Ernest Howard Armstrong, (July 27, 1864 – February 15, 1946) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

politician and journalist who served as the ninth

premier of Nova Scotia The premier of Nova Scotia is the first minister to the lieutenant governor of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia and presides over the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. Following the Westminster system, the premier is normally the leader o ...

from 1923 to 1925.

Early life and career

Born in Kingston, Nova Scotia, the son of Edward and Sarah A. (Currell) Armstrong, Armstrong studied at

Acadia University Acadia University is a public, predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level. The enabling legislation consists of the Acadia ...

and

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus in Saint John, New Brunswick. Dalhousie offer ...

where he received a Bachelor of Laws degree. He was created

King's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...

in 1907. He practiced law in

Weymouth, Nova Scotia Weymouth is a rural village located in Digby County, Nova Scotia on the Sissiboo River near its terminus on Baie Ste. Marie. History The area was settled in the 1760s by New England Planters. The town was formally founded by Loyalist James ...

from 1889 to 1892 and during that period was also editor of the ''Weymouth Free Press''. In 1892, he moved to

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Yarmouth is a town in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. A port town, industries include fishing, and tourism. It is the terminus of a ferry service to Bar Harbor, Maine, run by Bay Ferries. History Originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq, the regi ...

where he held the office of vice and deputy United States Consul from 1894 to 1906.

Political career

He was elected to the town council in 1900 and was the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

of Yarmouth from 1904 to 1906, when he won a seat in the

Nova Scotia House of Assembly The Nova Scotia House of Assembly (french: Assemblée législative de la Nouvelle-Écosse; gd, Taigh Seanaidh Alba Nuadh), or Legislative Assembly, is the deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia Each General Assembly of the ...

. He joined the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

of Liberal Premier George Henry Murray in 1911 and served as minister of public works and then as minister of mines. In 1923, Armstrong succeeded Murray as Premier and inherited a Liberal government that had been in power for 40 years. Armstrong was unable to overcome the effects of a serious economic downturn in the region, underestimated the strength of the

Maritime Rights Movement The Maritime Rights Movement arose in the 1920s in response to perceived unfair economic policies in Canada that were affecting the economies of the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. At a time of rural protest in ...

and the feelings of alienation among Nova Scotians, and also mishandled labour unrest in Cape Breton, all of which led to the defeat of his government in the 1925 election. The Liberals won only three seats out of 43 in the legislature. He died in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.

References

History of Nova Scotia (Volume 3) (1916)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, Ernest 1864 births 1946 deaths Acadia University alumni Canadian Methodists Canadian people of Scottish descent Schulich School of Law alumni Nova Scotia Liberal Party MLAs People from Kings County, Nova Scotia Premiers of Nova Scotia Nova Scotia municipal councillors Canadian King's Counsel Nova Scotia political party leaders