# James Alexander Calder

James Alexander Calder PC (September 17, 1868 – July 20, 1956) was a Canadian politician.

## Biography

Born in Oxford County, Ontario, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba in 1888. He was a teacher and principal, before being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the riding of South Regina in the 1905 provincial election. A Liberal, he was re-elected in a 1908 by-election and in the 1912 election. From 1905 to 1912, he was the Minister of Education, Provincial Treasurer, and Minister of Railways. The rural village of Calder, SK was named after him when it was incorporated in 1911. From 1916 to 1917, he was the President of the Executive Council, Minister of Railways, and Minister of Highways.
He was elected as a Unionist candidate to the House of Commons of Canada for the riding of Moose Jaw in the 1917 federal election. He held many ministerial positions including Minister of Immigration and Colonization, Minister of Agriculture (Acting), Minister of Militia and Defence (Acting), President of the Privy Council, and Minister presiding over the Department of Health.
In 1921 James Calder used his position to silence one of the first critics of Residential Schools , Dr P.H. Bryce M.A., M.D., author of Record of the Health Conditions of the Indians of Canada from 1904 to 1921. Dr Bryce had been appalled by the death toll tuberculosis had levelled on the children attending these schools over the previous decades and had advocated intently to improve these conditions and lower a mortality rate exponentially higher than Canadians of European descent. James Calder used his position to force Dr Bryce into an unwanted retirement and was able to silence his advocacy that may have saved innumerable lives.
In 1921, he was called to the Canadian Senate, appointed on the advice of The Rt. Hon. Arthur Meighen, representing the senatorial division of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. A Conservative (and later Progressive Conservative), he died in office in 1956.

## Philately

Outside politics, Calder was a noted philatelist who signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1947.

## Electoral history

1905 Saskatchewan general election: South Regina electoral district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Alexander Calder | 872 | 52.15% | – |
| | Provincial Rights | James Benjamin Hawkes | 800 | 47.85% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,672 | 100.00% | |
1908 Saskatchewan general election: Milestone electoral district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Provincial Rights | Albert Eugene Whitmore | 1,097 | 51.55% | +3.70 |
| | Liberal | James Alexander Calder | 1,031 | 48.45% | -3.70 |
| Total | Total | Total | 2,128 | 100.00% | |
December 7, 1908 By-election: Saltcoats electoral district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Alexander Calder | 1,101 | 81.25% | +16.31 |
| | Independent | Hugh Alexander Green | 254 | 18.75% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,355 | 100.00% | |
1912 Saskatchewan general election: Saltcoats electoral district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Alexander Calder | 1,357 | 74.07% | -7.18 |
| | Conservative | James Nixon | 475 | 25.93% | - |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,832 | 100.00% | |
1917 Saskatchewan general election: Saltcoats electoral district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Alexander Calder | 2,699 | 71.14% | -2.93 |
| | Conservative | Henry Leppington | 1,095 | 28.86% | +2.93 |
| Total | Total | Total | 3,794 | 100.00% | |
1917 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Government (Unionist) | CALDER, Hon. James Alexander | 8,866 |
| | Opposition-Labour | SOMERVILLE, James | 2,946 |

## References and sources
### References

* ↑ Background notes on The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists September 2011, Roll of Distinguished Philatelists Trust, London, 2011. Archived here.

### Sources

* James Alexander Calder – Parliament of Canada biography
* "Historical Members of the Legislative Assembly" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-10-28. Retrieved 2006-08-06. (137 KiB)
* "Offices Held by Members of the Executive Council" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-08. Retrieved 2006-08-06. (206 KiB)
* "Saskatchewan Election Results By Electoral Division" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-04-27.
Political offices :
| Preceded byNewton Rowell | Minister presiding over the Department of Health 1920–1921 | Succeeded byJohn Wesley Edwards |
The Story of a National Crime Being a Record of the Health Conditions of the Indians of Canada from 1904 to 1921, by Dr. P. H. Bryce, M.A., M.D. Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Department https://archive.org/details/storyofnationalc00brycuoft/page/n7/mode/2up