1st Alberta Legislature

AB 1st Majority inactive November 9, 1905 March 22, 1909 Charles W. Fisher March 15, 1906 – May 15, 1919 Alexander Cameron Rutherford September 2, 1905 – May 26, 1910 Albert John Robertson March 15, 1906 – February 25, 1909 Liberal Party Conservative Party Labour Party March 15, 1906 May 9, 1906 January 24, 1907 March 15, 1907 January 16, 1908 March 5, 1908 January 14, 1909 February 25, 1909 Rutherford cabinet Edward VII January 22, 1901 – May 6, 1910 Hon. George Hedley Vicars Bulyea September 1, 1905 – October 20, 1915 25 2nd thumb|right|Formal opening of the Legislative Assembly, March 15, 1906. The 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly was in session from November 9, 1905, to Monday, March 22, 1909, with the membership of the assembly determined by the results of the 1905 Alberta general election which was held on November 9, 1905. The Legislature officially began on November 9, 1905, and continued until the fourth session was prorogued on February 25, 1909, and dissolved the next day on February 26, 1909, prior to the 1909 Alberta general election.Perry, Sandra E. Footz, Valerie L. Massolin Philip A. A Higher Duty: Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies 2006 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Edmonton, AB 0-9689217-3-6 494 https://archive.org/details/centennialseries03perr 9 August 2020 Alberta's first government was controlled by the majority Liberal Party led by Premier Alexander Rutherford. The Official Opposition was the Conservative Party led by Albert John Robertson. The Speaker was Charles W. Fisher who served in the role until his death from the 1918 flu pandemic in 1919 partway through the 4th Alberta Legislature. History of the First Legislature thumb|left|Members of the 1st Alberta Legislature on March 16, 1906 The 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly came about after Alberta entered Confederation with the Alberta Act. The assembly met for the first time in 1906 under a strong Alberta Liberal Party majority. Construction of the Alberta Legislature Building would not begin until 1907, so the assembly would meet in the newly completed McKay Avenue School for the first two sessions of the First Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1906 and 1907.McKay Avenue School https://hermis.alberta.ca/ARHP/Details.aspx?DeptID=1&ObjectID=4665-0450 Heritage Resources Management Information System Government of Alberta 21 July 2020 Important bills passed in those sessions include confirming Edmonton as the provincial capital, the founding of the University of Alberta, establishment of provincial courts, and the provision of charters for several railway companies. Edmonton was designated as the temporary capital city for Alberta during its creation. One of the major debates that occurred in this assembly was the capital city debate. A number of alternative capital cities were chosen and voted on. In the end partly due to the strong representation around Edmonton and strong Liberal majority, Edmonton was chosen as the permanent capital city in Alberta. Labor MLA Donald McNabb's by-election victory made him the first third party candidate elected to the legislature and helped raise the strength of the labour movement in the Lethbridge area that would have an effect in Alberta politics for quite some time to come. Telephone policy Liberal government would make a number of large-scale forays into government operation of utilities, the most notable of which being the creation of Alberta Government Telephones.Thomas 1959 50 In 1906, Alberta's municipalities legislation was passed and included a provision authorizing municipalities to operate telephone companies.Thomas 1959 52 Several, including Edmonton, did so, alongside private companies.Thomas 1959 52 The largest private company was the Bell Telephone Company, which held a monopoly over service in Calgary.Thomas 1959 52 Such monopolies and the private firms' refusal to extend their services into sparsely-populated and unprofitable rural areas aroused demand for provincial entry into the market, which was effected in 1907.Thomas 1959 51 The government constructed a number of lines, beginning with one between Calgary and Banff, and it also purchased Bell's lines for $675,000.Thomas 1959 53 Alberta's public telephone system was financed by debt, which was unusual for a government like Rutherford's, which.was generally committed to the principle of "pay as you go".Thomas 1959 52–53 Rutherford's stated rationale was that the cost of such a large capital project should not.be borne by a single generation and that incurring debt to finance a corresponding asset was, in contrast to operating deficits, acceptable.Thomas 1959 53 Though the move was popular at the time, it would prove not to be financially astute. By focusing on areas neglected by existing companies, the government was entering into the most expensive and least profitable fields of telecommunication.Thomas 1959 52 Such.problems would not come to fruition until Rutherford had left office, however. In the short term, the government's involvement in the telephone business helped it to a sweeping victory in the 1909 election.Thomas 1959 64 The Liberals won 37 of 41 seats in the newly expanded legislature.Thomas 1959 69 Bills Report 1st Legislative AssemblyPartyNo. of BillsRoyal AssentWithdrawnKilledFirst Session AB Liberal row-name837690 