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Francis Henry Keefer, (24 July 1860 – 4 December 1928) was a
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lawyer and politician.


Life

Born in Strathroy,
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, the son of James Keefer and Maria Cook, studied at the Strathroy Grammar School and
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before receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1881, a Master of Arts degree in 1882, and a Bachelor of Laws in 1882 all from the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
. In 1883, he moved to Prince Arthur's Landing (now
Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario. Its population i ...
) and was called to the Bar in 1884. He practiced law with his brother Thomas Alexander Keefer (c1850-1893). He was created a federal
Queen'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 July 1896 and a provincial King's Counsel in January 1908. He first ran unsuccessfully for the Canadian House of Commons as the
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
candidate for the riding of Thunder Bay and Rainy River in the 1908 federal election. He was elected for Port Arthur and Kenora as the Unionist candidate in the 1917 election and was defeated in
1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...
. Keefer served as Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for External Affairs from November 1918 to July 1920. Keefer also served municipally, as solicitor and counsel in Port Arthur from 1889 to 1910. At various times he acted as Crown Counsel in the Thunder Bay district. He was a persistent advocate of deep waterways on the Great Lakes, later known as the St Lawrence Seaway and was the Canadian government's watchdog on international water questions such as water levels on the Great Lakes and
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, and the
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water diversion. He also did legal work for the International Joint Commission. Keefer married Annie Frances Daby in 1884. After her death in 1915, Keefer married Margaret Wilhelmina Keefer (her father's surname was identical). He was elected as the
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
candidate to the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...
in the 1923 provincial election for the riding of Port Arthur and served until November 1926. He lost the Conservative nomination to the younger and more politically astute Donald McDonald Hogarth. Ontario premier G. Howard Ferguson appointed Keefer
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of Ontario in April 1928, but Keefer died in
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following a heart attack in December that year.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Keefer, Francis 1860 births 1928 deaths Canadian King's Counsel Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario People from Strathroy-Caradoc Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs Unionist Party (Canada) MPs University of Toronto alumni Upper Canada College alumni 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada