Author(s): Gordon L. Barnhart

Politics | Saskatchewan

Walter Scott was a populist with a vision for the new province. A newspaperman, entrepreneur, and land speculator before being elected to the House of Commons in 1900, by 1905, Scott had become leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal party and premier of the new province. After the 1905 election, Scott embarked on a program to build the province's infrastructure, including the Legislative Building and the University of Saskatchewan. He believed that agriculture was a vital component in the fabric of Saskatchewan life, and by including farm leadership in cabinet, he created a political climate founded on agriculture. Scott's government was also instrumental in enacting prohibition and establishing female suffrage. The fruits of Walter Scott's labours in education, agriculture and public policy continue to be harvested in Saskatchewan today, but few remember who planted the original seeds.

In his day, Scott was respected for his leadership in the growth and development of Saskatchewan. With the publication of this landmark biography by Gordon L. Barnhart, Scott's pivotal role will be recognized anew by the generations who now live in the province he was instrumental in founding.