) Honourable Dr. Robert Brett-Lieutenant Governor-1915-1925

52) Honourable Dr. Robert Brett-Lieutenant Governor-1915-1925

Brett was born on November 15, 1851, at Strathroy, Ontario. His parents immigrated from Ireland in 1846, and became pioneer settlers in Middlesex County, Ontario. When Brett was 10 years old, his parents sold their family farm and moved to the town of Strathroy, so that he could attend school there. Over the years, he became very good friends with his family doctor, Dr. Richard Eccles. He admired Dr. Eccles so much that he chose to become a doctor as well.

On June 26, 1878, he married Louise T. Hungerford. They had two sons and two daughters, but sadly, all of his children died before he did.

In 1883 Brett was chosen to be the company physician for the Canadian Pacific Railway, while it was being constructed. Once it was completed, he then became chief surgeon for the Canadian Pacific Railway for Banff and the areas that surround it.

As Brett travelled, he developed a very big interest in the sulphur hot springs found in Banff and British Columbia. Believing that they could help sick patients, he decided to use them to help heal those who were suffering from arthritis and other skin problems. In 1886 he moved to Banff and built a spa hospital called the Banff Sanitarium. He then went on to build the Brett Hospital in Banff, where he was the Senior Surgeon.

In 1896, he proposed that the Districts of Alberta and Athabasca become separate provinces. In addition, he was a leader in convincing the government to establish better management and conservation of Banff National Park. He was also a strong lobbyist in favor of Banff becoming the provincial capital of Alberta, rather than Edmonton.

Honorable Dr. Robert G. Brett died on September 16, 1929, at Calgary, Alberta. Both a park in the city of Edmonton, and a mountain in Banff are named in his memory.

By Jessica Badyk

53) Honourable Dr William Egbert- Lieutenant Governor-1925-1931

The Honourable Dr. William Egbert was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Alberta on October 29th, 1925. Dr. William Egbert was born in Welland County, Ontario on February 25th, 1857. Before Egbert went to school at the University of Toronto to become a doctor, he was the principle of Dunnville Public School in Ontario. In 1889 he graduated from University of Toronto and Victoria University, Toronto to become a doctor and a Masters in Surgery. While he was attending school, he married Eva C. Millar, who had two children with Egbert. William Egbert`s son William Gordon became a judge of the Supreme Court of Alberta.

Egbert and his family moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1904 to practice medicine. During the provincial election on March 22nd, 1909 Egbert was an unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Calgary. However, this did not keep him down as that same year he was elected to the Calgary City Council for two years. When the election for Mayor of Calgary came in 1911, Egbert again lost this race.

In 1917 the University of Alberta gave him an Honorary Doctor of Law degree. During 1917-1925 Egbert was President of the Alberta Provincial Federal Association form. As well during this time he was president of the Calgary Board of Trade, Medical Association, and Alberta Liberal Association. Egbert also was a member of the Edmonton Board of Health where he was the Paymaster of the 103rd Regiment in Calgary. The Honourable Dr. William Egbert died on October 15, 1936, in Calgary, Alberta, and was buried in the Union Cemetery in Calgary.

By Jasmyn McCulloch

54) Honourable Frank Lynch-Stauton-Lieutenant Governor-1979-1985

The Honorable Frank Lynch- Staunton was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor from October 1979 and until October 1984. He began his career in Alberta public affairs later in his life, after pursuing other goals such as ranching and education. He began his studies at Western Canadian College in Calgary. He then continued his studies at the University of Alberta, where he studied engineering.

Shortly after this he was married to his first wife Monica Adam. Monica Adam and Frank Lynch- Staunton had three children. During this time Staunton was employed as a land surveyor for Imperial Oil and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Moving on from surveying completely and back to his roots, he entered into a ranching partnership with his father in 1929. The ranch was in a small southern Alberta town called Lundbreck, which has been passed down to his family and is still currently running. After the passing of Monica Adam, he married Muriel Shaw in 1983.

The Honorable Frank Lynch- Staunton began his public life during his career in the Canadian Militia in 1933, serving as the second lieutenant. He retired from this role in 1943 and shortly after took on many other public roles. Prime Minister C. Joseph Clark recommended that Lynch- Staunton be appointed the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, which took effect October 18^th 1979. During his time as Lieutenant Governor he received two honorary Doctor of Law degrees from the University of Alberta and the University of Lethbridge. He also formed a strong relationship with First Nations peoples, leading to him being named the honorary Chief of the Blood tribe. He retired from his Lieutenant Governor position in 1984, and passed away six years later in Edmonton.

By Aurelia Minutoli

55) Honourable George H.V. Bulyea- Lieutenant Governor- 1905-1915

On September 1, 1905, on the same day that Alberta was declared a province, George H.V. Bulyea was appointed as the first Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. He was a patient, noble and tactful man, who at only 45 years old, was the youngest person to ever be appointed as a Lieutenant Governor in Canada.

Honorable Bulyea was born on February 17, 1859, at Gagetown, New Brunswick. His parents were prosperous Loyalist farmers, who came to New Brunswick from New York in July 1783, after the American Revolutionary War.

On January 29, 1885, George H.V. Bulyea married Annie Blanche Babbit, and they had one son, named Percy. Sadly, at the age of fifteen, Percy died in a skiing accident in Banff. The Bulyeas were members of the Baptist church, and became the first residents of Government House when it opened on October 7, 1913 as the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor.

Lieutenant Governor Bulyea's first official act was to select the Province's interim Premier to serve until the first provincial general election. On September 2, 1905, he named Alexander C. Rutherford, the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party, to the position. When the Liberals won the election on November 9, 1905, Alexander C. Rutherford then became Premier of Alberta. On November 24, 1905, Hon. Bulyea drove the silver spike into the first rail of the Canadian Northern Railway, and he even organized the first competitive music festival in Alberta, which took place in May 1908.

One of his favorite hobbies was to hitch his horses to wagons and drive them to official occasions that he attended. He had a summer home in Peachland, BC. He did not like Edmonton winters because he was unable to drive his horses in the cold weather.

He served as Lieutenant Governor of Alberta until October 20, 1915 and died on July 22, 1928, at Peachland, British Columbia.

By Jessica Badyk

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