Ernest Charles Drury
Encyclopedia
Ernest Charles Drury was a farmer, politician and writer who served as the eighth Premier
of Ontario
, Canada
, from 1919 to 1923 as the head of a United Farmers of Ontario
- Labour
coalition government
.
, continued the family farm and was a forward-looking farmer who utilized new techniques and technologies. In 1882, he was president of the Agricultural and Arts Association of Ontario. He also served reeve of Oro Township
in Simcoe County for 13 years and was elected to the Ontario legislature as an Ontario Liberal Party
member where he served from 1882 to 1890, the last two years as the province's first Minister of Agriculture.
in the 1917 wartime election
held as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917
. He was defeated by the Government candidate.
E. C. Drury was a co-founder of the UFO in 1913, but did not run in the 1919 election
that returned farmer candidates as the largest bloc in the provincial legislature
. Not having a leader, the UFO Members of the Legislative Assembly
(MLAs) asked Drury to lead them. The UFOs 49 MLAs joined with 11 Labour members to form a coalition government. It was the first of a wave of United Farmers
governments that took power in several provinces and that founded the Progressive Party of Canada
.
for women and standarized adoption procedures. His government also expanded Ontario Hydro, created the Province of Ontario Savings Office
- a provincially owned bank that was designed to lend money to farmers at a lower rate - began the first major reforestation program in North America, and initiated construction of the modern highway system. Drury also arranged for a grant for unknown researchers Frederick Banting
and Charles Best who would go on to discover insulin
.
measures, amidst mixed publicity; in 1920 an Provincial Temperance enforcer, The Reverend J O L Spracklin
, shot and killed an illicit liquor trader.
throughout Drury's term) which ultimately withdrew its support from the government.
Drury also alienated industrialists and many workers by battling with Sir Adam Beck
and his plans for expansion of the province's hydro-electric system. Many labour leaders distrusted a government dominated by farmers, feeling that they could not understand the problems of urban workers. Drury's failure to establish fair wage provisions in government contracts and his commitment to free trade
that threatened the livelihood of industrial workers alienated urban workers further.
The government was also much harmed by the Ontario Bond Scandal
that resulted in provincial treasurer Peter Smith
being jailed.
The government was opposed by all the major newspapers in the province, with the exception of the Toronto Star
, and, despite its attempt to broaden its base, was opposed by business.
and a preferential ballot and Drury called an early election. The government was defeated when it ran for re-election in the 1923 provincial election
, in part, due to false claims that Drury had used $100 to purchase a new coal scuttle
for his personal use. In fact, the device was an old scuttle which had been retrieved from storage and polished up. Drury never responded to the false claim, however, and it contributed to opposition claims of the government's extravagance.
or the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
.
Drury was active with the Progressive Party of Canada
following the demise of his provincial government. He ran as a Progressive candidate in Simcoe North
in the Canadian federal election, 1925
, 1926
and 1930 federal elections
but was defeated by Conservative
candidates by margins of 600, 200 and 800 votes respectively.
. Drury also wrote two local histories, The story of Simcoe County (1955) and All for a beaver hat: a history of early Simcoe County (1959).
In 1966, — over 40 years after his Premiership had ended — he published his memoirs, Farmer Premier: Memoirs of the Honourable E. C. Drury.
Drury remained interested in political matters. During the debate on whethar or not Canada should install American-operated nuclear-tipped Bomarc missiles in the 1960s, Drury wrote "the next government of Canada... should refuse to accept nuclear arms. The whole nuclear program of the United States is dangerous."
and also the provincial E. C. Drury School for the Deaf
, both in Milton, Ontario
.
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
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....
, 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...
, from 1919 to 1923 as the head of a United Farmers of Ontario
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
- Labour
Labour candidates and parties in Canada
There have been various groups in Canada that have nominated candidates under the label Labour Party or Independent Labour Party or other variations from the 1870s until the 1960s...
coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
.
