William John Hanna
Encyclopedia
William John Hanna was a lawyer and political figure in Ontario
, Canada. He represented Lambton West
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1902 to 1919 as a Conservative
member.
He was born in Adelaide Township, Middlesex County
, Canada West, the son of George Hanna and Jane Murdock, and moved to Lambton County with his family in 1871. He graduated from Sarnia Collegiate Institute at 17 and for the next three years taught at a primary school near his home He then studied law at sgoode Hall]Toronto Ontario], was called to the bar in 1890 and set up practice in Sarnia. He married Jean Gibson Neil in 1891,in Point Edward, Ont. They had one son, William Niel. He then married, in 1896, Maud MacAdams, In Sarnia, Ontario after the death of his first wife. In 1908, Hanna was named King's Counsel. He served as counsel and director for the Imperial Oil
Company in Sarnia.
Hanna was unsuccessful in the federal elections of 1896 and 1900 before being elected to the provincial assembly in 1902. He served as Provincial Secretary and Registrar
from 1905 to 1916. In 1915 Hanna initiated an overhaul of Ontario's prison systems, closing down facilities which treated prisoners harshly, and took special interest in improving the operations of prisons in Ontario to be more humane. This legacy remains in Toronto's Liberty Village
whose name comes from the neighbourhoods's main road, Liberty Street, nearby the forced closure of Toronto's Central Prison. In 1916, Hanna introduced the Ontario Temperance Act which prohibited the sale of alcohol
except for medicinal purposes or use in church services for the remainder of World War I
. Hanna also served as an adviser to prime minister Robert Laird Borden. In 1917, he was named food controller for Canada, charged with dealing with food shortages and inflation near the end of the war.In ill health, he resigned from his position on 24 Jan. 1918. His condition did not prevent him, however, from assuming later that year the presidency of Imperial Oil, which he would infuse with an air of progressive management. In December, for instance, he initiated collective bargaining and employee benefits.
A month earlier Hanna’s family life had been devastated by the accidental death in Italy of his son, William Neil, a lieutenant in the Royal Air Force. The shock, combined with his failing health, necessitated a trip to a warm climate for the winter. While in Augusta, Hanna suffered a stroke and died on 20 March 1919. Following a Methodist service, he was interred in Lakeview Cemetery in Sarnia.
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. He represented Lambton West
Lambton West
Lambton West was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1883 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario...
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative 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...
from 1902 to 1919 as 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...
member.
He was born in Adelaide Township, Middlesex County
Middlesex County, Ontario
Middlesex County is a primarily rural county in Southwestern Ontario. Landlocked, the county is bordered by Huron and Perth counties on the north, Oxford County on the east, Elgin County on the south, and Chatham-Kent and Lambton County on the west.The seat is the city of London, although the city...
, Canada West, the son of George Hanna and Jane Murdock, and moved to Lambton County with his family in 1871. He graduated from Sarnia Collegiate Institute at 17 and for the next three years taught at a primary school near his home He then studied law at sgoode Hall]Toronto Ontario], was called to the bar in 1890 and set up practice in Sarnia. He married Jean Gibson Neil in 1891,in Point Edward, Ont. They had one son, William Niel. He then married, in 1896, Maud MacAdams, In Sarnia, Ontario after the death of his first wife. In 1908, Hanna was named King's Counsel. He served as counsel and director for the Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest petroleum company. The company is engaged in the exploration, production and sale of crude oil and natural gas. It is controlled by US based ExxonMobil, which owns 69.6% of its stock...
Company in Sarnia.
Hanna was unsuccessful in the federal elections of 1896 and 1900 before being elected to the provincial assembly in 1902. He served as Provincial Secretary and Registrar
Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Ontario
The Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Ontario was a senior position in the provincial cabinet of Ontario from before Canadian Confederation until the 1960s....
from 1905 to 1916. In 1915 Hanna initiated an overhaul of Ontario's prison systems, closing down facilities which treated prisoners harshly, and took special interest in improving the operations of prisons in Ontario to be more humane. This legacy remains in Toronto's Liberty Village
Liberty Village
Liberty Village is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded at the north by King Street West, the west by Dufferin Street, the south by the Gardiner Expressway, the east by Strachan Avenue, and the northeast by the CP railway tracks...
whose name comes from the neighbourhoods's main road, Liberty Street, nearby the forced closure of Toronto's Central Prison. In 1916, Hanna introduced the Ontario Temperance Act which prohibited the sale of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
except for medicinal purposes or use in church services for the remainder of 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...
. Hanna also served as an adviser to prime minister Robert Laird Borden. In 1917, he was named food controller for Canada, charged with dealing with food shortages and inflation near the end of the war.In ill health, he resigned from his position on 24 Jan. 1918. His condition did not prevent him, however, from assuming later that year the presidency of Imperial Oil, which he would infuse with an air of progressive management. In December, for instance, he initiated collective bargaining and employee benefits.
A month earlier Hanna’s family life had been devastated by the accidental death in Italy of his son, William Neil, a lieutenant in the Royal Air Force. The shock, combined with his failing health, necessitated a trip to a warm climate for the winter. While in Augusta, Hanna suffered a stroke and died on 20 March 1919. Following a Methodist service, he was interred in Lakeview Cemetery in Sarnia.