Frederick W. A. G. Haultain

Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
1st Premier of the Northwest Territories
In office October 7, 1897 – September 1, 1905
Preceded by	office created
Succeeded by	George Braden
Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
In office September 5, 1887 – September 1, 1905
Preceded by	Richard Henry Boyle
Constituency	Macleod
1st Leader of the Opposition of Saskatchewan
In office 1906–1912
Preceded by	none
Succeeded by	Wellington Willoughby
Chief Justice of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal
In office 1917–1938
Personal details
Born	November 25, 1857 Woolwich, England
Died	January 30, 1942(1942-01-30) (aged 84) Montreal, Quebec
Resting place	Memorial Gates, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon 52°7′45.7″N 106°38′34.5″W
Political party	Liberal-Conservative
Spouse(s)	Marion St Clair Castellain née Mackintosh
Religion	Anglican
Signature

Sir Frederick William Alpin Gordon Haultain (November 25, 1857 – January 30, 1942) was a lawyer and a long serving Canadian politician and judge. His career in provincial and territorial legislatures stretched into four decades. He served as the first premier of Canada's Northwest Territories from 1897 to 1905 as is recognized as having a significant contribution towards the creation of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. From 1905 on he served as Leader of the Official Opposition in Saskatchewan as well as Leader of the Provincial Rights Party. His legislative career ended when he was appointed to the judiciary in 1912.

Early life

He was born in Woolwich, England in 1857, the son of Frederick W. Haultain (1821–1882) and Lucinde Helen Gordon (1828–1915), and came to Peterborough, Ontario with his family in 1860. He grew up in Peterborough and Montreal, later receiving a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. He went on to study law at Osgoode Hall and was called to the bar in Ontario in 1882 and in the North-West Territories in 1884.

Northwest Territories politics

Haultain was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in a by-election held on September 5, 1887. He defeated Charles Conybeare by a large margin. Haultain would win his next five elections by acclamation.

Haultain was appointed the first Premier of the territories on October 7, 1897.

Premier

As premier, Haultain led negotiations for the granting of provincial status. Haultain argued for these territories to be admitted as a single province named Buffalo, and wanted the new province to be governed by non-partisan governments. The federal Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, however, fearful of a large conservative province in the west, decided to create two provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, in 1905.

Haultain in 1941.

Frustrated in negotiations with the federal Liberal government, Haultain became increasingly identified with the Conservative Party and campaigned for it in the 1904 federal election. Laurier's Liberals were re-elected, and when the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were formed, the Liberal government passed over Haultain and appointed loyal Liberals to form those provinces' first governments.

Saskatchewan politics

Haultain led the Provincial Rights Party in the 1905 Saskatchewan provincial election, which was won by the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan. From 1905 to 1912, Haultain sat in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan as leader of the Opposition.

Late life

In 1912, the newly elected Conservative federal government of Sir Robert Borden made Haultain Chief Justice of Saskatchewan's superior court. He was knighted in 1916, and in 1917 was made Chief Justice of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, a position he held until his retirement in 1938.

Bibliography

• Perry, Sandra E.; Craig, Jessica J. (2006). The Mantle of Leadership : Premiers of the Northwest Territories and Alberta. Edmonton, Alberta: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. ISBN 0-9689217-2-8. 

External links

• Frederick Haultain biography
• Frederick W. A. G. Haultain at Find a Grave

Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Preceded by New District	MLA South Qu'Appelle 1905-1917	Succeeded by Joseph Glenn
Legal offices
Preceded by Edward Ludlow Wetmore	Chief Justice of Saskatchewan 1912-1938	Succeeded by William Ferdinand Alphonse Turgeon
Academic offices
Preceded by Edward L. Wetmore	Chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan 1917–1940	Succeeded by P. E. MacKenzie