Daniel Edward Riley (November 28, 1860 – April 27, 1948) was a Canadian politician, insurance agent, rancher and real estate agent from

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada.

Early life

Daniel Edward Riley was born on November 28, 1860 in Baltic, Prince Edward Island to Neil Riley and Grace McEacheran. He was educated at Fanning Grammar School in Malpecque and

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...

Normal School A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

. He would marry Edith Kate Thompson on April 2, 1890 and have five sons together. In 1882 he would move west, first to

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

to work in the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

shops, and later settling in

High River High River is a town within the Calgary Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada. It is approximately south of Calgary, at the junction of Alberta Highways 2 and 23. High River had a population of 14,324 in 2021. History The community take ...

, Alberta. He would become a ranch hand and manager for

William Roper Hull William Charles James Roper Hull (December 20, 1856 – April 4, 1925) was a Canadian rancher, meat packer, businessman, and philanthropist. He played a prominent role in western Canada's early economic development by integrating a systematic appr ...

and volunteered as a dispatch rider during the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (french: Rébellion du Nord-Ouest), also known as the North-West Resistance, was a resistance by the Métis people under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by First Nations Cree and Assiniboine of the District of S ...

Political life

Riley would serve as the first Mayor of High River when the Village became a Town in 1906. He would also serve as the founding President of the

United Farmers of Alberta The United Farmers of Alberta (UFA) is an association of Alberta farmers that has served different roles in its 100-year history – as a lobby group, a successful political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. As a political party, it forme ...

High River Local in 1909. Riley would first contest the

1917 Alberta general election The 1917 Alberta general election was held on 7 June 1917 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The Liberals won a fourth term in office, defeating the Conservative Party of Edward Michener. Because of World War I, eleven Mem ...

in the

electoral district as a member of the

Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party (french: Parti libéral de l'Alberta) is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1905, it is the oldest active political party in Alberta and was the dominant political party until the 1921 election ...

. He would be defeated by incumbent Conservative candidate

George Douglas Stanley George Douglas Stanley (March 19, 1876 – February 22, 1954) was a politician and physician from Alberta, Canada. He began as a pioneer medical doctor in Alberta in 1901. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1913 to 1921 as a ...

by 38 votes. Riley helped to found the Western Stock Growers’ Association and served various positions in the organization from 1921 to 1937. Riley was appointed to the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...

on the advice of

Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Li ...

on June 26, 1926 and served until his death at Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary, on April 27, 1948.

Legacy

He was inducted into the

Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame The Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame (French: Temple canadien de la renommée agricole) honours and celebrate Canadians who have made outstanding contributions to the agriculture and food industry and publicizes the importance of their achieveme ...

posthumously in 1965. The Senator Riley Junior High School in High River is named in his honour.

References

External links

*
Daniel Edward Riley biography Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Daniel 1860 births 1948 deaths Canadian senators from Alberta Liberal Party of Canada senators Alberta Liberal Party candidates in Alberta provincial elections Mayors of places in Alberta Canadian ranchers