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Henry Burns Atkins (July 3, 1867 – September 28, 1941) was a politician, businessman, and farmer from Alberta, Canada.
Shortly thereafter, Henry Burns, with his two children at the time, moved to 
In 1907, he married his second wife, Ada Alberta of Hamilton, Ontario. Ada Alberta was a teacher who had travelled West to visit a friend and stayed. Henry B. and Ada A. had five additional children: John, Eric and Rex (identical twins), Maxwell, and Dorothy.
During the second World War, Eric, Rex, and Max were Commissioned Officers in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Eric was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross "for completing numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which he invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty". Rex recovered nicely after a run-in with Malaria while serving in India.
Henry Burns Atkins died in Cremona on September 18, 1941. Ada Alberta Atkins died on April 28, 1945. They were both buried in the Carstairs Cemetery.
Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Henry B. Alberta Liberal Party MLAs 1867 births 1941 deaths Politicians from Leeds English emigrants to Canada 20th-century Canadian legislators
Early life and immigration
Atkins was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England in 1867. He graduated York College in 1885. He immigrated to Canada in 1888. Upon landing in Halifax, he travelled to Alberta where he settled inCremona
Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of th ...
. Atkins' pioneer life was lonely and dangerous, and it was necessary for him to keep a gun near his door for survival. Only after several potentially dangerous encounters did he befriend the Indigenous people of the area. Henry Burns would often share meals with them.
Personal life
In 1895 he married Jannet McEachen of Scotland. They had two daughters, Mamie and Marjorie, and one son, Henry Jr. Jannet died in 1901, followed by Mamie in 1902. A school was soon constructed and named Atkins school in recognition of Henry's pioneering in the area.Shortly thereafter, Henry Burns, with his two children at the time, moved to Didsbury, Alberta
Didsbury is a town in central Alberta, Canada at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It is located next to Alberta Highway 2A, near the Queen Elizabeth II Highway. Didsbury is within the Calgary-Edmonton corridor. Didsbury is approximately th ...
. Atkins established a Grain, Hay, and Implements business in 1904. Farmers from miles around would come to purchase equipment and supplies from him. Atkins also owned one of the first cars in the area. While living in Didsbury
Didsbury is a suburban area of Manchester, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre. The population at the 2011 census was 26,788.
Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, there are ...
he still maintained his land in Cremona.
In 1907, he married his second wife, Ada Alberta of Hamilton, Ontario. Ada Alberta was a teacher who had travelled West to visit a friend and stayed. Henry B. and Ada A. had five additional children: John, Eric and Rex (identical twins), Maxwell, and Dorothy.
During the second World War, Eric, Rex, and Max were Commissioned Officers in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Eric was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross "for completing numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which he invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty". Rex recovered nicely after a run-in with Malaria while serving in India.
Henry Burns Atkins died in Cremona on September 18, 1941. Ada Alberta Atkins died on April 28, 1945. They were both buried in the Carstairs Cemetery.
Political career
Henry Burns Atkins was a Justice to the Peace and Notary Public for 12 years and a member of the Town Council of Didsbury for four, before being elected mayor ofDidsbury
Didsbury is a suburban area of Manchester, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre. The population at the 2011 census was 26,788.
Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, there are ...
in 1910. He served two terms as mayor.
Atkins was then elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the Alberta Liberal Party in 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 ...
. He won the vacant Didsbury
Didsbury is a suburban area of Manchester, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre. The population at the 2011 census was 26,788.
Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, there are ...
electoral district, defeating W.L. Tolton of the Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
by a plurality of 150 votes. Atkins only served a single term in office and did not run again after the legislature was dissolved in 1921.
References
External links
Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Henry B. Alberta Liberal Party MLAs 1867 births 1941 deaths Politicians from Leeds English emigrants to Canada 20th-century Canadian legislators