Robert Brett

Robert George Brett, (16 November 1851 – 16 September 1929), was a politician and doctor in the Northwest Territories and later Alberta, Canada.

Brett was well educated, attending the University of Toronto and attaining his medical degree. He attended various schools in the United States for his post graduate work. In 1874 he located in the small village of Arkona, Ontario where he even served a term as village reeve.

He was married in 1873 to Louise T. Hungerford and had four children, all four of whom predeceased their parents (their eldest daughter, Genevieve, died as a four month old infant in October 1881 and is buried at Arkona). Although it has been stated that Brett moved to Manitoba in 1880 he and his family were listed in the 1881 census in Arkona. In any case in the early 1880s he helped found the Manitoba Medical College and sat as a board member on the University of Manitoba.

In 1883 he moved to Banff, Northwest Territories. He worked as a doctors at the Banff Sanitarium which he founded.

In 1888 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories. He became a "de facto" leader of the government as Chairman of the Lieutenant-Governor's Advisory Council. Robert Brett had a rivalry with longtime member Frederick Haultain.

In 1898 Robert Brett became the first Leader of the Official Opposition during a time in which the Territories Legislature made a transition to party politics. In the 1902 election he unexpectedly dropped out of the race, a move that hurt the Northwest Territories Liberal Party.

When Alberta became a province in 1905 he ran in Banff for the Conservative Party but was defeated.

He served as a senior surgeon in Banff at Brett Hospital. In 1909 he became President of the Alberta Conservative Party. During his time in the early 20th century he served on a number of boards in Alberta. He was appointed as Lieutenant Governor of Alberta in 1915 and served two terms.

He died in Calgary, Alberta; he was buried in Banff. "Mount Brett", west of Banff, was named in his honour.

References:

*Johnson, Margery. "The Arkona Cemetery and Mennonite Cemetery in Warwick Township" (Arkona: Arkona and Area Historical Society, 1985).
*Johnson, William F. "Arkona Through the Years" (Forest, Ontario: Pole Printing, 1976).

External links

* [http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/people/lt_brett.html Robert Brett Biography: Alberta Heritage]

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=7901 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]