William Ashbury Buchanan

William Francis Asbury Buchanan (July 2, 1876 – July 12, 1954) was a Canadian journalist, newspaper publisher and politician from Alberta.

Early life

William Francis Asbury Buchanan was born on July 2, 1876, at South Monaghan, Northumberland and Durham County, Ontario, one of seven children to

Buchanan began his career in journalism in 1893 working for The Peterborough Examiner which he was affiliated with for a three year period, he also worked on the editorial staff for The Peterboro Review until 1898. He later was employed as the city editor of the Toronto Telegram until 1903.^[4] He served as secretary of the Ontario Hockey Association prior to 1903, when succeeded by W. A. Hewitt.^[5]

Buchanan was the managing director of the journal in St. Thomas from 1903 until 1905. He left Ontario in 1905 and moved west to Alberta and purchased the Lethbridge Weekly Herald.^[4] He attempted, unsuccessfully, to turn the paper into a daily in 1907 but it soon resumed a weekly publishing schedule.^[4] Buchanan was also named the first librarian of the Alberta Legislature in 1906.

Buchanan married Alma Maude Freeman in 1904 and had two children together, Donald and Hugh.^[1]

Political life

Buchanan entered provincial politics when he contested the riding of Lethbridge City on behalf of the Alberta Liberal Party in the 1909 provincial election and won a seat in the 2nd Alberta Legislature. Buchanan defeated his Conservative opponent William Carlos Ives by 73 votes, and Labor opponent Donald McNabb by 315 votes.^[6] Buchanan had previously served as the president of the Lethbridge Liberal Association prior to his decision to run provincially.^[4] Buchanan was appointed Minister without portfolio in Alexander Cameron Rutherford's government after the election, however he resigned his Cabinet position on March 8, 1910, over a disagreement with provincial railway policy resulting from the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal, and later resigned his seat in the Legislature on September 20, 1911.^[4]

Buchanan switched to federal politics in the

Buchanan was called to the Senate of Canada at the age of 49 on September 5, 1925, on the advice of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, and served until his death in 1954 as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.^[1] Buchanan was a passionate supporter of Waterton Lakes National Park while in the Senate, calling for a fish hatchery, expansion of the Park into British Columbia,^[11] championing the International Peace Park status which was realized in 1932 as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. In the Senate he was referred to as "the Senator from Waterton Lakes National Park".^[12]

Later life and legacy

In 1944, Buchanan was elected president of The Canadian Press.^[5] Buchanan continued as owner of the Lethbridge Herald until his death.^{[citation needed]}

A malignant growth was discovered in Buchanan's body sometime in August 1953 and he died on July 12, 1954, ten days after celebrating his 78th birthday.^{[citation needed]}

Buchanan was an ardent supporter of the Waterton Lakes National Park, where a number of features bare his name, including Buchanan Peak (in the Clark Range which was named for the Senator in 1971, and Buchanan Ridge.^[13]

References

Citations