1st Alberta Legislature

Formal opening of the Legislative Assembly, March 15, 1906.

1st Legislative Assembly of Alberta lasted from November 9, 1905, to Monday, March 22, 1909. The government was led by Alexander Rutherford of the Alberta Liberal Party, they held an overwhelming majority of seats during the first legislature.

Party composition

Affiliation Elected in 1905 Standings at dissolution
Liberal 23 22
     Conservative 2 2
     Labour 1
 Total 25 25
 Government Majority 21 19

Members of the Legislative Assembly elected

For complete electoral history, see individual districts[1]

  District Member Party
  Athabasca William Bredin Liberal
  Banff Charles W. Fisher Liberal
  Calgary William Cushing Liberal
  Cardston John William Woolf Liberal
  Edmonton Charles Wilson Cross Liberal
  Gleichen Charles Stuart Liberal
     High River Albert Robertson Conservative
  Innisfail John A. Simpson Liberal
  Lacombe William Puffer Liberal
  Leduc Robert Telford Liberal
  Lethbridge Leverett DeVeber Liberal
  Macleod Malcolm McKenzie Liberal
  Medicine Hat William Finlay Liberal
  Pincher Creek John Plummer Marcellus Liberal
  Ponoka John R. McLeod Liberal
  Red Deer John T. Moore Liberal
     Rosebud Cornelius Hiebert Conservative
  St. Albert Henry William McKenney Liberal
  Stony Plain John McPherson Liberal
  Strathcona Alexander Cameron Rutherford Liberal
  Sturgeon John R. Boyle Liberal
  Vermilion Matthew McCauley Liberal
  Victoria Francis A. Walker Liberal
  Wetaskiwin Anthony Rosenroll Liberal

Member changes after the election

  District Member Party Reason for By-Election
  Lethbridge William Simmons Liberal April 12, 1906 —Appointment of Mr. Leverett DeVeber to Canadian Senate
  Vermilion James Bismark Holden Liberal July 16, 1906 —Appointment of Mr. Matthew McCauley as warden of Edmonton Penitentiary
  Gleichen Ezra Riley Liberal December 7, 1906 —Appointment of Mr. Charles Stuart to Judicial Bench
     Lethbridge Donald McNabb Labour January 8, 1909 —Resignation of Mr. William Simmons to run for House of Commons

History of the First Legislature

Bills Report 1st Legislative Assembly
Party No. of Bills Royal Assent Withdrawn Killed
First Session
Liberal 83 76 9 0
     Conservative 0 0 0 0
Second Session
Liberal 54 49 5 0
     Conservative 0 0 0 0
Third Session
Liberal 45 43 0 2
     Conservative 2 0 1 1
Fourth Session
Liberal 54 48 3 3
     Labour 3 2 0 1
     Conservative 0 0 0 0

The 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly came about after the creation of Alberta. The assembly met for the first time in 1906 under a strong Alberta Liberal Party majority. The Alberta Legislature Building was not built yet, and the assembly met in a school gymnasium in Edmonton.

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.

References

  1. ↑ Chambers EJ (1908). The Canadian Parliamentary Guide and Work of General Reference for the Dominion of Canada. p. 451-3. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
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