Walter Edward Foster (April 9, 1873 – November 14, 1947) 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 businessman in

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

Early life

Foster was born in

St. Martins, New Brunswick St. Martins is a community on the Bay of Fundy now part of the village of Fundy-St. Martins, Canada. The village was founded as Quaco by 1783 by soldiers from the disbanded loyalist King's Orange Rangers. It was incorporated in 1967. Led by s ...

. He began work as a clerk with the

Bank of New Brunswick The Bank of New Brunswick, established in 1820, was the first Canadian bank to operate under a charter. The bank operated independently in New Brunswick and later in Prince Edward Island until it merged with the Bank of Nova Scotia (now Scotiabank ...

Saint John Saint John or St. John usually refers to either John the Baptist or John the Apostle. Saint John or St. John may also refer to: People Saints * John the Baptist ( – ), preacher, ascetic, and baptizer of Jesus Christ * John the Evangelis ...

. He joined the merchant firm of Vassie and Company and became vice president and managing director after marrying Johanna Vassie, daughter of the firm's head. Active in community business affairs, Foster served as President of the Saint John

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in 1908–1909.

Political career

In 1916, Walter Foster became leader of the province's

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

which swept to victory in the 1917 election. Foster was defeated in the

Saint John County Saint John County (2021 population: 76,558) is located in southern New Brunswick, Canada. The city of Saint John dominates the county. Elsewhere in the county, tourism is focused around the Bay of Fundy. Census subdivisions Communities Th ...

riding in the 1917 election but was elected to the Legislative Assembly by acclamation in a

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 ...

later that year in Victoria County. Though leader at age 45, he was called the "boy premier" for his youthful, cleancut appearance (Doyle). His government established the first

department of health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...

in 1918, gave women the right to vote in 1919 and created the province's power commission in 1920. Walter Foster resigned from provincial politics on February 1, 1923 in order to return to put his own failing personal finances in order. He entered federal politics becoming

Secretary of State of Canada The Secretary of State for Canada, established in 1867 with a corresponding department, was a Canadian Cabinet position that served as the official channel of communication between the Dominion of Canada and the British Empire, Imperial governmen ...

in 1925, but failed to win a seat in that year's federal election. In 1928, Walter Foster was appointed by

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Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who was the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Liberal ...

to the

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and served as

Speaker of the Senate of Canada The speaker of the Senate of Canada () is the presiding officer of the Senate of Canada. The speaker represents the Senate at official functions, rules on questions of parliamentary procedure and parliamentary privilege, and presides over debat ...

from 1936 to 1940.

Personal life and death

Foster married Joanna Vassie in 1903. His son, Walter William Vassie Foster, served in the provincial Legislative Assembly. He died in office in Saint John at the age of 74 and was buried in the Cedar Hill Cemetery.

References

*
Government of New Brunswick biography (pdf)

Early life

Political career

Personal life and death

References

Further reading