Thomas Walter Scott
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The Honourable Thomas Walter Scott (known less formally as Walter Scott) (October 27, 1867-March 23, 1938) was the first Premier of the province of Saskatchewan in Canada.
In his early adult life, Scott was a newspaper editor and publisher, becoming a partner in the Regina Standard from 1892 to 1893. From 1894 to 1895, he was the owner and editor of the Moose Jaw Times. Scott then bought the Regina Leader (known today as the Regina Leader-Post) in 1895, and was its editor until 1900.
Politics lured Scott into joining the Liberal Party of Canada, and in 1900, he was elected in the riding of Assiniboia West to the Canadian House of Commons. Scott played a key role in the creation of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta out of the North-West Territories in 1905.
In August, 1905, Scott was named the leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party. When the federal parliament passed The Saskatchewan Act on September 1, 1905, creating the Province of Saskatchewan, Scott was named the first Premier of Saskatchewan by Lieutenant-Governor Forget. On December 13, 1905, the first general election was held. Scott's Liberal Party won 16 seats, while the Provincial Rights Party of former North-West territories Premier Frederick W. A. G. Haultain won the other 9 seats.
Scott's government instituted wartime prohibition, closing all bars and clubs in 1915. His government also extended the voting franchise to women in 1916. This same year, his government was shaken by allegations of bribery and graft. Although Scott himself was not implicated, the scandal took a toll on his health, and he retired from politics that year.
The Walter Scott Building on Albert Street in Regina was named in Scott's honour, and is the home of many provincial government agencies and departments.
In 2001, Gordon Barnhart released a book called Peace, Progress and Prosperity (ISBN 0889771421), which provided the first detailed biography of T. Walter Scott.
| Preceded by: Sir Frederick W. A. G. Haultain (Premier of North West Territories) | Premier of Saskatchewan 1905-1916 | Succeeded by: William M. Martin |