John A. Simpson

John Adrian Simpson (August 20, 1854 – September 11, 1916) was a Canadian politician and businessman. Born in Peel County, Ontario, he came west in 1890 and eventually settled in Innisfail, where he opened a lumberyard. He served on Innisfail's first town council, and also in the legislative assemblies of the Northwest Territories and later Alberta; in the last, he acted as deputy speaker.

John Adrian Simpson
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office November 2, 1905 – April 17, 1913
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	Fred W. Archer
Constituency	Innisfail
Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
In office May 21, 1902 – September 1, 1905
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	District abolished
Constituency	Innisfail
In office October 31, 1894 – May 21, 1902
Preceded by	Francis Wilkins
Succeeded by	District abolished
Constituency	Red Deer
Personal details
Born	(1854-08-20)August 20, 1854 Peel County, Ontario
Died	September 11, 1916(1916-09-11) (aged 62) Innisfail, Alberta
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Anna Proudfoot
Children	Five
Residence	Innisfail, Alberta
Occupation	Lumberman

Early life

John Simpson was born in 1854 in Peel County, Ontario. He married Anna Proudfoot in 1879, before coming west to Calgary in 1890. Shortly after, he moved to the Olds area, and in 1891 he settled in Innisfail where he started a lumberyard the next year.[1]

Political career

Besides being a member of Innisfail's first town council,[1] Simpson sought election to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in the 1894 election in the district of Red Deer. He defeated two candidates, including incumbent Francis Wilkins, and was subsequently re-elected in the 1898 and 1902 elections, on the latter occasion in the new district of Innisfail. He continued to serve in the legislature until his riding became part of the new province of Alberta in 1905.[2]

Simpson ran in Alberta's first provincial election in Innisfail as the Liberal candidate, and was elected over Conservative Sam Curry by a single vote—the narrowest margin of any race in the election.[3] In the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Simpson served as deputy speaker. During the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal, he remained loyal to the government of Premier Alexander Cameron Rutherford in the face of a rebellion from Liberal insurgents. There was some concern on the government side that the speaker, Charles W. Fisher, would resign to support the insurgents; Simpson's elevation to speaker, a position which was expected to remain impartial, would rob the government of a crucial vote.[4] After Rutherford's government fell, Simpson supported the successor government of Liberal Arthur Sifton, though its stance on the issue that had toppled Rutherford's government—the construction of the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway—was in many respects diametrically opposed to Rutherford's.[5]

Though he was re-elected in the 1909 election,[6] in 1913 Simpson was defeated by Conservative Fred W. Archer.[7] He did not re-enter political life.[2] He died suddenly at his Innisfail home on September 11, 1916 and was buried at the Innisfail Cemetery.[8]

Electoral record

1913 Alberta general election results (Innisfail)[7]			Turnout N.A.
	Conservative	Fred W. Archer	535	50.42%
	Liberal	John A. Simpson	526	49.58%
1909 Alberta general election results (Innisfail)[6]			Turnout N.A.
	Liberal	John A. Simpson	519	53.45%
	Conservative	G. W. West	452	46.55%
1905 Alberta general election results (Innisfail)[9]			Turnout N.A.
	Liberal	John A. Simpson	408	50.06%
	Conservative	Sam J. Curry	407	49.94%
1902 Northwest Territories general election results (Innisfail)[2]			Turnout N.A.
		John A. Simpson	227	52.42%
		John D. Lauder	206	47.58%
1898 Northwest Territories general election results (Red Deer)[2]			Turnout N.A.
		John A. Simpson	349	46.10%
		George Wellington Greene	253	33.42%
		J. Speakman	155	20.48%
1894 Northwest Territories general election results (Red Deer)[2]			Turnout N.A.
		John A. Simpson	282	37.55%
		Leonard Gaetz	257	34.22%
		Francis Wilkins	212	28.23%

References

• Thomas, Lewis Gwynne (1959). The Liberal Party in Alberta. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press.

Notes

1. "Pioneer Profiles: Simpson, John A." The Southern Alberta Pioneers And Their Descendants. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
2. "Territories" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
3. Thomas 28
4. Thomas 85
5. Thomas 113
6. "Election results for Innisfail, 1909". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
7. "Election results for Innisfail, 1913". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
8. http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/newspapr/np_page2.asp?code=n4np0125.jpg
9. "Election results for Innisfail, 1905". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2010-03-22.

External links