George H. V. Bulyea
George H. V. Bulyea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1stLieutenant Governor of Alberta | |
| In office September 1, 1905 – October 20, 1915 | |
| Monarchs | Edward VII George V |
| Governors General | the Earl Grey The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn |
| Premier | Alexander C. Rutherford Arthur Sifton |
| Preceded by | Amédée E. Forget(as Lieutenant Governor of the North-west Territories) |
| Succeeded by | Robert Brett |
| MLAforSouth Qu'Appelle | |
| In office October 31, 1894 – September 1, 1905 | |
| Preceded by | George Davidson |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Hedley Vicars Bulyea February 17, 1859 Gagetown,New Brunswick |
| Died | July 22, 1928(aged 69) Peachland,British Columbia,Canada |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Liberal-Conservative |
| Spouse | (1863–1934) |
| Children | Percy McFarlane (1885–1901) |
| Residence | Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan |
| Alma mater | University of New Brunswick |
| Occupation | Teacher, businessman, politician |
| Profession | Politician |
| Cabinet | Administrator of Territorial Affairs in the Yukon (1898-1905) |
| Signature |  |
George Hedley Vicars Bulyea(February 17, 1859 – July 22, 1928) was aCanadianpoliticianand the firstLieutenant Governor of Alberta.As the youngest ever Lieutenant Governor, at age 46,[1]he was appointed byGovernor GeneralEarl Greyon advice ofPrime Minister of CanadaSir Wilfrid Laurieron September 1, 1905.
He spent many years in the service of the territorial and provincial governments and played an important role in the early history of the Province of Alberta.
Early life
[edit]George Hedley Vicars Bulyea was born on February 17, 1859, in Gagetown, Queen's County, New Brunswick, to James Albert Bulyea, and Jane Blizzard, two prosperousfarmers.Bulyea was a descendant ofUnited Empire Loyalists,with his great-grandparents being born inNew York.[2]James Albert Bulyea served as a captain with the 1st Battalion of the Queens County Militia, headquartered in Gagetown, his birthplace.[2]
He was educated at the Gagetown Grammar School and graduated from theUniversity of New Brunswick,Fredericton,in 1878, with aBachelor of Artsdegree. He was first in his class with honors inmathematicsandFrench.[3]
After graduation from university, Bulyea decided to pursue a teaching career. He served as principal of the Sheffield Grammar School,Sudbury County,New Brunswick,from 1878, until 1882.[3]In 1883, he moved to Western Canada, and settled initially inWinnipeg,Manitoba.[4]In 1883, he moved toQu'Appelle,District of Assiniboia,North-West Territories(now Saskatchewan),[5]a town just east of Regina. Up until 1898, he worked as a merchant, in which he dealtflourandfeed.[3]He served as the first treasurer of Qu'Appelle, when it was formed as a municipality, in 1886.[3]
On January 29, 1885, he marriedAnnie Blanche Babbit,the second daughter of Robert Thorne Babbit, Registrar of Queens County, New Brunswick. They had one son in 1885, Percy McFarlane Bulyea, who died at the age of fifteen on February 5, 1901,[3]of a paralytic affliction.[6]The Bulyeas were active members of theBaptist Church.[7]
Political career
[edit]In the1891 Northwest Territories election,he ran as an unsuccessful candidate for a seat to theLegislative Assembly of the Northwest Territoriesfor theridingofSouth Qu'Appelle.He ran successfully for the same seat in 1894, and was elected in the1894 Election.[3][8]He was re-elected to the same position in 1898, and 1902[8]On October 7, 1897, he became a Member of the firstExecutive Councilof the Northwest Territories which administered the affairs of the area that presently comprisesAlberta,Saskatchewan,and theYukon.He was re-elected by acclamation at aby-electionon October 26, 1897. In 1898, he was appointedSpecial Commissioner to the Territories,serving in that capacity until the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were created in 1905. During the period 1898 to 1905, he also served asAdministrator of Territorial Affairsin the Yukon for one year. He was reelected to the Northwest Territories Assembly at the1898 Northwest Territories electionand again, by acclamation, in1902 Northwest Territories election.George H.V. Bulyea was appointedCommissioner of Agriculture and Territorial Secretaryin theHaultaingovernment on January 12, 1899, relinquishing the agriculture portfolio in February, 1903, to becomeCommissioner of Public Works.Along withFrederick W. A. G. Haultain,he represented the territorial government in the negotiations with Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the federalCabineton the issue of provincial status.
Lieutenant governor
[edit]On the advice of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Bulyea was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Alberta effective September 1, 1905,[9]the date that Alberta became a province. This appointment was made by Earl Grey, Governor General of Canada. During Bulyea's period of service as Lieutenant Governor hisSecretarieswereG. H. BabbitandA.C. Gillespie.
In 1910, Bulyea presided over the resignation ofPremierA. C. Rutherfordfollowing theAlberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal.He passed over the candidates of two rival factions in the Liberal government's caucus to promote, and finally name, Alberta's Chief JusticeArthur Siftonas Rutherford's successor. This decisive action helped put matters to rest.
The Lieutenant Governor also played a sensitive role in the internal politics of the provincialLiberal Party.The dynamics of federal and provincial political parties were not as clearly delineated then as they are today. The selection of such a prominent Liberal and an active political figure for the first Lieutenant Governor suggests that Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier expected that Bulyea would play an assertive role in developing the politics of the new Province. However, the role of the Office has since evolved into a non-partisan and largelysymbolicposition. Bulyea was appointed Lieutenant Governor for a second term and continued to serve in that capacity until his successor was appointed effective October 20, 1915. Following his service as Lieutenant Governor, Bulyea was appointed chairman of Alberta's Board of Public Utilities on November 20, 1915.
In 1908, Bulyea received honoraryDoctor of Lawsdegrees from theUniversity of Albertaand theUniversity of New Brunswick.While living inEdmonton,he was a member of the Edmonton Club and the Edmonton Golf and Country Club.
Later life
[edit]After the completion of his second term as Lieutenant Governor, he was appointed the first chair of Alberta's Board of Publicity Utility Commissioners, in which he would remain until 1923, when he would resign, due to ill health. After retirement, the Bulyeas moved, and settled inPeachland,British Columbia, where they had previously resided during summers, at their four-hectare fruit orchard and summer home. He was a shareholder in the Peachland Townsite Company and was involved in negotiations for the sale of its irrigation system.
He was an active member of the Edmonton Club, and Edmonton Golf and Country Club, while living in Edmonton.
Death
[edit]Bulyea died on July 22, 1928, inPeachland, British Columbia,after a long illness.[10]A service was held on July 24, at the United Church, inQu'Appelle,Saskatchewan,where he was later interred in the Qu'Appelle Cemetery.[10]His wife, Annie was interred alongside him, when she died in 1934.
Footnotes
[edit]- ^"The Honourable George H.V. Bulyea, 1905-15".Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-12-29.Retrieved2010-01-30.
- ^abPerry & Powell 2006,pp. 347.
- ^abcdefPerry & Powell 2006,pp. 348.
- ^Edmonton Bulletin (1928).First Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Dies.p. 1.
- ^MacRae 1912,pp. 500.
- ^Leader (Regina) (1901).Death of Percy Bulyea.p. 9.
- ^Peachland Memories.p. 268.
- ^abHall, David J. (2005)."Bulyea, George Hedley Vicars".In Cook, Ramsay; Bélanger, Réal (eds.).Dictionary of Canadian Biography.Vol. XV (1921–1930) (online ed.).University of Toronto Press.
- ^Canada Gazette (1905).Appointments.p. 415.
- ^abEdmonton Journal (23 July 1928). "G. H. V. Bulyea Passed Away at Peachland".Edmonton Journal.
- Legislative Assembly of Alberta
1Amédée E. Forgetserved asLieutenant-Governor of Northwest Territoriesuntil Alberta was separated from the Territories and became a province.
References
[edit]- Perry, Sandra E.; Powell, Karen L. (2006),On Behalf of the Crown: Lieutenant Governors of the North-West Territories and Alberta 1869–2005,Alberta: Legislative Assembly of Alberta
- MacRae, Archibald Oswald (1912),History of the Province of Alberta,Calgary, Alberta: Western Canada History Co.
