Robert John Manson (1866 or 1867 – May 10, 1932) was a politician in

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 Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and a municipal councillor in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, 1906-1909.

Biography

Manson came to Edmonton from

Renfrew County, Ontario Renfrew County is a county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It stands on the west bank of the Ottawa River. There are 17 municipalities in the county. History Bathurst District When Carleton County was withdrawn from Bathurst District in 183 ...

in 1891. He fast became one of the city's leading contractors, and was responsible for the creation of buildings including the Alberta Hotel and the MacKay Avenue school. He was also a director of the Edmonton Brick Co. and the Sand-lime Brick Co. He first sought political office during the 1905 municipal election, when he ran for and was elected alderman on

Edmonton City Council The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Edmonton currently has one mayor and twelve city councillors. Elections are held every four years. The most recent was held in 2021, and the next is in 20 ...

, finishing second of eleven candidates. He won re-election in the 1907 election, finishing first of twelve candidates. Rather than seek a third term, he challenged incumbent mayor Robert Lee in the 1909 election and finished only forty-nine votes back. He sought the UFA nomination in the West Edmonton riding in preparation for the 1921 federal election. Sitting MLA D.M. Kennedy won the nomination and the seat. Edmonton Bulletin, Oct. 13, 1921, p. 1 After this defeat, he did not seek public office again. In 1920, Manson left Edmonton to farm in Woodbend, Alberta, where he married M. Rogers, with whom he had a daughter. On May 10, 1932, Manson and two hired hands set out on a raft down the

North Saskatchewan River The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows from the Canadian Rockies continental divide east to central Saskatchewan, where it joins with the South Saskatchewan River to make up the Saskatchewan River. Its water flows eventual ...

in search of some missing cattle. The wind blew the raft into a deep part of the river, where Manson, a non-swimmer, fell out and drowned. His body was recovered thirteen days later.

References

Edmonton Public Library Biography of Robert MansonCity of Edmonton biography of Robert Manson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manson, Robert 1932 deaths Deaths by drowning in Canada People from Renfrew County Edmonton city councillors Accidental deaths in Alberta Year of birth uncertain