Howard Ferguson
Encyclopedia
George Howard Ferguson, PC
(June 18, 1870-February 21, 1946) was a Conservative
politician and the ninth Premier
of Ontario
, Canada
, from 1923 to 1930.
who served in the Canadian House of Commons. Ferguson studied at the University of Toronto
and Osgoode Hall
, was called to the Ontario bar in 1894 and returned to Kemptville to practice. Ferguson was elected to the municipal council, serving three years as reeve of Kemptville. He married Ella Cumming in 1896.
in the 1905 election, Ferguson served as Minister of Lands, Forest and Mines in the government of William Hearst from 1914 to 1919. Ferguson became leader of the Conservative Party upon the defeat of the Hearst government that year.
came to power under Ferguson's leadership by defeating the United Farmers of Ontario
-Labour coalition government
of Ernest C. Drury. The Tories won 75 of the 111 seats in the legislature. Ferguson's government encouraged private investment in industry and the development of the province's natural resources as a means of achieving prosperity. It was re-elected in the 1926 election with 72 seats, and in 1929 with 90 seats.
In 1911, Ferguson argued in the legislature that "no language other than English should be used as a medium of instruction in the schools of this Province," despite the fact that a significant proportion of the population was French-Canadian. Sectarian politics was still rife in Ontario, and the Conservatives relied on a base of Orange
support. Ferguson was prepared to pander to the Orangemen with anti-Catholic and anti-French rhetoric.
In 1912, the Ontario government passed Regulation 17
, which restricted the use of French language instruction to a minimum. This legislation outraged Quebec
, and was an irritant to national unity during the First World War
. When Ferguson became Premier, he reversed himself by moderating the legislation and allowing more French language instruction. His government, however, refused to extend funding for the Catholic Separate school system past the 8th grade.
Ferguson's reversal on Regulation 17 was a concession needed for his alliance with Quebec
Premier Louis-Alexandre Taschereau
. Ferguson and Taschereau formed an axis against the federal government to demand more provincial rights and defend the provinces' ownership of natural resources such as water power (i.e., hydro-electric generation).
to soften the province's temperance
laws. A slim majority voted against prohibition
, leading Ferguson's government permit the sale of beer
with an alcohol content of no more than 4.4%. Such brew became known as Fergie's foam.
The 1926 provincial election
was fought on the issue of the government's proposal to repeal the Ontario Temperance Act
and permit controlled sales of liquor in government owned stores. Attorney-General William Folger Nickle
who had supported the government's earlier decision to allow the sale of low-alcohol beer, was opposed to going any further in softening temperance laws and resigned from Cabinet to run against the government as a Prohibitionist candidate against the repeal of the OTA. Ferguson's Conservatives were re-elected with a slightly reduced majority.
In 1927, the government introduced legislation to establish the Liquor Control Board of Ontario
and allow the sale of alcohol by government-owned and operated liquor stores. The Tories'
moderate stance on temperance allowed them to isolate the Liberals who, until 1930, took a hard prohibitionist stance opposing even regulated liquor sales. The Liberals' position alienated all but the most hard-line temperance advocates.
and immigrants, and were not prepared to provide social relief when the Great Depression
threw thousands out of work and into poverty. The Ferguson government also opposed federal government plans for an old age pension
.
Ferguson left provincial politics to accept an appointment as Canadian High Commissioner
in London
. He was succeeded as party leader and Premier by George Stewart Henry
.
From 1945 to 1946, he served as Chancellor of the University of Western Ontario
.
He also gave his name to the Ferguson Block, an office block in Ontario, Canada, as well as the residence cafeteria at University College in the University of Toronto. It is named the "Howard Ferguson Dining Hall". There is also a University College scholarship named after him.
Ferguson died of heart failure at his home in Toronto in 1946.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(June 18, 1870-February 21, 1946) was a Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
politician and the ninth Premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, from 1923 to 1930.
Background
He was the son of Charles Frederick FergusonCharles Frederick Ferguson
Charles Frederick Ferguson was an Ontario physician and political figure. He represented Leeds North and Grenville North in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal-Conservative member from 1874 to 1896....
who served in the Canadian House of Commons. Ferguson studied at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall is a landmark building in downtown Toronto constructed between 1829 and 1832 in the late Georgian Palladian and Neoclassical styles. It houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice, and the Law Society of Upper Canada...
, was called to the Ontario bar in 1894 and returned to Kemptville to practice. Ferguson was elected to the municipal council, serving three years as reeve of Kemptville. He married Ella Cumming in 1896.
Early political career
First elected to the Legislative Assembly of OntarioLegislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
in the 1905 election, Ferguson served as Minister of Lands, Forest and Mines in the government of William Hearst from 1914 to 1919. Ferguson became leader of the Conservative Party upon the defeat of the Hearst government that year.
