Edward Whelan

Edward Whelan (* 1824 in Ballina, Ireland, † December 10, 1867 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Iceland ) was a Canadian politician and journalist. As one of the Fathers of Confederation, he is among the pioneers of the Canadian federal government established in 1867.

Biography

Whelan emigrated at the age of about seven years with his mother to Nova Scotia from. In the printing of Joseph Howe, he received professional training. In 1842 he was editor of the Register, a liberal Irish Catholic newspaper. A year later he moved to Charlottetown, capital of Prince Edward Iceland. There he founded his own newspaper called palladium, whose appearance he but stopped in 1845. In 1847 he founded a new newspaper, the Examiner.

1846 Whelan's political career began with the election in the lower house of the former colony. He campaigned for land reform and democratization of the political system. After Prince Edward Iceland had 1851 of the right to self-government, appointed Prime Minister George Coles of the only 27 -year-old Whelan in the government. He has also been awarded as the Queen's Printer to print the Official Journal and official documents the order. From 1859 to 1863, the Liberals were again in opposition.

In September or October 1864 Whelan attended the Charlottetown Conference and at the Quebec Conference, where it was to advise on the creation of a federal state in British North America. Within his party, he was increasingly isolated since he entered the only one open to the accession of the colony to Canadian Confederation. When the Liberals came to power in 1867, he received his position back as Queen's Printer. By law, he had to resign and face a by-election as an MP. After the election defeat, Whelans health deteriorated rapidly and he died at the age of 43 years.