Mayor Garfield Anderson sitting for a black and white photo wearing a suit and tieIn 1904, Garfield Anderson moved from his home town of Allenford, Ontario to the Rainy River District to set up a homestead. He opened a general store in Stratton, Ontario in 1912 and was married in December of the same year. He joined the army in 1915 and was deployed overseas in April 1917. Upon returning to Canada in early 1919, Anderson moved to Saskatchewan and then relocated to Westfort where he established a barber shop.

As well as serving as a City Councillor, Anderson ran in Federal Elections in 1935, 1940, and 1949 as a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) candidate. The CCF had been formed only a few years prior to this first campaign in 1935, and did not achieve much electoral success until a decade later.

Anderson was victorious in securing the Mayoralty in 1943, defeating three opponents, and was re-elected consecutively for 1945 and 1947. During his time as Mayor, he closed Fort William’s electric street railway in 1947, and prepared for the new dial telephone system which would be introduced in 1949. He was also responsible for improving the benefits of City workers, introducing pension plans, sick leave, and unionization. Nearly 430 wartime houses were built to house employees of Canadian Car and Foundry Ltd. during the Second World War, under Anderson’s Mayoralty.

Born: May 7, 1887 in Allenford, Amabel Township, Bruce County, Ontario

Died: June 1, 1965 in Victoria, British Columbia at the age of 78

Councillor: 1935, 1938-1942

Mayor: 1943-1948

 

Previous Mayor: Mayor Chisholm Mackenzie Ross

Next Mayor: Mayor Hubert Badanai

 

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