Volume III - ElectricCanadian.com

OK CANADA. 205W TON. ROBT. WATSON, M.P.P.,C*XH Minister of Public Works, Win-V> nipeg, Manitoba, was bornApril 29th, 1854, in Elora, Ontario.His parents, George and Elizabeth(McDonald) Watson, were among theearly pioneers of Wellington County.Mr. Watson received a liberal publicschool education, and when seventeenyears of age, went to Gait, Ont, to learnthe trade of millwright with Goldie &McCullough. In 1876, he removed toManitoba, and built a mill at PortageLa Prairie, and the following year, hebuilt the first mill erected at Stonewall,Manitoba. He then rented and operatedon his o\vn account, for threeyears, the mill he had builtat Portage La Prairie, afterwhich for several years, hefarmed and was a contractor.In the year 1886, he formeda partnership with his brotherJohn, and is now amember of the firm of R. &J. Watson, Marquette MachineShops, Portage LaPrairie. At the generalelections of 1882, Mr. Watsonwas elected M. P. forMarquette, and again in 1887and 1891; he being the onlyReformer elected in Manitobaat these elections. In1892, he resigned his seatin the Dominion Parliament,and entered the GreenwayAdministration, as Ministerof Public Works, and at thegeneral election in 1892, waselected M.P.P., for PortageLa Prairie. Mr. Watson isa formidable opponent ina Parliamentary campaign,being a forcible speaker,level headed, fearless andindependent. In his electionhe has had to contendagainst heavy odds, the DominionGovernment forces and the railwaycorporations having joined his opponents,both striving to defeat him,but this makes his success all themore striking. Mr. Watson is a memberof the A.F. & A.M., being one ofthe charter members of the AssiniboineLodge, No. 7, Portage La Prairie. Inreligion, he is a Presbyterian, and isvery decided in his faith in the Reformparty. In 1880, he was married toMiss Isabella Brown, daughter of DuncanBrown, Esq., of Lobo, MiddlesexCounty, Ontario. His family consistsof four daughters.