Premier
In the 1923 election, the Ontario Conservative PartyProgressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
came to power under Ferguson's leadership by defeating the United Farmers of Ontario
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
-Labour coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
of Ernest C. Drury. The Tories won 75 of the 111 seats in the legislature. Ferguson's government encouraged private investment in industry and the development of the province's natural resources as a means of achieving prosperity. It was re-elected in the 1926 election with 72 seats, and in 1929 with 90 seats.
French policy
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
support. Ferguson was prepared to pander to the Orangemen with anti-Catholic and anti-French rhetoric.
In 1912, the Ontario government passed Regulation 17
Regulation 17
Regulation 17 was a regulation of the Ontario Ministry of Education, issued in July 1912 by the Conservative government of premier Sir James P. Whitney. It restricted the use of French as a language of instruction to the first two years of schooling. It was amended in 1913, and it is that version...
, which restricted the use of French language instruction to a minimum. This legislation outraged Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and was an irritant to national unity during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. When Ferguson became Premier, he reversed himself by moderating the legislation and allowing more French language instruction. His government, however, refused to extend funding for the Catholic Separate school system past the 8th grade.
Ferguson's reversal on Regulation 17 was a concession needed for his alliance with Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
Premier Louis-Alexandre Taschereau
Louis-Alexandre Taschereau
Louis-Alexandre Taschereau was a the 14th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from 1920 to 1936. He was elected four times, the first in 1900, in the riding of Montmorency. He was also a member of the Parti libéral du Québec...
. Ferguson and Taschereau formed an axis against the federal government to demand more provincial rights and defend the provinces' ownership of natural resources such as water power (i.e., hydro-electric generation).
Liquor policy
The Ferguson government, eager for new tax revenue, held a plebiscite in 1924Ontario prohibition referendum, 1924
An Ontario prohibition referendum was held on October 23, 1924 on the repeal of the Ontario Temperance Act. The referendum was brought about by a clause in the Act, which permitted the possible repeal of prohibition by a majority vote.- Referendum question :...
to soften the province's temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
laws. A slim majority voted against prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, leading Ferguson's government permit the sale of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
with an alcohol content of no more than 4.4%. Such brew became known as Fergie's foam.
The 1926 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1926
The Ontario general election, 1926 was the 17th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on December 1, 1926, to elect the 112 Members of the 17th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
was fought on the issue of the government's proposal to repeal the Ontario Temperance Act
Ontario Temperance Act
Ontario Temperance Act was a law passed in Ontario in 1916 to prohibit the sale of alcohol, a period known as Prohibition. This meant the province remained dry in legal terms, but smugglers continued to import alcohol into the province. The cause was the demand of religious elements led by women...
and permit controlled sales of liquor in government owned stores. Attorney-General William Folger Nickle
William Folger Nickle
William Folger Nickle KC was a Canadian politician who served both as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and in the Ontario legislature where he rose to the position of Attorney-General of Ontario...
who had supported the government's earlier decision to allow the sale of low-alcohol beer, was opposed to going any further in softening temperance laws and resigned from Cabinet to run against the government as a Prohibitionist candidate against the repeal of the OTA. Ferguson's Conservatives were re-elected with a slightly reduced majority.
In 1927, the government introduced legislation to establish the Liquor Control Board of Ontario
Liquor Control Board of Ontario
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is a provincial Crown corporation in Ontario, Canada established in 1927 by Lieutenant Governor William Donald Ross, on the advice of his Premier, Howard Ferguson, to sell liquor, wine, and beer through a chain of retail stores...
and allow the sale of alcohol by government-owned and operated liquor stores. The Tories'
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
moderate stance on temperance allowed them to isolate the Liberals who, until 1930, took a hard prohibitionist stance opposing even regulated liquor sales. The Liberals' position alienated all but the most hard-line temperance advocates.
Other issues
The Tories remained hostile to labourTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and immigrants, and were not prepared to provide social relief when the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
threw thousands out of work and into poverty. The Ferguson government also opposed federal government plans for an old age pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
.
After politics
In December 1930, PremierPremier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
Ferguson left provincial politics to accept an appointment as Canadian High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was succeeded as party leader and Premier by George Stewart Henry
George Stewart Henry
George Stewart Henry was a farmer, businessman and politician in Ontario, Canada.Born in Township of King, York County, Ontario, the son of William and Louisa Henry, Henry was educated at the public schools of Toronto, Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto where he received a B.A. and...
.
From 1945 to 1946, he served as Chancellor of the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
.
He also gave his name to the Ferguson Block, an office block in Ontario, Canada, as well as the residence cafeteria at University College in the University of Toronto. It is named the "Howard Ferguson Dining Hall". There is also a University College scholarship named after him.
Ferguson died of heart failure at his home in Toronto in 1946.