William Ferguson

Background

Ferguson was born in Ontario and came to Manitoba in 1882.

Career

He was a farmer and lived in Hamiota during his political career. He first campaigned for the Manitoba legislature in the 1896 provincial election, and lost to Liberal incumbent David McNaught by fifty-four votes in the Saskatchewan constituency. He ran again for Saskatchewan in the 1899 election, and defeated Liberal candidate John Henry McConnell by fifteen votes.

Redistribution forced Ferguson into the Hamiota constituency for the 1903 election, and he lost to Liberal David Jackson by twenty-two votes.

Ferguson served as chair of public accounting during his time in the legislature. His biographical entry in the Canadian Parliamentary Guide indicates that he was popular with both sides of the house.

He lost to John Henry McConnell by 398 votes in the 1914 election, and by 347 votes in a 1920 rematch.

Achievements

• The Conservatives won this election, and Ferguson served in the legislature as a backbench supporter of premiers Hugh John Macdonald and Rodmond Palen Roblin. He was returned to the legislature for Hamiota in the 1907 election, and won again in 1910.

Membership

He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1899 to 1903 and from 1907 to 1914, as a member of the Conservative Party.