Sydney Smith McDermand (August 17, 1868 – August 5, 1961) was a Canadian farmer and politician. McDermand was born in

Elgin County, Ontario Elgin County ( ) is a county composed of seven municipalities in Ontario, Canada with a 2021 population of 51,912. Its population centres are Aylmer, Port Stanley, Belmont, Dutton and West Lorne. The county seat is St. Thomas, which is separated ...

where he lived his entire life. A farmer, he became active in local politics as a member of the township council from 1908 to 1912 and again in 1931. McDermand was first elected to the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

from Elgin East in a 1920

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

as a

United Farmers of Ontario The United Farmers of Ontario (UFO) was an agrarian and populist provincial political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century. History Foundation and r ...

MP but was defeated as a Progressive candidate in 1921 federal election by Conservative John Lawrence Stansell by less than 100 votes. After leaving politics, he became an insurance agent for South Dorchester Farm Mutual and went on to serve as the firm's president for 18 years.

References

;Notes ;Sources * 1868 births 1961 deaths United Farmers of Ontario MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Canadian farmers Progressive Party of Canada candidates in the 1921 Canadian federal election 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada {{Ontario-MP-stub