for Banff resigned to become territorial chief justice. In the ensuing by-election, held February 4, Fisher defeated H. J. Richardson to replace him. He served until the district left the Northwest Territories to become part of the new province of Alberta
in 1905. He subsequently ran in Banff
in Alberta's inaugural election
. Though politics in the Northwest Territories had been conducted on a non-partisan basis, this was not the case in Alberta, and Fisher aligned himself with the Liberals
. In the election, he faced Conservative
Robert Brett
, who had been Sifton's predecessor as Banff MLA from 1891 until 1899. He more than doubled Brett's vote count on his way to an easy victory.
Fisher was part of a Liberal majority of 23 seats in the 25 seat Legislative Assembly of Alberta
, and was one of only seven members with previous legislative experience. In deference to this experience, and as a reward for having beaten Brett, considered a strong opponent, he was elected the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on March 15, 1906. He was re-elected in each of the next three elections, in the new riding of Cochrane
, and was re-elected Speaker after each of them. As Speaker, he presided over the tumultuous Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal
, when he ruled future premier Charles Stewart
out of order in his attempt to report a scandalous rumour about fellow Liberal John R. Boyle
in the legislature.
Fisher died May 5, 1919, a victim of the 1918 flu pandemic. His death left his Cochrane seat vacant, and in the ensuing by-election the United Farmers of Alberta
(UFA) ran a candidate, Alexander Moore
, for the first time in their history. He won, and two years later the UFA won a majority government.
Charles Fisher is buried in Calgary's Union Cemetery.
Biography
Born in Hyde Park, Ontario, Fisher came to CochraneCochrane, Alberta
Cochrane is a town in the Canadian province of Alberta. The town is located 18 km west of the Calgary city limits along Highway 1A. With a population of 15,424 , Cochrane is the second largest town in Alberta and one of the fastest growing communities in Canada...
from 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....
in 1899, and became the town's leading merchant. In 1907 he married a niece of the Carling family (of Carling
Carling
Carling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa...
Brewery fame), and promised her that they would live in a castle. By way of fulfilling that promise, he built a mansion in Cochrane in 1908 (which became the Just Home Guest Ranch in 1931 and was donated to a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
order in 1948).
In January 1903, Arthur Sifton, the Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for Banff resigned to become territorial chief justice. In the ensuing by-election, held February 4, Fisher defeated H. J. Richardson to replace him. He served until the district left the Northwest Territories to become part of the new province of 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...
in 1905. He subsequently ran in Banff
Banff (provincial electoral district)
Banff was a provincial electoral district, in south west Alberta, Canada.The riding has existed twice, the first incarnation was created in 1905 when Alberta formed as a province...
in Alberta's inaugural 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...
. Though politics in the Northwest Territories had been conducted on a non-partisan basis, this was not the case in Alberta, and Fisher aligned himself with the Liberals
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
. In the election, he faced Conservative
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
Robert Brett
Robert Brett
Robert George Brett was a politician and physician in the North-West Territories and later Alberta, Canada....
, who had been Sifton's predecessor as Banff MLA from 1891 until 1899. He more than doubled Brett's vote count on his way to an easy victory.
Fisher was part of a Liberal majority of 23 seats in the 25 seat Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
, and was one of only seven members with previous legislative experience. In deference to this experience, and as a reward for having beaten Brett, considered a strong opponent, he was elected the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on March 15, 1906. He was re-elected in each of the next three elections, in the new riding of Cochrane
Cochrane (provincial electoral district)
Cochrane was a provincial electoral district in southern Alberta, Canada. The district was mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1926 under the First Past the Post voting system and under Single Transferable Vote from 1926 to 1940.-Boundary...
, and was re-elected Speaker after each of them. As Speaker, he presided over the tumultuous 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...
, when he ruled future premier Charles Stewart
Charles Stewart (Canadian politician)
Charles Stewart, PC was a Canadian politician who served as the third Premier of Alberta from 1917 until 1921. Born in Strabane, Ontario, in Wentworth County, Stewart was a farmer who moved west to Alberta after his farm was destroyed by a storm...
out of order in his attempt to report a scandalous rumour about fellow Liberal John R. Boyle
John R. Boyle
John Robert Boyle was a Canadian politician and jurist who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, a cabinet minister in the Government of Alberta, and a judge on the Supreme Court of Alberta. Born in Ontario, he came west and eventually settled in Edmonton, where he practiced...
in the legislature.
Fisher died May 5, 1919, a victim of the 1918 flu pandemic. His death left his Cochrane seat vacant, and in the ensuing by-election 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...
(UFA) ran a candidate, Alexander Moore
Alexander Moore
Alexander A. Moore was a farmer and a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in a by-election on November 3, 1919 and served until 1926.-Political career:...
, for the first time in their history. He won, and two years later the UFA won a majority government.
Charles Fisher is buried in Calgary's Union Cemetery.
Electoral record
| 1917 Alberta general election Alberta 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.... results (Cochrane Cochrane (provincial electoral district) Cochrane was a provincial electoral district in southern Alberta, Canada. The district was mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1926 under the First Past the Post voting system and under Single Transferable Vote from 1926 to 1940.-Boundary... ) |
Turnout N.A. | |||
| Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
Charles Wellington Fisher | 630 | 57.32% |
Conservative | H.E.G.H. Scholefield | 469 | 42.68% |
| 1913 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1913 The Alberta general election of 1913 was the third general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. The writ was dropped on 25 March 1913 and election day was held 17 April 1913 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Elections in two northern districts took place on 30 July... results (Cochrane Cochrane (provincial electoral district) Cochrane was a provincial electoral district in southern Alberta, Canada. The district was mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1926 under the First Past the Post voting system and under Single Transferable Vote from 1926 to 1940.-Boundary... ) |
Turnout 85.1% | |||
| Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
Charles Wellington Fisher | 475 | 55.56% |
Conservative | H.F. Jarrett | 380 | 44.44% |
| 1909 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1909 The Alberta general election was 1909 was the second general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 22 March 1909 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.... results (Cochrane Cochrane (provincial electoral district) Cochrane was a provincial electoral district in southern Alberta, Canada. The district was mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1926 under the First Past the Post voting system and under Single Transferable Vote from 1926 to 1940.-Boundary... ) |
Turnout 89.7% | |||
| Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
Charles Wellington Fisher | 627 | 67.56% |
Conservative | Robert Brett Robert Brett Robert George Brett was a politician and physician in the North-West Territories and later Alberta, Canada.... |
301 | 32.44% |
| 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... results (Banff Banff (provincial electoral district) Banff was a provincial electoral district, in south west Alberta, Canada.The riding has existed twice, the first incarnation was created in 1905 when Alberta formed as a province... ) |
Turnout 89.7% | |||
| Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
Charles Wellington Fisher | 421 | 53.70% |
Conservative | Robert Brett Robert Brett Robert George Brett was a politician and physician in the North-West Territories and later Alberta, Canada.... |
363 | 46.30% |
| 1903 by-election results (Banff) | Turnout N.A. | |||
| Charles Wellington Fisher | 263 | 57.68% | ||
| H. J. Richardson | 193 | 42.32% | ||