Alberta's First Speaker: Felled By The Flu.

• Author: Footz, Valerie
• Position: Sketches of Parliaments and Parliamentarians of the Past

One hundred years ago, the world was gripped by an influenza pandemic. Many Canadians succumbed to the disease, including Alberta's first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. In this article, the author traces his political career and explains how a virulent and novel strain of the flu cost him his life.

Charles Wellington Fisher, the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, was eminently suited for this historic role both by temperament and because of his prior service in the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories. Fisher presided over the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for over 13 years as this new province shaped what was to become its legislative legacy. During Fisher's tenure as Speaker, the number of Members in the Legislative Assembly more than doubled from 25 in 1906 to 61 in 1919.

After serving a two-year term as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories, Fisher began to campaign for a seat in the newly established Legislative Assembly of Alberta in October 1905. His prior electoral success in the Banff constituency continued during Alberta's first general election on November 9, 1905. In 1909, the provincial electoral boundaries were redrawn, and Fisher won the next three elections (1909, 1913 and 1917) in the constituency of Cochrane.

On March 15, 1906, the Legislative Assembly of Alberta held the opening of the First Session of the First Legislature at the Thistle Rink in Edmonton. As its first item of business, the new Legislative Assembly elected Charles Wellington Fisher as its first Speaker. Fisher's nomination came through a motion by Premier Alexander C. Rutherford. Since he was one of only eight Members who had served in the Legislative Assembly

Valerie Footz is Director of Library Services and Records Management at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. of the North-West Territories, he was considered a veteran in the newly formed Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Fie was apparently a good-natured man with a keen sense of humour and a talent for mimicry. Premier Rutherford's speech at the opening of the First Legislature called to mind the significance of the role of the Speaker:

The duties of Speaker are various and important. He is the mouthpiece of the House. It is the duty of the First Commoner to preside over our deliberations. He is responsible for enforcing the observance of order and decorum among the members. We should expect that he will mete out uniform and fair...