Family
Drury was the grandson of Captain Robert Drury, a retired British Army officer who had been given land in exchange for his service to the Crown. His father, Charles DruryCharles Alfred Drury
Charles Alfred Drury was an Ontario farmer and political figure. He represented Simcoe East in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal member from 1882 to 1890.He was born on a farm near Barrie in Canada West in 1844....
, continued the family farm and was a forward-looking farmer who utilized new techniques and technologies. In 1882, he was president of the Agricultural and Arts Association of Ontario. He also served reeve of Oro Township
Oro-Medonte, Ontario
Oro-Medonte is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada on the northwestern shores of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County.The two neighbouring townships of Oro and Medonte were merged together in 1994, under a restructuring of Simcoe County. It is divided into lines based on the concession system...
in Simcoe County for 13 years and was elected to the Ontario legislature as an Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
member where he served from 1882 to 1890, the last two years as the province's first Minister of Agriculture.
Entry into politics
Drury was an "Opposition" candidate in Simcoe NorthSimcoe North
Simcoe North is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was established as a federal riding in 1867. Its population was 119,400 in 2006.-Demographics:Ethnic groups: 92.3% White, 5.9% Native Canadian...
in the 1917 wartime election
Canadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
held as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917
Conscription Crisis of 1917
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I.-Background:...
. He was defeated by the Government candidate.
E. C. Drury was a co-founder of the UFO in 1913, but did not run in the 1919 election
Ontario general election, 1919
The Ontario general election, 1919 was the 15th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on October 20, 1919, to elect the 111 Members of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
that returned farmer candidates as the largest bloc in the provincial legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
. Not having a leader, the UFO Members of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLAs) asked Drury to lead them. The UFOs 49 MLAs joined with 11 Labour members to form a coalition government. It was the first of a wave of United Farmers
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
governments that took power in several provinces and that founded the Progressive Party of Canada
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
.
Premier of Ontario
Drury's progressive government created the first Department of Welfare for the province and brought in allowances for widows and children, a minimum wageMinimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
for women and standarized adoption procedures. His government also expanded Ontario Hydro, created the Province of Ontario Savings Office
Province of Ontario Savings Office
The Province of Ontario Savings Office was a government-run banking institution created by the Ontario Government in 1922, and closed in 2003 when its assets were sold to the Desjardins Credit Union.- History :...
- a provincially owned bank that was designed to lend money to farmers at a lower rate - began the first major reforestation program in North America, and initiated construction of the modern highway system. Drury also arranged for a grant for unknown researchers Frederick Banting
Frederick Banting
Sir Frederick Grant Banting, KBE, MC, FRS, FRSC was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor and Nobel laureate noted as one of the main discoverers of insulin....
and Charles Best who would go on to discover insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
.
Identified with Temperance enforcement
The government was also a strict enforcer of temperanceTemperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
measures, amidst mixed publicity; in 1920 an Provincial Temperance enforcer, The Reverend J O L Spracklin
J O L Spracklin
The Reverend J O L Spracklin, a Methodist minister from Windsor, Ontario, noted for his involvement with Prohibition issues. Spracklin shot and killed a man who was engaged in the illicit liquor trade and was later acquitted of manslaughter.-Background:...
, shot and killed an illicit liquor trader.
Opposition of J.J.Morrison and other controversies
The government under Drury tried to be a "people's government" rather than a "class government", but in so doing, alienated the base of its support, particularly farmers. The UFO government clashed with the UFO organization (led by James J. MorrisonJames J. Morrison
James J. Morrison was a farm leader in Ontario, Canada, a founder of the United Farmers of Ontario in 1914, and a leader of the co-operative movement...
throughout Drury's term) which ultimately withdrew its support from the government.
Drury also alienated industrialists and many workers by battling with Sir Adam Beck
Adam Beck
Sir Adam Beck was a politician and hydroelectricity advocate who founded the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario.-Biography:...
and his plans for expansion of the province's hydro-electric system. Many labour leaders distrusted a government dominated by farmers, feeling that they could not understand the problems of urban workers. Drury's failure to establish fair wage provisions in government contracts and his commitment to free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
that threatened the livelihood of industrial workers alienated urban workers further.
