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

Canadian Canadians () 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 their being ''C ...

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 of t ...

from 1923 to 1925.

Early life and career

Born in

Kingston, Nova Scotia Kingston is a Canadian Villages of Nova Scotia, village in Kings County, Nova Scotia, Kings County on the north bank of the Annapolis River in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, Canada. As of 2021, the population was 3,466. This village is h ...

, the son of Edward and Sarah A. (Currell) Armstrong, Armstrong studied at

Acadia University Acadia University is a public, predominantly Undergraduate education, undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, with some Postgraduate education, graduate programs at the master's level and one at the Doctorate, doctor ...

and

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

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

King's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

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 Mo ...

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 port town located on the Bay of Fundy in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. Yarmouth is the shire town of Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Yarmouth County and is the largest population centre in the region. History Originally inhab ...

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 corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

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

Nova Scotia House of Assembly The Nova Scotia House of Assembly (; ), or Legislative Assembly, is the deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia, and together with the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia makes up the Nova Scotia Legislature. The assembly is ...

. 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 * Filin ...

of Liberal Premier

George Henry Murray George Henry Murray (June 7, 1861 – January 6, 1929) was a Nova Scotia politician who served as the eighth premier of Nova Scotia for 26 years and 188 days, the longest unbroken tenure for a head of government in Canadian history. Early lif ...

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 Ca ...

and the feelings of alienation among Nova Scotians, and also mishandled labour unrest in

Cape Breton Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...

, 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 Bridgewater is a town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the navigable limit of the Lahave River, LaHave River. With a 2021 population of 8,790, Bridgewater is the largest town in the Southern Nova Scotia, South Shore region. Priding i ...

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 Politicians from Kings County, Nova Scotia Premiers of Nova Scotia Nova Scotia municipal councillors Canadian King's Counsel Nova Scotia political party leaders 20th-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly