Sir William Howard Hearst, (February 15, 1864 – September 29, 1941) was the seventh
premier of Ontario
The premier of Ontario (french: premier ministre de l'Ontario) is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly of On ...
from 1914 to 1919.
Hearst was born in
Bruce County
Bruce County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada comprising eight lower-tier municipalities and with a 2016 population of 66,491. It is named for James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, sixth Governor General of the P ...
, Ontario. He practiced law in
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario before being voted to provincial parliament as a member of the
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (french: Parti progressiste-conservateur de l'Ontario), often shortened to the Ontario PC Party or simply the PCs, colloquially known as the Tories, is a centre-right political party in Ontario, Canada ...
. After six years representing Sault Ste. Marie in provincial government, Hearst became Premier of Ontario following the death of Premier
James P. Whitney
Sir James Pliny Whitney (October 2, 1843 – September 25, 1914) was a Canadian politician and lawyer in the province of Ontario. He served as Conservative member of the legislature for Dundas from 1888 and as the sixth premier of Ontario from ...
in 1914.
Hearst's was the first Conservative provincial government to enact
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
. He was in favour of the
prohibition movement, and restricted the unlicensed sale of alcohol in Ontario. As a
wartime administration, his government improved munitions production and hydroelectric infrastructure.
Early life and career
William Howard Hearst was born in the Township of
Arran in
Bruce County
Bruce County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada comprising eight lower-tier municipalities and with a 2016 population of 66,491. It is named for James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, sixth Governor General of the P ...
, Ontario. He studied law in Owen Sound and was called to the bar
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 ...
in 1888. Hearst moved to
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is at the St. Mary's River on the Canada–US border. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
The Ojibwe, the indigenous Anishinaabe inhabitants ...
, where he established the law firm Masson, Hearst, McKay in the Ganley Block at 604 Queen Street. Hearst participated actively in the Sault Ste. Marie community and was on the building committee to erect a new Methodist church at the corner of Spring Street and Albert Street in Sault Ste. Marie. The Methodist church that was eventually built still stands and is now known as Central United Church.
Hearst was an unsuccessful candidate in the
Algoma East riding in 1894. In 1902, he organized support in Northern Ontario for
James P. Whitney
Sir James Pliny Whitney (October 2, 1843 – September 25, 1914) was a Canadian politician and lawyer in the province of Ontario. He served as Conservative member of the legislature for Dundas from 1888 and as the sixth premier of Ontario from ...
. Hearst was also appointed Sault Ste. Marie's volunteer fire chief from 1891 to 1892. Hearst built a house at the corner of Queen Street and Upton Road. Known as Eastbourne, it would become a designated heritage property in the City of Sault Ste. Marie.
In 1908, Hearst was elected member for the riding of
Sault Ste. Marie. He became
Minister of Lands, Forests and Mines
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
in 1911. On the death of Whitney in 1914, Hearst became his successor and was sworn in as Premier on October 2, 1914, the first premier from
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Provi ...
.
Premiership
Under his administration, a comprehensive measure to provide compensation to workers for injuries was put into operation. He took steps to deal with housing problems and provide loans to settlers.
Municipal acts were passed. School fairs and the teaching of agriculture were inaugurated. Measures were taken to increase war production. Reforestation and fire prevention services were established. The
Orpington Hospital
Orpington Hospital is an acute general hospital in Orpington
Orpington is a town and area in south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross.
On the south-eastern ...
, in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, was built as a gift from the people of Ontario.
An increase in demand for electricity in Ontario led Hearst's government to commission the construction of the
Queenston-Chippawa Hydroelectric Generating Station in 1917, which was one of the largest hydroelectric projects in the world.
During the
1917 conscription crisis, Hearst supported conscription and the federal
Unionist government. In March 1918, Hearst and the Ontario Liberal leader,
William Proudfoot
William Proudfoot, (February 21, 1859 – December 3, 1922) was an Ontario politician and barrister.
He was born in Colborne Township, Huron County, Canada West, the son of Robert Proudfoot, an immigrant from Scotland. He was educated in ...
, agreed to extend the existing provincial government until Canadian forces returned home in 1919.
Prohibition
The Hearst government struggled to find consensus on the question of prohibition. Hearst personally identified with the temperance movement, but barkeepers and alcohol producers formed part of the voter base of his party.
Hearst established the Board of License Commissioners (BLC) in 1915, which distributed licenses for businesses seeking to sell alcohol.
In 1916, the
Ontario Temperance Act
The ''Ontario Temperance Act'' was a law passed in 1916 that led to the prohibition of alcohol in Ontario, Canada. When the Act was first enacted, the sale of alcohol was prohibited, but liquor could still be manufactured in the province or importe ...
