Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
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Sir Frederick William Alpin Gordon Haultain (November 25, 1857–January 30, 1942) was the first premier of Canada's North-West Territories (1897–1905) and the last premier prior to the creation of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan from the original territory.
Haultain was first elected to the territorial legislature in 1888 and became a leader of MLAs demanding responsible government for the territory. Responsible government was finally granted in 1897 with Haultain becoming premier. Haultain opposed party politics and led a non-partisan administration.
As premier, Haultain led negotiations for the granting of provincial status . Haultain argued for these territories to be admitted as a single province named Buffalo, and wished them to be governed by non-partisan governments). The federal Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, however, decided to create two province, Alberta and Saskatchewan, in 1905.
Frustrated in negotiations with the federal Liberal government, Haultain became increasingly identified with the Conservative Party and campaigned for it in the 1904 federal election. Laurier's Liberals were re-elected, and when the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were formed, the Liberal government passed over Haultain and appointed loyal Liberals to form those provinces' first governments.
Haultain led the Provincial Rights Party in the 1905 Saskatchewan provincial election, which was won by the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan. From 1905 to 1912, Haultain sat in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan as leader of the Opposition.
In 1912, the newly elected Conservative federal government of Sir Robert Borden made Haultain Chief Justice of Saskatchewan's superior court. He was knighted in 1916, and in 1917 was made Chief Justice of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, a position he held until his retirement in 1938.
| Preceded by: none | Premier of the Northwest Territories 1897-1905 | Succeeded by: position abolished |