Philip Primrose
Encyclopedia
Philip Carteret Hill Primrose (October 23, 1864 – March 17, 1937) was a Canadian
police officer and the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
.
Primrose was born in 1864 in Nova Scotia. He attended the Pictou Academy
before graduating from the Royal Military College in 1885. Upon his graduation, he took up employment with the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) (later renamed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
). Over the 30 years he spent with the NWMP, he was stationed at many locations throughout the North-West Territories, serving as Superintendent on four separate occasions before his retirement from the force in 1915.
Primrose then moved to Edmonton and accepted the position of city police magistrate, a position he would hold for 20 years. Amongst other positions, during World War I he commanded the Edmonton Reserve Battalion of the Canadian Army. Although he had never actively participated in politics, in 1936 Primrose was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, a position he held for only 167 days before he died after a long illness.
Daly). He was named after a good friend of his father, Philip Carteret Hill. His father Alexander came to Nova Scotia from Rothiemay, Scotland
and settled in the Pictou area around 1815. He was a barrister
and served a term on the Halifax City Council from 1853–1855. He was a distant cousin to the Earls of Rosebery
, including the 5th Earl
, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1894–1895, A cousin, Clarence Primrose
served in the Canadian Senate
from 1892 until his death in 1902. He was a descendant of the United Empire Loyalists
.
After graduating from the Pictou Academy
in 1881, Primrose was accepted into the Royal Military College
, from which he graduated in 1885. He remained in Canada after graduation, rejecting the option of accepting a commission in the British Army
. Primrose was appointed an Inspector of the North-West Mounted Police on August 1, 1885, and was sworn in on August 31 of the same year.
in the District of Assiniboia (today in Saskatchewan
), Fort Macleod
, and Calgary
(today, both in Alberta
). In addition to serving as a "Mountie", he served as Justice of the Peace while stationed at Macleod. In 1898, at the outbreak of the Klondike Gold Rush
, Primrose was assigned to the Yukon
, where he was stationed at the H Division in Tagish
. He became superintendent of that division in October 1899, then was transferred to become superintendent of the B Division one month later. In 1901, he was posted to Dawson, where he assumed responsibility for 43 Mounted Policemen and 4 other men at the Whitehorse station. During his time in the Yukon, the main role of the police was guarding people awaiting trials and prisoners serving sentences.
Primrose supervised the 1900 Yukon census, reporting to the Commissioner that the territory's population was 16,463. On May 13, 1900, he finded 31 "members of the sporting fraternity" $55 each, boosting the territorial treasury. Other activities included more community-oriented tasks, such as firefighting
when permitted. During his time in Dawson, he befriended a lawyer currently practicing in the area, William L. Walsh
. Walsh would be his predecessor to the office of Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. Primrose's assignment to the Yukon ended in 1902.
After returning from the Yukon, he assumed command of the A Division of the NWMP in Maple Creek
(today in Saskatchewan). After two months at Maple Creek, he took over the NWMP Macleod Department (today in Alberta) as Superintendent, serving there until 1913. He became a prominent landowner during his time in Macleod, owning several lots in town, as well as a section
outside. He was appointed a commissioner of police in the new province of Alberta
in November 1911. In 1913, he was posted to the NWMP Headquarters in Regina
to assist in the organization of the Criminal Investigation Branch. In August he was granted a leave of absence when he went to the Mayo Clinic
at Rochester to undergo surgery to repair an undisclosed rupture and remove his appendix
. After returning to Regina in 1914, he retired at the rank of Superintendent on April 5, 1915.
In 1920, the RNWMP and Dominion Police
would be merged under a new name, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
. Primrose accepted, as he had always wanted to retire in the city. In 1917, he was chairman of the three-person Alberta Provincial Police
board of commissioners, where he was tasked with supervising the new force. Before his retirement as magistrate in July 1935, it had been estimated that he had dealt with over 40,000 cases.
During World War I
, Primrose was the commanding officer
of the Edmonton Reserve Battalion of the Canadian Army, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was president of the Royal North-West Mounted Police Veterans' Association in 1922; he lobbied hard for adequate pensions for veterans.
by family heritage and disposition, Primrose never sought public office, or ever actively participated in politics. On September 10, 1936, on the advice of Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King
, Primrose was appointed to the office of Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
by Governor General
John Buchan
, succeeding William L. Walsh
, his old friend. He was sworn in on October 1, 1936. During his time as Lieutenant-Governor, Primrose and his wife resided in Government House
, however, during this time, he was plagued by illness, therefore making him essentially unable to fulfill his duties of office, remaining in medical care from October 19, 1937 until his death. Most of his duties were carried out by his wife, Lily, who hosted the 1937 New Year's Day reception at Government House, and served as an honourary officer of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Women's Auxiliary. Public functions were also attended by others family members, assisting in the absence of Primrose. On February 25, 1937, the Speech from the Throne was read by Horace Harvey
, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alberta, due to Primrose's illness.
of 1885, tasked with guarding Riel and 50 other participants of the uprising in their prison cells. The Primroses had four children: Phyllis Jessie (1902–1975), Neil (1904–1904), Neil Philip (1905–1991), and Sybil E. (c. 1909–1946). His oldest son, Neil Philip was a lawyer, practicing in Vegreville
and Edmonton
. After being created a King's Counsel in 1951, Neil served as a Judge with the Supreme Court of Alberta in it's Trial Division. One of Philip's grandchildren, John Nairn
won trap shooting championships at the Commonwealth Games
in 1974 and 1978 respectively, and, in 1981, was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada
.
Primrose Lake
was named after him in 1900, while he was Inspector in charge of the Tagish branch of the NWMP. In 1927, Primrose was made a life member of the Army, Navy, and Veterans' Association in Edmonton. He received the RCMP Long Service Medal in 1935. In 1970, a subdivision in Edmonton was named in his honour. Philip Primrose was a member of the Prebysterian Church of Canada.
, while still occupying the office of Lieutenant Governor, a post he had held for only 167 days. He was the first Lieutenant Governor of Alberta to die in office. He had suffered a heart attack, with pre-existing complications from a long, undisclosed illness. On March 19, 1937, he laid in state for two hours in the main chamber of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
in what was described as one of the "most impressive ceremonies ever beheld in Edmonton." His coffin, draped with the Union Flag
lay on a table in the chamber, with member desks draped in purple velvet, placed in front of the speaker's rostrom, guarded by four Royal Canadian Mounted Police
constables. At his request, Primrose was buried in the uniform of a NWMP Inspector. Upon lying in state for two hours, his body was taken back to the funeral home, and was taken to Government House
the next morning, from where it was brought to the church that afternoon. His state funeral, the first ever in Alberta, was held in the First Presbyterian Church in Edmonton. It was attended by many prominent provincial-level politicians, including Premier
William Aberhart
, Chief Justices Horace Harvey and Charles Richmond Mitchell, University of Alberta president William A. R. Kerr, Attorney General of Alberta John Hugill
, Mayor of Edmonton Joseph Clarke
, and Assistant RCMP Commissioner Colonel Henry M. Newson. He was interred at the RNWMP plot at the Edmonton Cemetery. The state funeral was said to have "set the precedent for others in the future." John C. Bowen
was sworn in as Primrose's successor to Lieutenant Governor on March 23, 1937.
, Mayor of Macleod also stated, "Col. Primrose was one of the outstanding officers of the force. … He was a good citizen and a good police officer and a man of many admirable qualities."
On January 12, 1970 the `Primrose` subdivision in Edmonton, Alberta¸ North of Whitemud Drive to 100 Avenue, west of 178 Street to RDA was named in his honour.
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...
police officer and the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta is the viceregal representative in Alberta of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the nine other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
.
Primrose was born in 1864 in Nova Scotia. He attended the Pictou Academy
Pictou Academy
Pictou Academy , founded in 1816 by the late Dr. Thomas McCulloch, is a secondary school in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Prior to the twentieth century, it was a liberal nonsectarian college, a grammar school, an academy and then a secondary school. Pictou Academy's current principal is James Ryan. The...
before graduating from the Royal Military College in 1885. Upon his graduation, he took up employment with the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) (later renamed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
). Over the 30 years he spent with the NWMP, he was stationed at many locations throughout the North-West Territories, serving as Superintendent on four separate occasions before his retirement from the force in 1915.
Primrose then moved to Edmonton and accepted the position of city police magistrate, a position he would hold for 20 years. Amongst other positions, during World War I he commanded the Edmonton Reserve Battalion of the Canadian Army. Although he had never actively participated in politics, in 1936 Primrose was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, a position he held for only 167 days before he died after a long illness.
Early life, education and career
Primrose was born in 1864 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the second of three children of Alexander and Elizabeth Catherine Rebecca Primrose (néeMarried and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Daly). He was named after a good friend of his father, Philip Carteret Hill. His father Alexander came to Nova Scotia from Rothiemay, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and settled in the Pictou area around 1815. He was a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and served a term on the Halifax City Council from 1853–1855. He was a distant cousin to the Earls of Rosebery
Earl of Rosebery
Earl of Rosebery is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1703 for Archibald Primrose, 1st Viscount of Rosebery, with remainder to his issue male and female successively...
, including the 5th Earl
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, KG, PC was a British Liberal statesman and Prime Minister. Between the death of his father, in 1851, and the death of his grandfather, the 4th Earl, in 1868, he was known by the courtesy title of Lord Dalmeny.Rosebery was a Liberal Imperialist who...
, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1894–1895, A cousin, Clarence Primrose
Clarence Primrose
Clarence Primrose was a Canadian politician.Born in Pictou, Nova Scotia, the son of the James Primrose of Scottish descent, Primsrose was educated at the Pictou Academy and University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a senior partner of the insurance, lumber and general commission merchants firm of...
served in the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
from 1892 until his death in 1902. He was a descendant of the United Empire Loyalists
United Empire Loyalists
The name United Empire Loyalists is an honorific given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War and prior to the Treaty of Paris...
.
After graduating from the Pictou Academy
Pictou Academy
Pictou Academy , founded in 1816 by the late Dr. Thomas McCulloch, is a secondary school in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Prior to the twentieth century, it was a liberal nonsectarian college, a grammar school, an academy and then a secondary school. Pictou Academy's current principal is James Ryan. The...
in 1881, Primrose was accepted into the Royal Military College
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
, from which he graduated in 1885. He remained in Canada after graduation, rejecting the option of accepting a commission in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. Primrose was appointed an Inspector of the North-West Mounted Police on August 1, 1885, and was sworn in on August 31 of the same year.
North-West Mounted Police
During his 13 years as Inspector, Primrose was posted to many locations in the North-West Territories, including Wood MountainWood Mountain, Saskatchewan
Wood Mountain is a village in Old Post Rural Municipality 43, Saskatchewan, Canada. The town's name is derived from the Red River Metis word "Monatagne de Bois" , due to the abundance of poplar trees in the otherwise barren region...
in the District of Assiniboia (today in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
), Fort Macleod
Fort Macleod, Alberta
Fort Macleod is a town in the southwest corner of the province of Alberta, Canada. It was founded as a North-West Mounted Police barracks, and is named in honour of the North-West Mounted Police Colonel James Macleod. The town's current mayor is Shawn Patience.- History and heritage preservation...
, and Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
(today, both in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
). In addition to serving as a "Mountie", he served as Justice of the Peace while stationed at Macleod. In 1898, at the outbreak of the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
, Primrose was assigned to the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, where he was stationed at the H Division in Tagish
Tagish, Yukon
Tagish is an unincorporated community in the Yukon, Canada. It is 30 km east of Carcross, Yukon on the Tagish Road at the northern end of Tagish Lake. The greater Tagish area also includes the Tagish Estates, Tagish Beach and Taku subdivisions, the latter two developed for cottages but now serving...
. He became superintendent of that division in October 1899, then was transferred to become superintendent of the B Division one month later. In 1901, he was posted to Dawson, where he assumed responsibility for 43 Mounted Policemen and 4 other men at the Whitehorse station. During his time in the Yukon, the main role of the police was guarding people awaiting trials and prisoners serving sentences.
Primrose supervised the 1900 Yukon census, reporting to the Commissioner that the territory's population was 16,463. On May 13, 1900, he finded 31 "members of the sporting fraternity" $55 each, boosting the territorial treasury. Other activities included more community-oriented tasks, such as firefighting
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
when permitted. During his time in Dawson, he befriended a lawyer currently practicing in the area, William L. Walsh
William L. Walsh
William Legh Walsh, KC was a Canadian lawyer and judge. He served as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta from 1931 to 1936....
. Walsh would be his predecessor to the office of Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. Primrose's assignment to the Yukon ended in 1902.
After returning from the Yukon, he assumed command of the A Division of the NWMP in Maple Creek
Maple Creek, Saskatchewan
-History:After the North-West Mounted Police had been established at Fort Walsh, settlers began to explore the Cypress Hills area, living along the creeks and doing small-scale ranching. The Department of the Interior was operating a First Nations farm on the Maple Creek, a few miles south from...
(today in Saskatchewan). After two months at Maple Creek, he took over the NWMP Macleod Department (today in Alberta) as Superintendent, serving there until 1913. He became a prominent landowner during his time in Macleod, owning several lots in town, as well as a section
Dominion Land Survey
The Dominion Land Survey is the method used to divide most of Western Canada into one-square-mile sections for agricultural and other purposes. It is based on the layout of the Public Land Survey System used in the United States, but has several differences...
outside. He was appointed a commissioner of police in the new province of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
in November 1911. In 1913, he was posted to the NWMP Headquarters in Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
to assist in the organization of the Criminal Investigation Branch. In August he was granted a leave of absence when he went to the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
at Rochester to undergo surgery to repair an undisclosed rupture and remove his appendix
Appendix
Appendix may refer to:In documents:*Addendum, any addition to a document, such as a book or legal contract*Bibliography, a systematic list of books and other works...
. After returning to Regina in 1914, he retired at the rank of Superintendent on April 5, 1915.
In 1920, the RNWMP and Dominion Police
Dominion Police
In 1868 the Dominion Police began as a police force protecting the Parliament Buildings on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and by 1911 it served as Canada's eastern police force .In May 1918, the 969...
would be merged under a new name, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Magistrate
Following his retirement from the NWMP, Primrose was offered the position of a police magistrate in EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. Primrose accepted, as he had always wanted to retire in the city. In 1917, he was chairman of the three-person Alberta Provincial Police
Alberta Provincial Police
The Alberta Provincial Police was a police force active in Alberta, Canada between 1917 and 1932. In 1917, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police left Alberta due to a lack of sufficient resources in light of its increased responsibilities for national security during World War I...
board of commissioners, where he was tasked with supervising the new force. Before his retirement as magistrate in July 1935, it had been estimated that he had dealt with over 40,000 cases.
During World War I
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...
, Primrose was the commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the Edmonton Reserve Battalion of the Canadian Army, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was president of the Royal North-West Mounted Police Veterans' Association in 1922; he lobbied hard for adequate pensions for veterans.
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
Although a LiberalLiberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
by family heritage and disposition, Primrose never sought public office, or ever actively participated in politics. On September 10, 1936, on the advice of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
, Primrose was appointed to the office of Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta is the viceregal representative in Alberta of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the nine other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
by Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
John Buchan
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir was a Scottish novelist, historian and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation....
, succeeding William L. Walsh
William L. Walsh
William Legh Walsh, KC was a Canadian lawyer and judge. He served as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta from 1931 to 1936....
, his old friend. He was sworn in on October 1, 1936. During his time as Lieutenant-Governor, Primrose and his wife resided in Government House
Government House (Alberta)
Government House is the former official residence of the lieutenant governors of Alberta, currently retained for ceremonial events and entertaining.The property for the house was purchased by the Province of Alberta in 1910, as well as the surrounding area...
, however, during this time, he was plagued by illness, therefore making him essentially unable to fulfill his duties of office, remaining in medical care from October 19, 1937 until his death. Most of his duties were carried out by his wife, Lily, who hosted the 1937 New Year's Day reception at Government House, and served as an honourary officer of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Women's Auxiliary. Public functions were also attended by others family members, assisting in the absence of Primrose. On February 25, 1937, the Speech from the Throne was read by Horace Harvey
Horace Harvey
Horace Harvey was a lawyer, jurist, and a Chief Justice of Alberta, Canada.-Early and Family Life:...
, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alberta, due to Primrose's illness.
Personal life
On January 8, 1902, Philip Primrose married Lily Deane (June 3, 1877 – March 15, 1966). She was the daughter of Superintendent Richard Burton Deane of the North-West Mounted Police. Deane had served with the NWMP during the Riel RebellionNorth-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
of 1885, tasked with guarding Riel and 50 other participants of the uprising in their prison cells. The Primroses had four children: Phyllis Jessie (1902–1975), Neil (1904–1904), Neil Philip (1905–1991), and Sybil E. (c. 1909–1946). His oldest son, Neil Philip was a lawyer, practicing in Vegreville
Vegreville, Alberta
-Notable Vegrevillans :*Brent Severyn, former NHL defenseman*Cam Cole, Canadian sports writer*Laurence Decore, lawyer, former mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, and former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party*Roderick Fraser, former president of the University of Alberta...
and Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. After being created a King's Counsel in 1951, Neil served as a Judge with the Supreme Court of Alberta in it's Trial Division. One of Philip's grandchildren, John Nairn
John Primrose (sport shooter)
John Nairn Primrose, born 28 May 1942 in Ottawa, is a Canadian trap shooter who competed at six Olympics from 1968 to 1992 . His best position was seventh in the Mixed Trap in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics...
