Hugh John Montgomery

Hugh John Montgomery (July 31, 1876 – August 30, 1956) was a merchant fox farmer and a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a politician on the municipal and provincial levels of government in Alberta. On the municipal level he served on the city council of Wetaskiwin holding various posts from 1906 to 1929. On the provincial level he served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta twice from 1914 to 1921 and again from 1930 to 1935 sitting with the Liberal caucus in both government and opposition.

Hugh John Montgomery was born in Bedeque, Prince Edward Island on July 31, 1878. He grew up on the island attending his post secondary education at Charlottetown Business CollegeHe moved west in 1898 after graduating settling in Wetaskiwin when it was still in the Northwest Territories.

Montgomery became a merchandiser and owned part of a large grain and livestock ranch. He became involved in municipal politics soon after being settled in the community.

Municipal

Montgomery began his political career on the municipal level when he won election as an Alderman in 1906. He held the post for three terms until 1909. Montgomery ran for mayor of the city in 1910 and won. Montgomery won election as Chief Magistrate of the city holding that position from 1922 to 1929.

Provincial

Montgomery ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature for the first time in a by-election on November 17, 1914 in the electoral district of Wetaskiwin. The by-election was called after the death of incumbent Charles Olin. Montgomery ran in a two way race against Conservative candidate Finlay Watson. On election night Montgomery defeated Watson with a wide majority causing him to lose his deposit.

Montgomery ran for re-election to his second term in office in the 1917 Alberta general election. He held his seat and was re-elected in a landslide over Conservative candidate R.M. Angus.

Montgomery ran for a third term in office in the 1921 Alberta general election. He was defeated by Evert Sparks a candidate running under the United Farmers banner in a closely contested race.

Montgomery and Sparks faced each other again for the second time in the 1926 Alberta general election, Sparks retained his seat beating Montgomery by less than two hundred votes in a hotly contested election on the second vote count. The Conservative candidate's second-choice ballots were distributed after being dropped out in the first round, and, interestingly, most of them went to the UFA candidate, instead of to Montgomery.

Montgomery ran against Sparks again for the third time in the 1930 Alberta general election. He defeated him in a closely contested two way race to return to his third term in office nine years after he was defeated.

Montgomery was defeated again in the 1935 Alberta general election this time by John Wingblade a candidate under the Social Credit banner. He finished a distant second in the field of five candidates.

Montgomery attempted one final comeback running as an Independent in the 1944 Alberta general election. He was once again defeated by Wingblade finishing a very distant third place in the field of four candidates.

Montgomery died in 1956 in Edmonton.