TWO NEW PROVINCES

Poking into Politics
Copyright 1966 The Institute of Applied Art Ltd.
192 pages

The first Saskatchewan election was called for December 13, 1905, and a bitter campaign ensued, Scott defending the Federal Autonomy plan as adopted, Haultain assailing it. In an open letter, dated December 5, Mr. Scott said: "Our opponents ask you to condemn the Saskatchewan Act. We ask you to approve the Saskatchewan Act because: The money subsidy is generous. The lands bargain is especially advantageous. The agreement given by Sir Wilfrid Laurier to procure Saskatchewan's freedom from C.P.R. tax exemptions is just and fair. ... The education clause at once respects the rights of minorites according to the spirit of the Canadian Constitution and grants full power to the province to compel every school, separate or public, to be a purely national school."

Scott, with 16 seats, won convincingly in Saskatchewan, and Rutherford, with 23 seats in Alberta, won overwhelmingly, just as most of Alberta elections were landslides one way or another in the years to follow.

The first session of the Alberta Legislature opened on March 15, 1906. Of the 25 members taking their seats, only three had previous parliamentary experience and procedure took some unorthodox turns. One of the first Alberta decisions to be made concerned a permanent location for the Provincial Capital and the competition was keen as an Edmonton horse race. Expressing the intense feelmg of peoplein the home city, W. H. Cushing moved that it be awarded to Calgary but the Foothills City didn't have enough friends and the motion was lost on a vote of 16 to 8. It was a bitter blow to Calgary pride, one made even more bitter a year later when the same city lost the chance to get the Provincial University, losing it to Strathcona, Edmonton's twin city for which Premier Rutherford sat in the Legislature.

"So that's what they call popular government," the Calgary Mayor of the time sighed. "It may be popular in Edmonton but it's damned unpopular here. We'll have to learn to fight politics with politics."

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

After congratulating themselves like seasoned politicians, the freshmen members of Manitoba's new Legislature accepted it as one of the first orders of public business to provide for municipalities and municipal government. It seemed to be a logical next step, like washing the porridge pot after breakfast.

As regulations were finally set down, residents desiring municipal incorporation were required to submit an application supported by a petition carrying signatures of at least two-thirds of the male property owners in the area. Inasmuch as most citizens thereabout could not write their names, there might have been difficulty but for the man who could not sign, an "X" would do instead. Politicians who would stoop to forgery, did not require much skill.

Having gained the objective of incorporation, municipalities could impose taxes at rates up to one percent of the value of property, enough to give taxpayers qualms about incorporation being such a good idea.

Winnipeg won the honor of being the first city in the West to become incorporated but this was not accomplished without bitter arguments and some violence. Demands for incorporation were made in 1872 but the most influential members of the Legislature tried to avoid hearing them. Citizens saw their community becoming the Gateway to the West, and in their impatience for civic progress, they accused members of the Legislature of having personal reasons for objecting to city incorporation, possibly the fear of higher taxes on their private holdings. Main Street witnessed wild demonstrations, including the burning in effigy of certain opposing Members.

The first Bill to incorporate the City of Winnipeg passed the Assembly with a narrow margin and was sent to the Upper House, from which it was returned with amendments. Instead of accepting the changed Bill, the Assembly Speaker ordered to throw it out. Government Leader, Hon. H. J. Clarke-who filled the additional post of Attorney General-was blamed for the delay and Winnipeg people were irate. A committee of citizens tried unsuccessfully to meet the Premier and, in the face of failure, plotted to kidnap the man and introduce him to the unpleasantness of tar and feathers. Failing to intercept the person wanted, the malcontents caught up with the Assembly Speaker and wreaked their vengeance upon him. A reward of $1,000 was offered for information leading to arrest of the offenders but the wanted men managed to hide their identity.

But the necessary legislation was reintroduced and passed and Winnipeg was incorporated as a city on November 8, 1873. An election followed and, with seven candidates for mayor, Frank E. Cornish won the immortal distinction of being the first to hold the high office. The initial meeting of City Council was held on January 10, 1874, and spectators inspired by curiosity filled the hall. The new mayor set some examples, one for impartiality. About the first act of the mayor, while sitting as Winnipeg's magistrate, was to lay a charge against himself on the count of disorderly conduct during election night. It served to establish two points about Cornish, first, his sense of justice and, second, a capacity for celebration similar to that of a lumberjack on a Saturday night. Having heard the formal reading of the charge, he stepped down from his chair on the bench, entered the prisoner's dock and pleaded guilty. Then, returning to his chair, he fined himself five dollars and costs and, forthwith, paid in cash for his sins.

Even before an exact chain of authority was established, citizens of Regina petitioned the Federal Government for formal incorporation. But Ottawa officials recognized that responsibility for local government should rest with the provinces and, shaking a parental finger, said "Children must learn to be patient." With no alternative, Regina citizens awaited the Municipal Ordinance, passed by the North West Council in October, 1883.