Thomas Dufferin Pattullo
Encyclopedia
Thomas Dufferin Pattullo (January 19, 1873 – March 30, 1956) was the 22nd Premier
of British Columbia
, Canada
from 1933 to 1941. The Pattullo Bridge is named in his honour as well as Prince Rupert's
Pattullo Park.
Born in Woodstock, Ontario
, Pattullo's early career was as a journalist with two newspapers in Ontario
: the Woodstock Sentinel in the 1890s, and as editor of the Galt Reformer in 1896. He got a job as secretary to James Morrow Walsh
, the Commissioner
of the Yukon
, where he stayed until 1902. In 1908, he moved to Prince Rupert, British Columbia
and soon became mayor. He was elected to the provincial legislature
in the 1916 election
, and was appointed minister of lands in the Liberal
government. Following the defeat of the Liberals in the 1928 election
, Pattullo became Liberal Party leader, and leader of the opposition
. In the 1933 election
, with the Conservatives in disarray and not running any official candidates, Pattullo led the party back into government.
The Pattullo government, elected in the midst of the Great Depression
, attempted to extend government services and relief to the unemployed. In the 1937 general election
, his government was re-elected running on the slogan of "socialized
capitalism
". His government was unable to secure a majority
in the 1941 election
due, in part, to the rise of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
. He was unwilling to form a coalition government
with the Conservatives
, so his Liberal Party removed him as leader and formed such a coalition despite his objections. In the 1945 election
, Pattullo lost his seat in the legislature and retired from politics. He died in Victoria, British Columbia
.
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
of 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...
, 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 1933 to 1941. The Pattullo Bridge is named in his honour as well as Prince Rupert's
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
Pattullo Park.
Born in Woodstock, Ontario
Woodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
, Pattullo's early career was as a journalist with two newspapers in 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....
: the Woodstock Sentinel in the 1890s, and as editor of the Galt Reformer in 1896. He got a job as secretary to James Morrow Walsh
James Morrow Walsh
James Morrow Walsh, was a North West Mounted Police officer and the first Commissioner of the Yukon Territory....
, the Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
of the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, where he stayed until 1902. In 1908, he moved to Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
and soon became mayor. He was elected to 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...
in the 1916 election
British Columbia general election, 1916
The British Columbia general election of 1916 was the fourteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 5, 1916, and held on September 14, 1916...
, and was appointed minister of lands in the 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...
government. Following the defeat of the Liberals in the 1928 election
British Columbia general election, 1928
The British Columbia general election of 1928 was the seventeenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on June 7, 1928, and held on July 18, 1928...
, Pattullo became Liberal Party leader, and leader of the opposition
Leader of the Opposition (British Columbia)
The Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia is the MLA in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia who leads the political party recognized as the Official Opposition. This status generally goes to the leader of the second largest party in the Legislative Assembly....
. In the 1933 election
British Columbia general election, 1933
The British Columbia general election of 1933 was the eighteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 13, 1933, and held on November 2, 1933...
, with the Conservatives in disarray and not running any official candidates, Pattullo led the party back into government.
The Pattullo government, elected in the midst of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, attempted to extend government services and relief to the unemployed. In the 1937 general election
British Columbia general election, 1937
The British Columbia general election of 1937 was the nineteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 14, 1937, and held on June 1, 1937...
, his government was re-elected running on the slogan of "socialized
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
". His government was unable to secure a majority
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
in the 1941 election
British Columbia general election, 1941
The British Columbia general election, 1941 was the twentieth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 9, 1941, and held on October 21, 1941.After the election, a...
due, in part, to the rise of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
New Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
. He was unwilling to form a 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...
with the Conservatives
British Columbia Conservative Party
The British Columbia Conservative Party is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected as the government in 1903, the party went into decline after 1933...
, so his Liberal Party removed him as leader and formed such a coalition despite his objections. In the 1945 election
British Columbia general election, 1945
The British Columbia general election of 1945 was the twenty-first general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 31, 1945, and held on October 25, 1945...
, Pattullo lost his seat in the legislature and retired from politics. He died in Victoria, British Columbia
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...
.