Thomas Walter Scott

Thomas Walter Scott ( born October 27, 1867 London Township, Ontario, † March 23, 1938 in Guelph, Ontario, also known as Walter Scott ) was a Canadian politician and journalist. Of 5 September 1905 to 20 October 1916, he was the first Prime Minister of Saskatchewan and was instrumental in setting up the newly created province. In addition, he was chairman of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party. From 1900 to 1905 he sat for the Liberal Party of Canada in the House of Commons.

Early life

Scott grew up in rural southwestern Ontario. In 1885 he moved to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, where he began to work as a journalist. In 1886 he settled in Regina, the former capital of the Northwest Territories. There he worked for the Regina journal. From 1892 to 1893 he was a partner in the Regina Standard, then owner and editor of the Moose Jaw Times. In 1895 he bought Nicholas Flood Davin, the newspaper Regina Leader ( Regina Leader -Post today as known) from and was its editor until 1900. Scott was married to Jessie Read; the couple had no children, but adopted a niece of the wife.

Founding Saskatchewan

At the general election in 1900 Scott ran as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada and smote in the constituency Assiniboia West Conservative incumbent Davin. At the general election in 1904 he was re-elected. In the discussions on the establishment of provinces in the area of the Northwest Territories Scott initially supported the proposal of the Prime Minister's Territorial Frederick Haultain, to create a large province called Buffalo, which would have covered the area of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Later, however, he entered for the Wilfrid Laurier Liberal federal government preferred solution with two provinces.

In February 1905, the federal government introduced a bill with two provinces, whose creation should be made on 1 July 1905. Due to strong opposition from conservatives, the implementation of the Saskatchewan Act was delayed by three months. In August 1905, the Saskatchewan Liberal Party held its founding meeting, the delegates chose Scott to their party leader. Saskatchewan was founded on September 1, along with Alberta. Five days later appointed Lieutenant Governor Amédée Forget Scott for the first prime minister of the new province.

First term

The first election to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was held on 13 December 1905. The Saskatchewan Liberal Party of Prime Minister Scott did on the campaign slogan Peace, Progress and Prosperity ( " peace, progress and prosperity " ) around 52 % of the voters behind him and won 16 of 25 seats. One of the main topics during the first term was the election of the provincial capital (Regina had been appointed temporarily to the capital ). At the Congress of Liberals, two-thirds of the delegates for Saskatoon spoke out, but Scott was able to convince his partisans them to definitively explain the capital of Regina. On May 23, 1906 fell in the Legislative Assembly of the corresponding decision by 21 votes to 2.

Scott, who also served as Minister of Public Works, alongside his work as head of government, began planning a parliament building in Regina. In June 1906, the Cabinet agreed on the present site and decided to convert the surrounding terrain in a spacious public park. The Wascana Centre is today, with an area of 9.3 km ² the largest urban parks in North America. After an architectural competition began in 1908, construction work, which lasted four years.

1907 Scott put up a commission to determine the shape of the local administration. The Rural Municipality Act 1908 created approximately 300 rural communities, each of which 324 square miles was great. They represent a form of organization which only exist otherwise in Manitoba. In addition, his Government supported the expansion of the Canadian Northern Railway and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, to created roads and a telephone network.

The number of public schools increased from around 400 to over 2800. But while Scott on the one hand trying to neglected children and the Child Protection Act (Children 's Protection Act ) supported, he was not interested in the states at the residential schools where Indian children were being held in a kind of boarding school against her parents' wishes. The boarding schools were a legacy of Edgar Dewdneys and the education of children should serve to " civilized" Canadians.

In winter 1906/ 07 Scott suffered from a severe pneumonia. After his recovery he left every fall the province of Saskatchewan to spend a few months during the winter in places with milder climates.

Second Term

Scott has been confirmed in the provincial elections in August 1908 as prime minister. The Liberals achieved despite a slightly reduced rate once again the absolute majority of the votes and won 27 seats in the Legislative Assembly expanded to 41 seats. In April 1909 Scott opened the promised during the election campaign of 1905 university of the province, the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

Since he preferred a policy of decentralization, he had made ​​a conscious decision when choosing the location of the university against the provincial capital of Regina. Accordingly, he behaved with other projects: How came the psychiatric hospital of the province in 1913 in North Battleford to stand, the provincial jail in 1911 in Prince Albert. 1910 Scott put up a commission that would deal with the important issue of grain silos ( Saskatchewan is still dominated by agriculture to a large extent ). The Commission rejected the proposal to build government silos. She argued instead for silos that are owned by farmer cooperatives and operated by also.

Third term

In the elections in July 1912, the Liberals were up by six percent and won 46 of 54 seats. From 1913 Scott officiated as Minister of Education. In the dispute between the denominations and languages ​​, ie between Francophone Catholics and English-speaking Protestants, he took a moderate position and was able to achieve against sharp resistance Protestant circles that Catholic schools were supported with tax money and be kept up to one hour per day of lessons in French allowed.

After Manitoba had introduced women's suffrage, Scott gave up his previously hesitant attitude and introduced it on Valentine's Day 1916. In keeping with the spirit of the time, also told the residents of Saskatchewan, the introduction of alcohol prohibition. Scott refused this request from, but put it to a vote. In December of the same year, 80% of eligible voters decided for the first time, including the women, for the alcohol prohibition.

When awarding of liquor licenses and the development of infrastructure, it should have come to benefit acquisitions and bribes. A commission set up came to the conclusion that no government members had made ​​guilty of corruption. But the allegations against the government were serious enough that Scott on October 16, 1916 submitted his resignation; decisive was his ailing health.

Scott spent his twilight years in Victoria, but his health did not allow him to return to work as a journalist. In 1935 he moved to a sanatorium in Guelph, where he died just three years later.