The government was also much harmed by the Ontario Bond Scandal
Ontario Bond Scandal
The Ontario Bond Scandal was a scandal that hit the government of Ontario in the early 1920s.Ontario had been governed by the United Farmers of Ontario of Ernest C. Drury since 1919. In 1922 a scandal broke out over the purchase of government bonds...
that resulted in provincial treasurer Peter Smith
Peter Smith (Canadian politician)
Peter Smith was a Canadian politician. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Perth South from 1919 to 1923 representing the United Farmers of Ontario....
being jailed.
The government was opposed by all the major newspapers in the province, with the exception of 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...
, and, despite its attempt to broaden its base, was opposed by business.
Fall from power
The Drury government collapsed after it introduced a bill in the legislature that would have brought in proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
and a preferential ballot and Drury called an early election. The government was defeated when it ran for re-election in the 1923 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1923
The Ontario general election, 1923 was the 16th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 25, 1923, to elect the 111 Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
, in part, due to false claims that Drury had used $100 to purchase a new coal scuttle
Coal scuttle
A coal scuttle, sometimes spelled coalscuttle and also called a hod, is a bucket-like container for holding a small, intermediate supply of coal convenient to an indoor coal-fired stove or heater. It is usually made of metal and shaped like a vertical cylinder or truncated cone, with the open top...
for his personal use. In fact, the device was an old scuttle which had been retrieved from storage and polished up. Drury never responded to the false claim, however, and it contributed to opposition claims of the government's extravagance.
Later political activity
Drury retired from politics, but ran later as a federal candidate. Unlike many UFOers, he never joined either the Liberal Party of CanadaLiberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
or the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
.
Drury was active with the Progressive Party of Canada
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
following the demise of his provincial government. He ran as a Progressive candidate in Simcoe North
Simcoe North
Simcoe North is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was established as a federal riding in 1867. Its population was 119,400 in 2006.-Demographics:Ethnic groups: 92.3% White, 5.9% Native Canadian...
in the Canadian federal election, 1925
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...
, 1926
Canadian federal election, 1926
The Canadian federal election of 1926 was held on September 14 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 16th Parliament of Canada. The election was called following an event known as the King-Byng Affair...
and 1930 federal elections
Canadian federal election, 1930
The Canadian federal election of 1930 was held on July 28, 1930 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 17th Parliament of Canada...
but was defeated by Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidates by margins of 600, 200 and 800 votes respectively.
Later life
In 1934, he was appointed sheriff and registrar of Simcoe County, a position he held until 1959, and wrote for magazines such as Maclean'sMaclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
. Drury also wrote two local histories, The story of Simcoe County (1955) and All for a beaver hat: a history of early Simcoe County (1959).
In 1966, — over 40 years after his Premiership had ended — he published his memoirs, Farmer Premier: Memoirs of the Honourable E. C. Drury.
Drury remained interested in political matters. During the debate on whethar or not Canada should install American-operated nuclear-tipped Bomarc missiles in the 1960s, Drury wrote "the next government of Canada... should refuse to accept nuclear arms. The whole nuclear program of the United States is dangerous."
Recognition
There is a secondary school, E.C. Drury High SchoolE.C. Drury High School
The Ernest C. Drury High School is a provincial school in Milton, Ontario for students in grades 9-12.The same campus also houses the E. C. Drury School for the Deaf, a secondary school with residential and day programs for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students...
and also the provincial E. C. Drury School for the Deaf
E. C. Drury School for the Deaf
The Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf is a provincial school in Milton, Ontario with residential and day programs serving elementary and secondary deaf and hard-of-hearing students. It shares a campus with the E.C...
, both in Milton, Ontario
Milton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
.
See also
- James J. Morrison#Collapse of Drury government
- J O L Spracklin#Prohibition controversies and manslaughter trial