William Cameron Edwards

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}

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Image:William Cameron Edwards.jpg

William Cameron Edwards (7 May 1844 – 17 September 1921) was a Canadian businessman and parliamentarian.{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=15237|nolist=yes}}

He was born in Clarence Township in Russell County, Canada West the son of William Edwards and Ann Cameron,{{cite book |title=The Canadian Directory of Parliament 1867–1967 |last=Johnson |first=J.K. |year=1968 |publisher=Public Archives of Canada}} received basic schooling in Ottawa at the District Grammar School

Lisgar Alumni Association. A History of the Ottawa Collegiate Institute, 1843–1903. 1904. 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 Senate of Canada 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?bhjs=0&cid=16300-20451-103987-104148&lang=1 |title=24 Sussex – History |publisher=National Capital Commission |accessdate=26 September 2009}} Ironically his nephew Cameron Macpherson Edwards's home, Harrington Lake, is now the country retreat of the Prime Minister of Canada.

Edwards was also president of Canada Cement Company, was a noted livestock breeder and served as president of the Russell Agricultural Society.{{cite book |url=https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.02221/333 |pages=305-306 |title=The Canadian Men and Women of the Time: a handbook of Canadian biography |date=1898 |editor-last=Morgan |editor-first=Henry James |editor-link=Henry James Morgan |publisher=William Briggs |location=Toronto |edition=First}}

His nephew Gordon Cameron Edwards also served in the House of Commons of Canada.