Edward Whelan
Edward Whelan (* 1824 in Ballina , Ireland , † December 10, 1867 in Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island ) was a Canadian politician and journalist . As one of the fathers of the Confederation , he was one of the pioneers of the Canadian state founded in 1867.
biography
Whelan immigrated to Nova Scotia with his mother when he was about seven years old . He received professional training in Joseph Howe's printing house . In 1842 he became editor of the Register , a liberal Irish Catholic newspaper. A year later he moved to Charlottetown , the capital of Prince Edward Island . There he founded his own newspaper called Palladium , but stopped publishing it in 1845. In 1847 he founded a new newspaper, the Examiner .
Whelan's political career began in 1846 when he was elected to the lower house of what was then the colony. He advocated land reform and democratization of the political system. After Prince Edward Island gained the right to self-government in 1851 , Prime Minister George Coles appointed Whelan, who was only 27 years old, to the government. He was also awarded the contract as Queen's Printer to print the official gazette and official documents. From 1859 to 1863 the Liberals were again in the opposition.
In September and October 1864 Whelan took part in the Charlottetown Conference and the Québec Conference , where the creation of a federal state in British North America was discussed. Within his party, he was increasingly isolated, as he was the only one openly in favor of the colony joining the Canadian Confederation . When the Liberals came back to power in 1867, he was returned to his post as Queen's Printer . By law, he had to resign as a member of parliament and stand for a by-election . After the election defeat, Whelan's health deteriorated rapidly and he passed away at the age of 43.
Web links
- Edward Whelan . In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography . 24 volumes, 1966–2018. University of Toronto Press, Toronto ( English , French ).
- Short biography from Library and Archives Canada
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Whelan, Edward |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian politician and journalist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1824 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Ballina , Ireland |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 10, 1867 |
| Place of death | Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island |