politician Member of the Senate of Canada
He was the head of J. Richardson and Sons Limited, a commodities firm based in Kingston, Ontario that was founded by his father which handled virtually all of Canada"s grain exports to the United Kingdom during World War I. Richardson became president of the firm following the death of his brother, in 1906. Henry Westman (a misspelling of Wartman) Richardson was born the son of James A. Richardson and Susannah Wartman on 21 July 1855 in Kingston.
He attended Kingston Collegiate Institute.
He was president until his own death in 1918. Richardson also sat on the boards of directors of several railway companies as well as Dominion Canneries. He was an Alderman in Kingston and President of the Board of Education.
He was appointed to the Canadian on 22 January 1917 and sat as a Conservative until his death a year later.
Professional Richardson was involved in a number of business, and educational organizations, as follows:
Kingston, Portsmouth & Cataraqui Electric Railway - President
Kingston Feldspar and Mining Company - President and General Manager
Dominion Canners. Limited - Director
North American Smelting Company - president and general manager
Travelers Life Assurance Company of Canada - Officer and Shareholders" Director
Kingston Hosiery Limited - President
Kingston Street Railway Company - President
Mississquoi Marble Company - President
Phillipsburg Railway Company - President
Kingston Board of Trade - President
Liquor License Commissioner - 1911
City Council Kingston, 1892
Cataraqui Golf and Country Club - President
School of Mining, Kingston - Governor
Kingston Yacht Association - President
Board of Education, Kingston
Appointed on the advice of Robert Laird Borden, Richardson was summoned to the of Canada on 22 January 1917.
Post war Empire
In anticipation of the end of World War I, Ontario Premier, Sir William Hearst, asked, "In the day when Canada has a population equal to the British Isles, does any suggest that she should leave the question of peace and war to a Parliament over which she has no control?". As a result a number of Senators, including Richardson, signed an agreement to define the role of Canada in a post-war Imperial Age.
The agreement including these ideas:
Canada strengthened its ties to Great Britain by participating in World War I
Effective Empire government must not sacrifice domestic policy nor surrender fiscal responsibility.
The Dominions need to share defense of the Empire and should have a voice in policy with other states. Political leaders throughout the Empire should meet to discuss the ideas. As the war had not concluded, Ontario Liberal Leader, North.W. Rowell, advised that the priority should be save the Empire first and plan to reorganize it after the war.
Richardson died suddenly from angina pectoris on 27 October 1918.
He was a member of the Boards of Trade in Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg.
He was a Conservative and a member of the Standing Committee on Railways, Telegraphs and Harbours and a member of Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament.
