Charles W. Fisher

Charles Wellington Fisher (August 4, 1866[2] – May 5, 1919)[1] was a Canadian politician who served as the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Charles Wellington Fisher
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office March 15, 1906 – May 15, 1919
Preceded by	New position
Succeeded by	Charles Pingle
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office March 22, 1909 – May 15, 1919
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	Alexander Moore
Constituency	Cochrane
In office November 9, 1905 – March 22, 1909
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	District abolished
Constituency	Banff
Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
In office February 4, 1903 – September 1, 1905
Preceded by	Arthur Sifton
Succeeded by	District abolished
Constituency	Banff
Personal details
Born	August 4, 1866 Hyde Park, Ontario
Died	May 5, 1919 (aged 52) Edmonton, Alberta[1]
Resting place	Union Cemetery, Calgary
Political party	Liberal
Children	Seven: Sons C. B. Fisher, Richard James Fisher, John Wellington Fisher, Gordon Thomas Fisher; daughters Helen Angela Fisher, Marjorie Louise Fisher, and Muriel Elsie Fisher (Buller)
Residence	Cochrane

Biography

Born in Hyde Park, Ontario, Fisher came to Cochrane 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).[3][4]

In January 1903, Arthur Sifton, the Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for Banff resigned to become territorial chief justice.[5] 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.[6]

He ran in Banff in Alberta's inaugural election. Politics in the North-West Territories had been conducted on a non-partisan basis but that was not the case in Alberta after provincehood. Fisher aligned himself with the Liberals. In the election, he faced Conservative Robert Brett, who had been Banff's NWT territorial Assemblyman from 1891 to 1899.[6] He more than doubled Brett's vote count on his way to an easy victory.[7]

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.[8]

He was re-elected in 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.[9]

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.[10]

Charles Fisher is buried in Calgary's Union Cemetery.[11]

Electoral record

1917 Alberta general election results (Cochrane)[12]			Turnout N.A.
	Liberal	Charles Wellington Fisher	630	57.32%
	Conservative	H.E.G.H. Scholefield	469	42.68%
1913 Alberta general election results (Cochrane)[13]			Turnout 85.1%
	Liberal	Charles Wellington Fisher	475	55.56%
	Conservative	H.F. Jarrett	380	44.44%
1909 Alberta general election results (Cochrane)[14]			Turnout 89.7%
	Liberal	Charles Wellington Fisher	627	67.56%
	Conservative	Robert Brett	301	32.44%
1905 Alberta general election results (Banff)[7]			Turnout 89.7%
	Liberal	Charles Wellington Fisher	421	53.70%
	Conservative	Robert Brett	363	46.30%
1903 by-election results (Banff)[6]			Turnout N.A.
		Charles Wellington Fisher	263	57.68%
		H. J. Richardson	193	42.32%

References

• Hall, David (2004). "Arthur L. Sifton". In Bradford J. Rennie (ed.). Alberta Premiers of the Twentieth Century. Regina, Saskatchewan: Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. ISBN 0-88977-151-0.
• Thomas, Lewis Gwynne (1959). The Liberal Party in Alberta. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press.
• Perry, Sandra E.; Footz, Valerie L. (2006). A Higher Duty : Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of the North-West Territories and Alberta, 1888–2005. Edmonton, Alberta: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. ISBN 0-9689217-3-6.

Notes

1. Perry, Footz (2006) 271
2. Perry, Footz (2006) 263
3. "The History of St. Mary's Parish". St. Mary's Parish. Archived from the original on 2018-11-03. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
4. "Neighboring parks and trails". Sunterra Ridge/Cochrane Heights Community Association. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
5. Hall 23
6. "Saskatchewan Executive and Legislative Directory: North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives Board. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
7. "Election results for Banff, 1905". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
8. Thomas 34
9. Thomas 84
10. Thomas 195
11. Carpenter, Erin (April 22, 2005). "A grave history". OnCampus Weekly. University of Calgary. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
12. "Election results for Cochrane, 1917". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
13. "Election results for Cochrane, 1913". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
14. "Election results for Cochrane, 1909". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-10-16.

External links