AB Conservative row-name0000Second SessionAB Liberal row-name 544950 AB Conservative row-name0000Third SessionAB Liberal row-name 454302 AB Conservative row-name2011Fourth Session AB Liberal row-name544833 AB Labour row-name3201 AB Conservative row-name0000 Labour bills Rutherford's government legislated an eight-hour day,Thomas 1959 49 as well, Rutherford's government also passed workers' compensation legislation designed to make such compensation automatic, rather than requiring the injured worker to sue his employer.Thomas 1959 56–57 Labour representatives criticized the bill for failing to impose fines on negligent employers, for limiting construction workers' eligibility under the program to injuries sustained while they were working on buildings more than 40 ft m high, and for exempting casual labourers. It also viewed the maximum payout of $1,500 as inadequate.Thomas 1959 57 In response to these concerns, the maximum was increased to $1,800 and the minimum building height reduced to 30 ft m.Thomas 1959 57 In response to farmers' concerns, farm labourers were made exempt from the bill entirely.Thomas 1959 57 Party composition AffiliationElected in 1905Standings at dissolution AB Liberal row-name2322 AB Conservative row-name 2 2 AB Labour row-name1  Total 25 25  Government Majority 21 19 Members of the Legislative Assembly elected For complete electoral history, see individual districts451–3 https://books.google.com/books?id=aG0_AQAAMAAJ&dq=Alberta+%221st+legislature%22&pg=PA451 26 February 2018 The Canadian Parliamentary Guide and Work of General Reference for the Dominion of Canada Chambers EJ 1908  DistrictMemberPartyFirst electedNo.# of term(s) AB Liberal rowAthabascaWilliam Bredin Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowBanffCharles W. Fisher Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowCalgaryWilliam Cushing Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowCardstonJohn William Woolf Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowEdmontonCharles Wilson Cross Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowGleichenCharles Stuart Liberal19051st termAB Liberal row Ezra Riley (1906) Liberal19061st term AB Conservative rowHigh RiverAlbert Robertson Conservative19051st term AB Liberal rowInnisfailJohn A. Simpson Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowLacombeWilliam Puffer Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowLeducRobert Telford Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowLethbridgeLeverett DeVeber Liberal19051st termAB Liberal row William Simmons (1906) Liberal19061st termAB Labour row Donald McNabb (1909) Labour19091st term AB Liberal rowMacleodMalcolm McKenzie Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowMedicine HatWilliam Finlay Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowPincher CreekJohn Plummer Marcellus Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowPonokaJohn R. McLeod Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowRed DeerJohn T. Moore Liberal19051st term AB Conservative rowRosebudCornelius HiebertConservative19051st term AB Liberal rowSt. AlbertHenry William McKenneyLiberal19051st term AB Liberal rowStony PlainJohn McPhersonLiberal19051st term AB Liberal rowStrathconaAlexander Cameron RutherfordLiberal19051st term AB Liberal rowSturgeonJohn R. BoyleLiberal19051st term AB Liberal rowVermilionMatthew McCauleyLiberal19051st termAB Liberal row James Bismark Holden (1906)Liberal19061st term AB Liberal rowVictoriaFrancis A. Walker Liberal19051st term AB Liberal rowWetaskiwinAnthony Rosenroll Liberal19051st term Member changes after the election  DistrictMemberPartyReason for By-Election AB Liberal rowLethbridgeWilliam Simmons LiberalApril 12, 1906 —Appointment of Mr. Leverett DeVeber to Canadian Senate AB Liberal rowVermilionJames Bismark HoldenLiberalJuly 16, 1906 —Appointment of Mr. Matthew McCauley as warden of Edmonton Penitentiary AB Liberal rowGleichenEzra RileyLiberalDecember 7, 1906 —Appointment of Mr. Charles Stuart to Judicial Bench AB Labour rowLethbridgeDonald McNabbLabourJanuary 8, 1909 —Resignation of Mr. William Simmons to run for House of Commons References Works cited Lewis Gwynne Thomas The Liberal Party in Alberta https://archive.org/details/liberalpartyinal0000thom registration 1959 University of Toronto Press Toronto, Ontario Further reading Chambers Ernest J. Ernest J. Chambers The Canadian Parliamentary Guide The Canadian Parliamentary Guide = Guide Parlementaire Canadien 1909 Mortimer Company Ltd. Ottawa https://archive.org/details/canadianparliame1909unse August 9, 2020 0315-6168 266967058 Office of the Chief Electoral Officer Legislative Assembly Office Legislative Assembly of Alberta Elections Alberta A Century of Democracy: Elections of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, 1905-2005 2006 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The Centennial Series Edmonton, AB 0-9689217-8-7 https://archive.org/details/centennialseries04perr/mode/2up May 25, 2020 Perry, Sandra E. Footz, Valerie L. Massolin Philip A. A Higher Duty: Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies 2006 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Edmonton, AB 0-9689217-3-6 https://archive.org/details/centennialseries03perr August 9, 2020 External links Alberta Legislative Assembly Journals of the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Book By-elections 1905 to present 01