William McCartney Davidson

William McCartney Davidson (November 12, 1872 March 23, 1942) was a Canadian journalist, politician, and author.

Early life

Born in Hillier, Prince Edward County, Ontario, the son of James C. Davidson, a farmer, and Sarah McCartney Davidson, Davidson was educated at the public school of his district, Picton High School, St. Catharines Collegiate Institute, and the University of Toronto where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1893. He started working as a reporter for The Toronto World and soon joined the Toronto Star. He would report from the Ontario legislature for seven years.[1]

The Albertan

In 1902, Davidson founded The Albertan, a daily newspaper published in the Calgary region that would become the Calgary Sun, it was printed and published by his company The Albertan Pub. Co.[2]

Political career

Davidson was first elected to the Alberta Legislature in the 1917 Alberta general election. He defeated Conservative incumbent Samuel Bacon Hillocks by a comfortable margin to win his first term in office and represent the North Calgary electoral district.

Davidson retired at the end of his first term in office to run in the 1925 Canadian federal election in Calgary East he was badly defeated finishing a distant 3rd place behind Conservative Fred Davis the winner and Labor candidate William Irvine.

Davidson would seek another term in the Alberta Legislature in the Calgary electoral district as an Independent in a by-election on January 15, 1923 held after the death of Robert Edwards. He defeated Liberal candidate Clinton J. Ford to win. He retired from provincial politics for the second time in 1926.

Published works

After he retired from provincial politics Davidson spent 2 years from 1926 to 1928 researching Louis Riel. As a result he wrote 2 biographical books on the life of Louis Riel. Louis Riel, 1844-1885 : a biography and The life and times of Louis Riel. The second book was published as a condensed form of the first. Both books were published through his company The Albertan Pub. Co.[2]

References

  1. Charlesworth, Hector Willoughby (1919). A cyclopædia of Canadian biography. Hunter-Rose Company.
  2. 1 2 "Author: Davidson, William McCartney". University of Saskatchewan Library. Retrieved 2007-08-13.

External links

Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Preceded by
Samuel Bacon Hillocks
MLA North Calgary
19171921
Succeeded by
District Abolished
Preceded by
Robert Edwards
MLA Calgary
19231926
Succeeded by
Alexander McGillivray
John Irwin
George Webster
Robert Parkyn


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