John C. Bowen
Encyclopedia
John Campbell Bowen was a clergy
man, insurance broker and long serving politician. He served as an Alderman in the City of Edmonton on the municipal level and then went on to serve as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1921 to 1926 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition. He also briefly led the provincial Liberal party in 1926.
Bowen was appointed as the sixth and longest-serving Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
. He served that post from 1937 to 1950.
, Ontario
on October 3, 1872. He was the son of Peter Bowen and Margaret Poaps, and grew up in Ottawa
.
He took his post secondary education at Brandon Baptist College where he earned a degree in theology and also at McMaster University. After University he moved west to Dauphin
, Manitoba
to become the pastor of the Baptist church in that town. He married his wife Edith Oliver on October 25, 1906.
Bowen moved to Edmonton
, Alberta
with his family in 1912 to become pastor of Strathcona Baptist Church. He also got into the insurance business.
Bowen joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force
in World War I
serving as a military Chaplin. He gained an interest in politics running for municipal office in 1919.
for the first time in the 1919 Edmonton municipal election
. He won the fifth place seat to earn his first two year term on council as an Alderman.
Bowen won election to the Alberta Legislature in 1921 and decided not to run again in the municipal election that year. Instead he would return to the municipal scene by running for office in the 1927 Edmonton municipal election
. He won a seat under the Single Transferable Vote
and held that for a year.
Bowen decided to run for mayor in the 1928 Edmonton municipal election
after only serving one year as Alderman. He was defeated by Ambrose Bury
in a close two way race.
as a Liberal candidate in the electoral district of Edmonton
. He won the second of five seats that was contested by 26 candidates.
In 1926 Bowen briefly held leadership of the Alberta Liberal Party and also became Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta. Bowen did not run for a second term and retired from the Assembly in 1926.
Bowen attempted a political comeback five years later. He ran for the Liberal nomination for a by-election held in the Edmonton electoral district on January 9, 1931. Bowen defeated Joseph Clarke
for the right to stand as a Liberal candidate on December 19, 1930 at a convention attended by almost 200 delegates with a vote of 98 to 54. He was defeated in the election finishing in third place in the field of four candidates losing to Conservative candidate Frederick Jamieson
.
John Buchan
, on the advice of Prime Minister
Mackenzie King
in 1937.
He became involved in a constitutional crisis
when he refused to give Royal Assent
to three government bills. Two of the bills would have put the province's banks under the control of the provincial government while a third, the Accurate News and Information Act
, would have forced newspapers to print government rebuttals to stories the provincial cabinet
objected to. All three bills were later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada
and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
. In 1938, Bowen even threatened to dismiss Aberhart's government, which would have been an extraordinary use of his reserve powers. The Social Credit government remained immensely popular with the Albertan people, however, so the threat was not carried out.
During World War II
, Bowen spent a lot of his time promoting the sale of war bond
s and otherwise helping the war effort.
He served as Lieutenant-Governor until 1950.
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man, insurance broker and long serving politician. He served as an Alderman in the City of Edmonton on the municipal level and then went on to serve as a member of the 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...
from 1921 to 1926 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition. He also briefly led the provincial Liberal party in 1926.
Bowen was appointed as the sixth and longest-serving Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta is the viceregal representative in Alberta of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the nine other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
. He served that post from 1937 to 1950.
Early life
John Campbell Bowen was born in MetcalfeMetcalfe, Ontario
Metcalfe is a large village in the Osgoode Ward of the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The local agricultural fair, the Metcalfe Fair, has been held each fall since 1856....
, 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....
on October 3, 1872. He was the son of Peter Bowen and Margaret Poaps, and grew up 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...
.
He took his post secondary education at Brandon Baptist College where he earned a degree in theology and also at McMaster University. After University he moved west to Dauphin
Dauphin, Manitoba
Dauphin is a small city in Manitoba, Canada, with a population of 7,906 as of 2006. The nearby lake was given the name "Dauphin" by the explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye in 1741 in honour of the heir to the French throne...
, Manitoba
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...
to become the pastor of the Baptist church in that town. He married his wife Edith Oliver on October 25, 1906.
Bowen moved to Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, 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...
with his family in 1912 to become pastor of Strathcona Baptist Church. He also got into the insurance business.