(OTA) was introduced as a temporary wartime measure by Hearst, a temperance advocate and pillar of the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
Church. It made possession of liquor and beer outside one's home illegal. Although one could retain a cellar supply for personal consumption, it was illegal to sell a drink. As a result, the government shut down bars, taverns, clubs, and liquor stores. The establishment of the Acts were controversial among anti-temperance Canadians.
In 1919, after Canadian soldiers had returned from Europe, Hearst called a
plebiscite
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
on
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 ...
, which was held the same day as the
1919 general election. Prohibition was approved by the voters, but his government was defeated in the election.
Women's suffrage
Beginning in 1915, Liberal representatives proposed bills enabling women to vote in Ontario. Hearst initially opposed suffrage but by 1917 had changed his opinion on the subject.
Ontario was the fifth province to pass legislation permitting women to vote, and Hearst's government was the first Conservative provincial government to do so.
1919 general election
In the election of 1919, Hearst was surprised by his loss to the
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario (UFO) was an agrarian and populist provincial political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.
History
Foundation and r ...
.
Historians have varying opinions on the reason for the result of the election, including federal conscription, the OTA, and poor opinions of the industrial workers and the rural population.
Later life
After his loss in 1919, Hearst remained in Toronto, where he had lived since 1912.
Hearst served as a member of the
International Joint Commission
The International Joint Commission (french: Commission mixte internationale) is a bi-national organization established by the governments of the United States and Canada under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. Its responsibilities were expa ...
, which had been formed to settle international boundary waters disputes between the United States and Canada.
Legacy
The Town of
Hearst, in
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Provi ...
, is named for William Hearst.
A street in
North York
North York is one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly north of York, Old Toronto and East York, between Etobicoke to the west and Scarborough to the east. As of the 2016 Census, it had a popu ...
, south of the intersection of Keele Street and Wilson Avenue, is named after him. The
Humber River Hospital
Humber River Hospital is a major acute care hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the northwest part of Toronto, near Highway 401 and Keele Street. It is a large community hospital offering emergency and intensive care services, mater ...
and offices of the Ministry of Transportation are on this street.
A plaque honouring Sir William H. Hearst stands in Tara Park in the Municipality of
Arran–Elderslie
The Municipality of Arran–Elderslie is a township in Bruce County in Western Ontario, Canada. The township is located at the headwaters of the Sauble River, and the Saugeen River forms the northwestern boundary.
Communities
The township comp ...
in
Bruce County
Bruce County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada comprising eight lower-tier municipalities and with a 2016 population of 66,491. It is named for James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, sixth Governor General of the P ...
. It was erected by the Ontario Archeological and Historic Sites Board.
Sault Ste. Marie
William Howard Hearst was the first premier from northern Ontario. He has an enduring legacy in Sault Ste. Marie. A street in the northern city has been named after him. A city streets directory from 1914 shows the street was previously called "Hurst Street", but by 1915, the year after Hearst became Premier of Ontario, the name was changed to "Hearst Street".
In July 2015, the city recognized Hearst by naming the holiday on the first Monday in August (previously known as Civic Holiday) as Sir William H. Hearst Day.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*Rocco Perri Scrapbook (Hamilton Herald Newspaper articles) 12 April 1927, 14, 16, 18 August 1930
*Tennyson, Brian Douglas. “Mackenzie King and Patronage in the Public Service: An Historical Footnote.” ''Journal of Canadian Studies'' 6:1 (February 1971): 56–60.
*Tennyson, Brian Douglas. “Premier Hearst, the War, and Votes for Women.” ''Ontario History'' 57:3 (September 1965): 115–21.
*Tennyson, Brian Douglas. “Sir Adam Beck and the Ontario General Election of 1919.” ''Ontario History'' 58:3 (September 1966): 157–62.
*Tennyson, Brian Douglas. “Sir William Hearst and the Ontario Temperance Act.” ''Ontario History'' 55:4 (December 1963): 233–46.
*Tennyson, Brian Douglas. “The Cruise of the Minnie M.” ''Ontario History'' 59:2 (June 1967): 125–28.
*Tennyson, Brian Douglas. “The Ontario General Election of 1919: The Beginnings of Agrarian Revolt.’ ''Journal of Canadian Studies'' 4:1 (February 1969): 26–36.
*Tennyson, Brian Douglas. “The Succession of William H Hearst to the Ontario Premiership—September 1914.” ''Ontario History'' 56:3 (September 1964): 158–89.
External links
*
Ontario Plaque for Hearstin
Tara, Ontario
Tara is an unincorporated community in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie, Bruce County, in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is a designated place and had 1,037 residents and 458 dwellings as of the 2011 census. Tara is in geographic Arran ...
William H. Hearst fonds Archives of Ontario
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hearst, William
1864 births
1941 deaths
Premiers of Ontario
Leaders of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Members of the United Church of Canada
Lawyers in Ontario
Canadian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
People from Bruce County
People from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario