Robert Lorne Richardson
Encyclopedia
Robert Lorne Richardson (June 28, 1860 – November 6, 1921) was a Canadian
journalist, editor, newspaper owner, author, and politician.
Born in Balderson, Lanark County, Upper Canada
, the son of Joseph Richardson and Harriet Thompson, Richardson was educated at the Balderson Public School and in 1879 became a journalist working for the Montreal Star
and briefly for the Toronto Globe. He moved to Winnipeg
in 1881 was the city editor for the Daily Sun until the paper stopped publishing in 1890. In 1890, he founded with Duncan Lloyd McIntyre the Winnipeg Daily Tribune
and was its editor.
He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
as the Liberal
candidate for the electoral district of Lisgar
in the 1896 election
. He was re-elected in the 1900 election
as an independent. The election was declared void in 1901 and he was defeated in the resulting 1902 by-election. He ran unsuccessfully again in three elections held in 1904, 1908, and 1912. He was elected for
Springfield
in the 1917 election
.
He helped found the news service, Western Associated Press, in 1907 which was a forerunner of the Canadian Press
. He was also the author of two novels Colin of the ninth concession: a tale of pioneer life in eastern Ontario (Toronto, 1903) and The Camerons of Bruce (Toronto, 1906).
He died in Winnipeg in 1921.
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...
journalist, editor, newspaper owner, author, and politician.
Born in Balderson, Lanark County, Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
, the son of Joseph Richardson and Harriet Thompson, Richardson was educated at the Balderson Public School and in 1879 became a journalist working for the Montreal Star
Montreal Star
The Montreal Star was an English-language Canadian newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It folded in 1979 following an eight-month pressmen's strike....
and briefly for the Toronto Globe. He moved to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
in 1881 was the city editor for the Daily Sun until the paper stopped publishing in 1890. In 1890, he founded with Duncan Lloyd McIntyre the Winnipeg Daily Tribune
Winnipeg Tribune
The Winnipeg Tribune was a metropolitan daily newspaper serving Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from January 28, 1890 to August 27, 1980. The paper was founded by R.L. Richardson and D.L. McIntyre who acquired the press and premises of the old Winnipeg Sun newspaper. It was often viewed as a liberal...
and was its editor.
He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as the Liberal
Liberal 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...
candidate for the electoral district of Lisgar
Lisgar (electoral district)
Lisgarwas a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1988. This riding was created following the admission of Manitoba into the Canadian Confederation in 1870....
in the 1896 election
Canadian federal election, 1896
The Canadian federal election of 1896 was held on June 23, 1896 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Canada. Though the Conservative Party won a plurality of the popular vote, the Liberal Party, led by Wilfrid Laurier, won the majority of seats to form the...
. He was re-elected in the 1900 election
Canadian federal election, 1900
The Canadian federal election of 1900 was held on November 7 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 9th Parliament of Canada. As a result of the election, the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, was re-elected to a second majority government, defeating the...
as an independent. The election was declared void in 1901 and he was defeated in the resulting 1902 by-election. He ran unsuccessfully again in three elections held in 1904, 1908, and 1912. He was elected for
Springfield
Springfield (electoral district)
Springfield was a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1968.This riding was created in 1914 from parts of Selkirk riding....
in the 1917 election
Canadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
.
He helped found the news service, Western Associated Press, in 1907 which was a forerunner of the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
. He was also the author of two novels Colin of the ninth concession: a tale of pioneer life in eastern Ontario (Toronto, 1903) and The Camerons of Bruce (Toronto, 1906).
He died in Winnipeg in 1921.