Alan Webster Neill

Alan Webster Neill (October 6, 1868 - July 7, 1960) was a Canadian politician. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1921 as the Progressive member for Comox—Alberni, British Columbia.[1]

In 1925 he was re-elected as an Independent and was re-elected four more times before retiring at the 1945 federal election. Throughout the six general elections he contested he was never opposed by a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada.[2]

Neil was an opponent of Japanese immigration to Canada saying in the House of Commons in 1922: "Is it better to fight now when Japan controls only one-half of British Columbia or to leave the fighting until ten years hence when she will, by peaceful conquest, have absorbed the whole of British Columbia and have thousands of her trained troops scattered throughout British Columbia and the other provinces beyond the Rocky Mountains?"[3]

A Middle School in Port Alberni was named A W Neill Middle School in his honour.

References

  1. ↑ http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=090c4da7-b949-45d0-b63f-39854ba32056&Language=E Parliament - House of Commons
  2. ↑ History of Federal Ridings since 1867
  3. ↑ Salt Spring's Japanese Community


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