William Cameron Edwards

Who was William Cameron Edwards?

William Cameron Edwards was a Canadian businessman and parliamentarian.

He was born in Clarence Township in Russell County, Ontario, the son of William Edwards and Ann Cameron, received basic schooling in Ottawa and, at a young age, began work in the timber industry at Thurso, Quebec. He founded W.C. Edwards & Company which built large sawmills at Rockland and New Edinburgh. Up until 1920, Edwards' company also operated a sawmill on the Petite-Nation River in Quebec at North Nation Mills, north of Plaisance.

In 1885, he married Catherine Wilson.

A Liberal, he was five times elected as a Member of Parliament representing the Ontario electoral district of Russell. He was first elected in the Canadian federal election of 1887, and was re-elected in 1888, 1891, 1896 and 1900. On 17 March 1903 he was appointed to the Canadian Senate upon the recommendation of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He represented the senatorial division of Russell County, Ontario until his death in Ottawa.

At one time, Edwards owned the residence at 24 Sussex Drive, having purchased it from Joseph Merrill Currier in 1902. Ironically his nephew Cameron Macpherson Edwards's home, Harrington Lake, is now the country retreat of the Prime Minister of Canada.