John Alexander Mathieson

Who was John Alexander Mathieson?

John Alexander Mathieson was a Prince Edward Island politician and jurist, the 12th Premier.

Mathieson was born in Harrington and was a graduate of Prince of Wales College. He was a schoolmaster and lawyer before entering politics with his election to the province's legislature as a Conservative in 1900.

Mathieson sat on the opposition benches becoming leader of the opposition and the Conservative Party in 1903. In December 1911, the Liberal government resigned when Premier H. James Palmer was defeated in a by-election which also caused the governing Liberals to lose their majority in the legislature. The lieutenant-governor asked Mathieson as leader of the opposition to form a government, which he did, going on to win a mandate in the 1912 general election.

Mathieson's government pressed the federal government to fulfill the terms on which Prince Edward Island joined Canadian confederation in 1873. He succeeded in persuading Ottawa to provide an improved annual subsidy to the province and, in 1915, Ottawa announced the creation of a year round ferry service to connect the island to the mainland. The ferries began operating between PEI and New Brunswick in 1917.