Albert Edward Matthews (May 17, 1873 – December 16, 1949) was the 16th

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario The lieutenant governor of Ontario (, in French: ''Lieutenant-gouverneur'' (if male) or ''Lieutenante-gouverneure'' (if female) ''de l'Ontario'') is the representative in Ontario of the monarch, who operates distinctly within the province but i ...

. Matthews was born in

Lindsay, Ontario Lindsay is a community of 22,367 people ( 2021 census) on the Scugog River in the Kawartha Lakes region of south-eastern Ontario, Canada. It is approximately west of Peterborough. It is located in the City of Kawartha Lakes, and is the hub for ...

. He worked as an investment broker in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

and rose to the position of director of various companies. Matthews served as Ontario's 16th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1937 to 1946. He took office during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

while

Mitchell Hepburn Mitchell Frederick Hepburn (August 12, 1896 – January 5, 1953) was the 11th premier of Ontario, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest premier in Ontario history, becoming premier at age 37. He was the only Ontario Liberal Party leader in the ...

was

Premier of Ontario The premier of Ontario () is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly; as such, the premier typically sits as a member of Provincia ...

. Hepburn had come to office promising to show austerity by curtailing the perks and privileges of, among others, the lieutenant-governor. Chorley Park, the grand official residence of the lieutenant-governor since 1915, was closed in the first year of Matthews' term and its contents auctioned off leaving him with a suite in the legislative buildings for

official functions An official function is either an event, such as a convention, that has an official purpose for one's employment, vocation or profession-whether run by a person, institution or governmental agency-or an official duty. Attending events with officia ...

. As a result, Matthews did less official entertaining during his term in office at Queen's Park quarters than anticipated. He instead hosted royalty and other dignitaries at his Toronto estate. Making many visits to churches, hospitals, military, civic, and government functions in his role as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Matthews brought a steady dignity to his service while in office. Highlights of his tenure include the August 18, 1938, opening with US President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

of the

Thousand Islands Bridge The Thousand Islands International Bridge () is an American-maintained international bridge system over the Saint Lawrence River connecting northern New York in the United States with southeastern Ontario in Canada. Constructed in 1937, with add ...

, connecting Ontario to New York State. Matthews was also present for the first visit to Canada by a reigning

Canadian monarch The monarchy of Canada is Canada's Government#Forms, form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is one of the key components of Canadian sovereignty and sits at the core of Canadian federalism, Canada's cons ...

, King

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...

, who was accompanied by his wife,

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...

. Matthews and Ontario Premier Mitchell Hepburn officially welcomed the King and Queen to Queen's Park, Toronto, on May 22, 1939. Matthews died in

Windermere, Ontario Windermere is a community on Lake Rosseau, located within and governed by the municipality of Muskoka Lakes. Windermere hosts two resorts, two community centres, two public beaches, two public docks, an eighteen-hole golf course and a post offi ...

, in 1949 and was buried in

Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a cemetery located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries. It was opened in November 1876 and is located north of Moore Park, a neighbourhood of Toronto. The cemetery has k ...

. In 1960, to commemorate his lifetime of service in the Baptist Church, the Matthews Memorial Tower was built at

McMaster Divinity College McMaster Divinity College, also known as MDC, is a Baptist Christian seminary in Hamilton, Ontario affiliated with McMaster University and the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (Canadian Baptist Ministries). History McMaster Divinity Co ...

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

. One of his sons was

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Major General and businessman Bruce Matthews and the other was Paul Matthews, a very successful Toronto stockbroker.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Albert Edward 1873 births 1949 deaths Canadian Baptists Lieutenant governors of Ontario People from Kawartha Lakes