Joseph Lee Phelps

{{Short description|Canadian farmer and politician (1899–1983)}}

{{for|the Australian politician|Joseph Phelps (Australian politician)}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox officeholder | name=Joseph Lee Phelps

| image=

| width=144px

| office1 = MLA for Saltcoats

| term_start1 = 1938

| term_end1 = 1948

| predecessor1 = riding reconstituted

| successor1 = Asmundur Loptson

| office2 = Minister of Natural Resources and Industrial Development

| term_start2 = 1944

| term_end2 = 1948

| birth_date=August 12, 1899

| birth_place=Belleville, Ontario

| death_date={{Death date and age|1983|3|15|1899|8|12|mf=yes}}

| death_place=

| party=Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

| spouse=

| profession=farmer

| website=

}}

Joseph Lee Phelps (August 12, 1899 – March 15, 1983{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AHBjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZnkNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2288,573116 |title=Deaths |newspaper=Phoenix |location=Saskatoon |page=28 |date=March 17, 1983 |accessdate=2012-05-10}}) was a farmer and political figure in Saskatchewan. He represented Saltcoats from 1938 to 1948 in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan as a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) member.

He was born in Belleville, Ontario and came west with his family in 1908, settling on a homestead near Wilkie, Saskatchewan. In 1918, he became a district director for the Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association. In 1928, he participated in the convention where the United Farmers of Canada was formed. Phelps was a founding member of the Farmer-Labour party. He served in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Natural Resources and Industrial Development. Phelps was defeated when he ran for reelection to the assembly in 1948. In 1949, he helped rebuild the United Farmers of Canada into the Saskatchewan Farmers Union, serving as its president from 1949 to 1954.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Phelps, Joseph (1899–1983) |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan |url=http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/phelps_joseph_1899-1983.html |last=Quiring |first=Brett |accessdate=2012-05-10}}

Phelps helped establish the Western Development Museum, as well as museums in Yorkton, Saskatoon and North Battleford.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8JFVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9D8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=4092,2491370 |title=Belated tribute to Joe Phelps |newspaper=Leader-Post |location=Regina |date=March 25, 1983 |page=6 |accessdate=2012-05-10}}

In 1982, he was named to the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame.{{cite web |url=http://www.sahf.ca/profile.php?id=107 |title=Joseph Lee Phelps |publisher=Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame |accessdate=2012-05-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801083049/http://www.sahf.ca/profile.php?id=107 |archivedate=2012-08-01 }}