Richard Secord (politician)

Richard Secord
Member of the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories for Edmonton
In office May 21, 1902 – September 1, 1905
Preceded by	Matthew McCauley
Succeeded by	District abolished
Alderman on the Edmonton Town Council
In office December 12, 1898 – December 11, 1899
Personal details
Born	July 19, 1860 Brant, Ontario, Ontario
Died	January 12, 1935(1935-01-12) (aged 74) Edmonton, Alberta
Political party	Northwest Territories Liberal-Conservative Party
Spouse(s)	Anna Ada York (4 children)
Profession	Businessman, teacher
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Richard Secord (July 19, 1860 – January 12, 1935) was a politician in western Canada, a member of the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories, a municipal councillor in Edmonton, and a candidate for the Canadian House of Commons.

Early life

Richard Secord was born in Brant, Ontario on July 19, 1860. He was a great grandnephew of War of 1812 heroine Laura Secord. He was educated in Brant, and graduated with honours from Brantford Collegiate Institute. He came to Edmonton by way of Chicago and Winnipeg, arriving September 1, 1881.

Upon arriving, he helped build the first public school in Edmonton, and then moved to Pakan, Alberta to teach native children for a year. He returned to Edmonton in 1883 and taught for four years, and then entered the employ of John Alexander McDougall as a clerk. He started his own fur-trading business in 1888, and sold it to the Hudson's Bay Company in 1890. Thereafter, he partnered with McDougall.

In 1897, the pair founded McDougall & Secord, which advertised itself as "general merchants, wholesale and retail; buyers and exporters of raw furs; dealers in land scrip and north west lands; outfitters for survey parties, traders, trappers, miners and others for the north, and suppliers for country stores." The two ran the company until 1907, when they sold it and went into business as a financial house and mortgage corporation called McDougall & Secord, Limited, which still exists today.

He married schoolteacher Anna Ada York in 1891; the couple had four children.

Political career

Richard Secord first sought political office during the 1898 municipal election, running for alderman on Edmonton Town Council. He was elected to a one year term, and did not seek re-election at its conclusion.

He next ran for the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories in the 1902 territorial election as a Conservative in the riding of Edmonton. He was elected, and served until 1905, when Alberta was created and Edmonton therefore ceased to be part of the North-West Territories. While in the legislature, he introduced the bill that incorporated Edmonton as a city.

Secord ran in the 1904 federal election as a Conservative candidate in Edmonton, but was handily defeated by Liberal Frank Oliver.

Investments and philanthropy

Secord had a significant impact on Edmonton through his expenditures of money. He arranged financing (with McDougall and others) for the construction of the city's Low Level Bridge. He also provided financial support to the Thistle Rink and the Misericordia Hospital, and financially backed the Edmonton Journal (which was intended as a Conservative alternative to Oliver's Liberal Edmonton Bulletin).

Death and legacy

Richard Secord died January 12, 1935. Edmonton's Secord neighbourhood and Ecole Richard Secord School are named in his honour.

References

• Edmonton Public Library biography of Richard Secord
• City of Edmonton biography of Richard Secord