Fred Payton
Prince Albert Historical Society
Occasionally someone asks me a question about the person after whom a city street is named. One such street is Donaldson Street in the Westview subdivision.
Born on April 12th, 1856 in Appleton, Lanark County, Ontario to Scottish immigrants. he was educated to a limited extent within the family home, but mostly in the community’s public schools. Donaldson began his employment career as a clerk in a furniture store in Ottawa in 1875. In 1876, he followed the dictum of “Go West, young man, Go West”, having joined the North West Mounted Police. Arriving in Fort Garry (Winnipeg), he travelled with other recruits as far as Portage la Prairie, and then began a solitary journey to Fort Pelly. From there, he was posted to Qu’Appelle, Battleford, and Prince Albert. Donaldson experienced considerable memorable events during his time as a Mountie, but the most memorable was likely in 1881 when he was chosen as an escort for the Governor General, the Marquis of Lorne, who was travelling through western Canada. Donaldson rode with the Governor-General for a month, travelling from Prince Abert to Fort McLeod.
In 1882, Donaldson resigned from the Force, determined to settle in Prince Albert where he farmed for a short period of time before going into partnership in a livery stable with another retired Mountie, Mr. D. Pembridge. Described in the 1888 McPhillips’ Directory as old settlers who knew everybody, they were said to keep the best horses and conveyances. Situated immediately north of the Queen’s Hotel on Central Avenue (the current site of Plaza 88), they were just to the south of another livery stable managed by Charles McGregor, a staunch Liberal. Donaldson was, and continued to be, a strong supporter of the Conservative party.
In 1885, at the time of the Resistance, based on his experience as a Mounted Police officer, Donaldson was called upon to organize and oversee a component of the North West Scouts. He and his men were assigned to do duties between Prince Albert and Duck Lake.
It was in the years after the Resistance that Donaldson’s political career began. He served as a member of Prince Albert’s town council between 1889 and 1891, was elected by acclamation as Mayor in 1892 and 1893 (mayoralty positions being elected yearly at the time), and again served as a member of Council from 1895 until 1903. When Prince Albert became a city in 1904, he was elected as an alderman in 1904 through to 1908. It was during his term as Mayor in 1892 and 1893 that the town hall was constructed. It served as the town/city hall until the late 1960s, and is now the Margo Fournier Arts Centre.
Donaldson was a member of a syndicate who fostered, promoted, and financially backed the first electric lighting plant to serve Prince Albert, a plant which was on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River just west of 6th Avenue East. He electrified his home and business premise, and was the first to erect an exterior light on a pole to illuminate the front yard of his livery barn. This led to representations to the town council to erect street lights in the business district, and to extend electricity south up Central Avenue and west along 20th Street to the Mounted Police barracks, with a few outlying street lights added.
When the Province of Saskatchewan was created in 1905, elections were held to seat members of the Legislative Assembly. Donaldson was selected as the Conservative candidate for Prince Albert. However, he was not declared the successful candidate until what became known as the North Polls Scandal was resolved. (The North Polls Scandal is said to have been perpetrated by the supporters of the Liberal candidate and, eventually, Donaldson’s opponent was unseated and Donaldson was declared the constituency’s legal representative). He ran successfully again in 1908, and in 1912 ran successfully as the Conservative candidate in Shellbrook.
In 1915, after James McKay, Prince Albert’s Member of Parliament resigned to allow his appointment to the Supreme Court of Saskatchewan, a byelection was required. The Conservatives held their nominating convention in the Empress Theatre. There were several names on the ballot for the nomination, and the voting carried on through the night. It was not until 7:00 the following morning that Donaldson was declared the successful candidate. He went on to win the byelection and took his seat in the House of Commons.
While he was a Member of Parliament, Major Daly (at the behest of Sam Hughes, Minister of the Militia) approached Donaldson and asked him to recruit 1,500 men to serve in a battalion to fight the Germans in the First World War. Donaldson was successful, establishing the 188th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In addition to serving himself, and travelling overseas on the S.S Olympic, Donaldson was able to recruit three of his sons, two sons-in-law, and four nephews (all of whom with the exception of one served in the 188th Battalion.) The tattered flag of the 188th can be viewed hanging in the Prince Albert Historical Museum.
Donaldson returned to Canada in 1917, to Ottawa, where he resigned from the Canadian Expeditionary Force to resume his parliamentary duties. He later chose to not run in the 1917 federal election which brought about the Unionist government. By so doing, he allowed Charles McDonald, the Liberal candidate, to seek the seat.
A police officer, soldier, and business man, Donaldson was also a husband, father, and active member of his community. He married Jessie Patterson in 1883. It is said that they were the first couple to be married in the Presbyterian Mission church. Together they raised four daughters and three sons.
Jessie was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Patterson, who had come to Prince Albert from Seaforth, Ontario, in 1881. During the Resistance of 1885, Jessie and her neighbour baked bread and bannock, and cooked beef to feed the members of the Scouts, as well as nursing two wounded Mounted Policemen. She learned the Sioux language and spoke it fluently, which helped her to assist Lucy Baker to teach members of the First Nations. Jessie taught housekeeping to, and employed Sally Buckskin, a refugee from the Custer massacre. She was also one of the supporters of the first hospital in Prince Albert.
Colonel Donaldson was active in the Prince Albert Board of Trade, was president of the Agricultural Society for two years, and president of the Royal North West Mounted Police Veterans’ Association. He was an active Mason, and was president of the Masonic Temple Company at the time of his death. He was also a member of the Oddfellows, the Sons of Scotland, and the St. Andrew’s Society. He enjoyed horse racing, soccer, baseball, and hockey, and would often be seen riding horseback on the river bank.
Donaldson died March 14th, 1926, a few days after his seventieth birthday. A family funeral service, officiated by Canon J.I. Strong, took place in his home on March 18th. This was followed by a parade from the home to St. Paul’s Presbyterian church where a public funeral was officiated by Canon Strong. The interment occurred in the City Cemetery (now South Hill Cemetery), also conducted by Canon Strong. Following the rites of Christian burial, the Masonic service was conducted by Grand Master R.W. Smith and Past Grand Master C.L. Riach.
fgpayton@sasktel.com