Bowen joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
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...
serving as a military Chaplin. He gained an interest in politics running for municipal office in 1919.
Municipal
Bowen ran for a seat to Edmonton City CouncilEdmonton City Council
The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors. Until 2010, Edmonton was divided in six wards with two councillors representing citizens in each ward...
for the first time in the 1919 Edmonton municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1919
The 1919 municipal election was held December 8, 1919 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on the public school board. T P Malone, Paul Janvrin, T S Magee, and Joseph Henri Picard were acclaimed to two year terms on the separate school board...
. He won the fifth place seat to earn his first two year term on council as an Alderman.
Bowen won election to the Alberta Legislature in 1921 and decided not to run again in the municipal election that year. Instead he would return to the municipal scene by running for office in the 1927 Edmonton municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1927
The 1927 municipal election was held December 12, 1927 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards...
. He won a seat under the Single Transferable Vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
and held that for a year.
Bowen decided to run for mayor in the 1928 Edmonton municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1928
The 1928 municipal election was held December 10, 1928 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the public school board...
after only serving one year as Alderman. He was defeated by Ambrose Bury
Ambrose Upton Gledstanes Bury
Ambrose Upton Gledstanes Bury was a politician in Alberta, Canada, a mayor of Edmonton, and a member of the Canadian House of Commons.-Early life:...
in a close two way race.
Provincial
Bowen ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1921 Alberta general electionAlberta general election, 1921
The Alberta general election of 1921 was the fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on July 18, 1921 to elect members to the 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly....
as a Liberal candidate in the electoral district of Edmonton
Edmonton (provincial electoral district)
Edmonton provincial electoral district existed in two incarnations from 1905 - 1909 and again from 1921 - 1955. The district was created when Alberta first became a province....
. He won the second of five seats that was contested by 26 candidates.
In 1926 Bowen briefly held leadership of the Alberta Liberal Party and also became Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta. Bowen did not run for a second term and retired from the Assembly in 1926.
Bowen attempted a political comeback five years later. He ran for the Liberal nomination for a by-election held in the Edmonton electoral district on January 9, 1931. Bowen defeated Joseph Clarke
Joseph Clarke
Joseph Andrew Clarke was a Canadian politician and lawyer. He served twice as mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, was a candidate for election to the Canadian House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and was a member of the Yukon Territorial Council .-Early life:Clarke was born in...
for the right to stand as a Liberal candidate on December 19, 1930 at a convention attended by almost 200 delegates with a vote of 98 to 54. He was defeated in the election finishing in third place in the field of four candidates losing to Conservative candidate Frederick Jamieson
Frederick Jamieson
Frederick Charles Jamieson was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1931 until 1935 sitting with the Conservative caucus in opposition.-Political career:...
.
Lieutenant Governor
Bowen was appointed as the Sixth Lieutenant Governor of the province of Alberta by Governor GeneralGovernor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
John Buchan
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir was a Scottish novelist, historian and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation....
, on the advice of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
in 1937.
He became involved in a constitutional crisis
Constitutional crisis
A constitutional crisis is a situation that the legal system's constitution or other basic principles of operation appear unable to resolve; it often results in a breakdown in the orderly operation of government...
when he refused to give Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
to three government bills. Two of the bills would have put the province's banks under the control of the provincial government while a third, the Accurate News and Information Act
Accurate News and Information Act
The Accurate News and Information Act was a statute passed by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada, in 1937, at the instigation of William Aberhart's Social Credit government...
, would have forced newspapers to print government rebuttals to stories the provincial cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
objected to. All three bills were later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. Established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 to hear appeals formerly heard by the King in Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is one of the highest courts in the United...
. In 1938, Bowen even threatened to dismiss Aberhart's government, which would have been an extraordinary use of his reserve powers. The Social Credit government remained immensely popular with the Albertan people, however, so the threat was not carried out.
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...
, Bowen spent a lot of his time promoting the sale of war bond
War bond
War bonds are debt securities issued by a government for the purpose of financing military operations during times of war. War bonds generate capital for the government and make civilians feel involved in their national militaries...
s and otherwise helping the war effort.
He served as Lieutenant-Governor until 1950.