Arthur Sifton

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Arthur Sifton (ca.1910)

Arthur Lewis Watkins Sifton , PC , KC (born October 26, 1858 in St Johns (now part of London (Ontario) ), † January 21, 1921 in Ottawa ) was a Canadian politician and judge . From May 26, 1910 to October 30, 1917 he was Prime Minister of the Province of Alberta and Chairman of the Alberta Liberal Party . He then headed various ministries at the federal level. From December 1919 until his death he was Canada's Foreign Minister .

Studies and Provincial Politics

His father, John Wright Sifton, was a building contractor and later politically active in the Manitoba Province , as was his younger brother, Clifford Sifton, at the federal level. After finishing school in Winnipeg , the brothers studied law at Victoria College in Cobourg , a Methodist- run college. Arthur Sifton married Mary Deering in 1882, with whom he had a daughter and a son. After completing his studies, he worked as a lawyer , first from 1883 to 1885 in Brandon , then until 1888 in Prince Albert and finally from 1889 in Calgary .

In August 1898, Sifton first took part in elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories . At first it seemed like he had won the Banff seat by 36 votes, but then a recount requested by the incumbent left two votes behind. Sifton took legal action against the result because it had come about through corrupt practices. Finally, in June 1899, he won the ordered by-election and entered the territorial parliament. From 1901 Sifton belonged to the territorial government led by Frederick Haultain , in which he worked as treasurer.

In January 1903, Sifton was appointed Chairman of the Northwest Territories Supreme Court by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier of Canada . He owed this appointment mainly to his brother, who was then Minister of the Interior. In September 1907, Sifton assumed the office of Chairman of the Supreme Court of the newly created Province of Alberta.

Prime Minister of Alberta

Official portrait

Alexander Cameron Rutherford , the provincial prime minister, was embroiled in a conflict of interest scandal and had to resign. Since no suitable successor could be found in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta , Lieutenant Governor George Bulyea Sifton appointed on May 26, 1910 as the new Prime Minister. On June 30, 1910, he won the by-election for the parliamentary seat of the Vermilion constituency, after his predecessor had resigned in his favor.

As chairman of the Alberta Liberal Party , Sifton held the party , weakened by the scandal, together and led it to victories in the provincial elections in 1913 and 1917. Sifton was not only head of government, but also headed several ministries. From 1910 to 1913 he was Treasurer, from 1910 to 1912 Minister of Public Works and from 1911 to 1917 Minister of Railways and Telephony. At the coronation of the British King George V , he was present as the official representative of the province of Alberta.

During his tenure as prime minister, Sifton expanded the railroad network and advocated the transfer of control of natural resources from the state to the provinces (realized in 1930). In 1916 Alberta introduced women's suffrage . In the same year the government implemented a referendum and severely restricted the sale, trade and consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Minister at federal level

The question of the introduction of conscription divided the entire country during the First World War . In order to overcome the political crisis, the conservative Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden decided to include liberal politicians in his cabinet. Sifton accepted the offer and was appointed Minister of Customs on October 12, 1917. He gave up his post as provincial prime minister on October 30, 1917. On December 17, 1917, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons , as a member of the Medicine Hat constituency .

In Robert Borden's government, Sifton received a ministerial post that was felt to be of little importance, that of customs minister. In May 1918 he also took over the management of the federal tax authority. From September to December 1919 he was Minister for Public Works. In 1919, Sifton also took part as a delegate at the Paris Peace Conference and signed the Versailles Peace Treaty . Borden appointed him Foreign Minister on December 31, 1919 . Even under Arthur Meighen , who led the government from June 1920, Sifton remained in this office. That year he was inducted into the Privy Council . Sifton died in January 1921 after a brief illness at the age of 62. He was buried in the National Cemetery in Ottawa .

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personal data
SURNAME Sifton, Arthur
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sifton, Arthur Lewis Watkins
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian politician
DATE OF BIRTH October 26, 1858
PLACE OF BIRTH St Johns, now London (Ontario)
DATE OF DEATH January 21, 1921
Place of death Ottawa