George W. McPhee

MCPHEE, K.C., GEORGE WASHINGTON, teacher, lawyer and judge; b. 17 November 1880 in St. Catherines, son of Annie Rogerson nee McPhee; m. first August 1911, Jennie M. Hodgson of Charlottetown, and they had one child, Elizabeth; m. secondly 7 July 1915 Flora Connor of Crystal City, Manitoba, and they had three children, George Fraser, Ian Archibald, and Mary Anne; Presbyterian, and later United; d. 23 November 1971. McPhee, a Liberal, was elected to the Legislative Assembly in a by-election held 8 February 1911 for 2nd Queens. He was defeated in the general election of 1912. His by-election victory, brought about due to the resignation of Liberal William Laird*, was an important victory for the Liberals, as they were holding a 16-seat to 14-seat majority. Later that year, the Liberals would lose two by-elections and their majority. In 1917, following a move to Saskatchewan, McPhee was defeated in the federal election in the riding of MacKenzie. In October 1925, he was elected to the House of Commons in the new riding of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, and was re-elected in 1926, 1930, and 1935. Upon arriving in Saskatchewan, McPhee took part in the election campaign with the provincial Liberals. He played a role in the federal Liberal party beyond Saskatchewan's borders, campaigning federally in 1935 in Ontario and the Maritime provinces. McPhee took an active part in the provincial elections in New Brunswick. During a number of federal elections, he addressed more than 20 political conventions in Ontario. While a Member of the House of Commons, he was chair of the Private Bill Committee and was a member of the Committee on Banking and Commerce. In 1937 McPhee was one of the delegates of the Canadian Parliament to attend the Coronation of King George VI. McPhee received his early education at the local school in St. Catherines. Later he attended Prince of Wales College and was trained as a teacher. From 1900 to 1905, he taught in Island schools. Following his time as a teacher, he studied law in the office of Weeks and Whear*, and was admitted to the Bar in 1910. Before leaving the Island, McPhee worked as a lawyer in Charlottetown. In 1914 he was appointed Chairman of the Board of License Commissioners for Saskatchewan, and from 1915 to 1918 served as Crown Prosecutor in Yorkton. In 1920 McPhee received the designation of King's Counsel. On 26 February 1940, he became a ludge of the District and Surrogate Courts for the judicial districts of Moose Jaw. In 1943 he was appointed chairman of the committee to deal with the restoration of organizations banned during the Second World War by the federal government. That same year, he was appointed as Rental Appeal Judge for southern Saskatchewan and served in this capacity until 1950. McPhee also served as president of the council of district judges of Saskatchewan. McPhee was a member of fraternal organizations in Prince Edward Island and later in Moose Jaw. In Saskatchewan he was a member of the Canadian and Rotary Clubs, the Moose Jaw Lodge Number 3 and the A.F. and A.M. George McPhee died 23 November 1971, and he was buried in British Columbia. Jennie McPhee was the daughter of S. F. Hodgson. Flora McPhee was the daughter of Archibald Connor and Mary Phillips.