George Spence

Who was George Spence?

George Spence, CBE was a Canadian provincial and federal politician.

Born in Birsay, Orkney Islands, Scotland, the son of Thomas Spence and Elizabeth Hunter, he studied electrical engineering at the Leith Academy Technical College and emigrated to Canada in 1900 to pan for gold in the Yukon. In 1903, he moved to Austin, Manitoba where he was a farmer. In 1912, he moved to Monchy, Saskatchewan. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in 1917 for the riding of Notukeu. A Liberal, he was re-elected in 1921 and 1925. He resigned his provincial seat in 1925 and was elected in the 1925 federal election in the riding of Maple Creek. A Liberal, he was re-elected in the 1926 federal election. He resigned his seat in 1927 to re-enter provincial politics, where he was appointed Minister of Railways. He was also Minister of Highways, Minister of Railways, Labour and Industries, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Public Works. He would serve until 1938 when he was appointed Director of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration.