William Alexander Baird (September 10, 1867 – May 30, 1940), commonly referred to as W.A. Baird, was an

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

. He represented High Park in the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

as a Conservative from 1926 until his death in 1940.

Background

He was born in Carlisle, Ontario in Middlesex County to Protestant parents of Irish ancestry. As a young man he went to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

to study law, graduating from Osgoode Hall in 1890. He received his

B.C.L. Bachelor of Civil Law (abbreviated BCL, or B.C.L.; la, Baccalaureus Civilis Legis) is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. The BCL originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of University of O ...

from

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

in 1901 and located to

Toronto Junction The Junction is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is near the West Toronto Diamond, a junction of four railway lines in the area. The neighbourhood was previously an independent city called West Toronto, that was also its own fed ...

where he worked mostly in property law. Baird married Annie M. Gilbert in 1896, but did not have any children.

Politics

Baird soon became involved in local politics, and successfully ran for

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

in 1907, a position in which he was re-elected the following year. He was instrumental in getting the town incorporated as the City of West Toronto in 1908, and was still mayor when the town was annexed by the

City of Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

in 1909, making him the only mayor the City of West Toronto ever had. Baird remained involved in politics, joining the Toronto City Council as an alderman, a position he held until 1912. Drawing on his experience in property law and his interest in recreation, Baird was instrumental in establishing parkspace in the city, particularly in the Junction area. He helped establish a park at Keele and Humberside streets directly across from his house, a park which was later named in his honour. He was also an inaugural member of the lawn bowling club which remains active on the site. In addition, his efforts also helped establish Beresford Park, a parkette on Gilmour Avenue just north of Annette Street, as well as some tracts in the Davenport area. Following his departure from city council, Baird remained involved in the West York Conservative Association, and was the main in-party opposition to the incumbent MPP

Forbes Godfrey Forbes Elliott Godfrey (March 31, 1867 – January 6, 1932) was an Ontario physician and political figure. He represented York West in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Conservative member from 1907 to 1932. Background He was born in ...

, as the two disagreed on the issue of local option which enabled the ward to impose a ban on alcohol sales. In 1926, Baird was duly put up for the nomination by the Conservatives, and handily won an election as the chief opposition came not from the Liberals, but from the Prohibition Party, who advocated province-wide

prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

. Although a quiet MPP, Baird was re-elected three times before he died in 1940. He seat was subsequently filled in the 1943 election by future-premier George Drew.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baird, W.A. 1867 births 1940 deaths 20th-century Canadian lawyers Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs Trinity College (Canada) alumni University of Toronto alumni