won trap shooting championships at the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in 1974 and 1978 respectively, and, in 1981, was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Primrose Lake
Primrose Lake
Primrose Lake is a large lake in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada. The lake straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, with most of the water surface in Saskatchewan. It is close to the better known Cold Lake, Alberta....
was named after him in 1900, while he was Inspector in charge of the Tagish branch of the NWMP. In 1927, Primrose was made a life member of the Army, Navy, and Veterans' Association in Edmonton. He received the RCMP Long Service Medal in 1935. In 1970, a subdivision in Edmonton was named in his honour. Philip Primrose was a member of the Prebysterian Church of Canada.
Death and state funeral
Philip C. H. Primrose died on March 17, 1937 in EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, while still occupying the office of Lieutenant Governor, a post he had held for only 167 days. He was the first Lieutenant Governor of Alberta to die in office. He had suffered a heart attack, with pre-existing complications from a long, undisclosed illness. On March 19, 1937, he laid in state for two hours in the main chamber of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
in what was described as one of the "most impressive ceremonies ever beheld in Edmonton." His coffin, draped with the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
lay on a table in the chamber, with member desks draped in purple velvet, placed in front of the speaker's rostrom, guarded by four Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
constables. At his request, Primrose was buried in the uniform of a NWMP Inspector. Upon lying in state for two hours, his body was taken back to the funeral home, and was taken to Government House
Government House (Alberta)
Government House is the former official residence of the lieutenant governors of Alberta, currently retained for ceremonial events and entertaining.The property for the house was purchased by the Province of Alberta in 1910, as well as the surrounding area...
the next morning, from where it was brought to the church that afternoon. His state funeral, the first ever in Alberta, was held in the First Presbyterian Church in Edmonton. It was attended by many prominent provincial-level politicians, including Premier
Premier of Alberta
The Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Alberta is Alison Redford. She became Premier by winning the Progressive Conservative leadership elections on...
William Aberhart
William Aberhart
William Aberhart , also known as Bible Bill for his outspoken Baptist views, was a Canadian politician and the seventh Premier of Alberta between 1935 and 1943. The Social Credit party believed the reason for the depression was that people did not have enough money to spend, so the government...
, Chief Justices Horace Harvey and Charles Richmond Mitchell, University of Alberta president William A. R. Kerr, Attorney General of Alberta John Hugill
John Hugill
John William Hugill was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General of the province of Alberta from 1935 until 1937. Born in England, he came to Canada and studied law before setting up a practice in Calgary. He became a prominent resident of that city, and served two years...
, Mayor of Edmonton Joseph Clarke
Joseph Clarke
Joseph Andrew Clarke was a Canadian politician and lawyer. He served twice as mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, was a candidate for election to the Canadian House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and was a member of the Yukon Territorial Council .-Early life:Clarke was born in...
, and Assistant RCMP Commissioner Colonel Henry M. Newson. He was interred at the RNWMP plot at the Edmonton Cemetery. The state funeral was said to have "set the precedent for others in the future." John C. Bowen
John C. Bowen
John Campbell Bowen was a clergy man, insurance broker and long serving politician. He served as an Alderman in the City of Edmonton on the municipal level and then went on to serve as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1926 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition...
was sworn in as Primrose's successor to Lieutenant Governor on March 23, 1937.
Legacy
Primrose was described as "one of the most colourful, interesting and forceful characters in Edmonton's civic life for may years." His NWMP command was described as a "model to the Force", while his police career had been described to have "won the confidence and respect of the public to an exceptional degree." Donald E. Cameron, who delivered the eulogy at the funeral remarked of Primrose, "Colonel Primrose never sought for himself or for his men more than that their record of service should be allowed to speak for itself. Somewhat austerely he clung to the tradition of the service that duty faithfully discharged its own reward." An obituary published shortly after his death described him as "courageous, outspoken and firm in dealing with his criminals." John W. McDonaldJohn W. McDonald
John Walter McDonald was a lawyer and provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as Mayor of Fort Macleod, Alberta and also led the Alberta Liberal Party for a brief period from 1930 to 1932.-Early life:...
, Mayor of Macleod also stated, "Col. Primrose was one of the outstanding officers of the force. … He was a good citizen and a good police officer and a man of many admirable qualities."
On January 12, 1970 the `Primrose` subdivision in Edmonton, Alberta¸ North of Whitemud Drive to 100 Avenue, west of 178 Street to RDA was named in his honour.