Christopher Finlay Fraser (October 16, 1839 – August 24, 1894) was an Ontario lawyer and political figure. He represented Grenville South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1872 to 1879 and Brockville from 1879 to 1894.
He was born in Brockville in Upper Canada in 1839. He worked as an apprentice at the Brockville Recorder while younger, articled in law, was called to the bar in 1864 and set up practice in Brockville. He was elected to the city council and also served as a lieutenant in the local militia. He was a member of the board of directors for the Ontario Bank and helped reorganize the finances of the Brockville and Ottawa Railway. He was a founding member of the Ontario Catholic League in 1869. He was named provincial secretary in 1873 and promoted to commissioner of Public Works the following year. In 1876, he was named Queen's Counsel. Fraser administered the rebuilding of the provincial parliament buildings at Queen's Park completed in 1894. During his time in office, Fraser served as a representative for Roman Catholic voters in the government of Oliver Mowat, defending their interests when he could and soothing their resentment when he couldn't.[citation needed]
He died in Toronto in 1894 after suffering a heart attack.
Electoral history
Brockville
| 1867 Ontario general election: Brockville and Elizabethtown | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| Conservative | William Fitzsimmons | 630 | 51.05 | |||||
| Liberal | Christopher Finlay Fraser | 604 | 48.95 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 1,234 | 75.38 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 1,637 | |||||||
| Conservative pickup new district. | ||||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[1] | ||||||||
| 1879 Ontario general election: Brockville | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Christopher Finlay Fraser | 1,379 | 52.14 | +0.63 | ||||
| Conservative | D. Mansell | 1,266 | 47.86 | −0.63 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 2,645 | 60.33 | −11.02 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 4,384 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +0.63 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[2] | ||||||||
Grenville South
| Ontario provincial by-election, March 30, 1872: Grenville South Death of Mcneil Clarke | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| Liberal | Christopher Finlay Fraser | 123 | 52.12 | |||||
| Independent | Mr. Ellis | 113 | 47.88 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 236 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Election voided | ||||||||
| Source: History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario[3]: 102 | ||||||||
| Ontario provincial by-election, October 16, 1872: Grenville South Previous election voided | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Christopher Finlay Fraser | 894 | 55.02 | +6.24 | ||||
| Independent | Mr. Cairns | 731 | 44.98 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 1,625 | 100.0 | +4.43 | |||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.24 | ||||||
| Source: History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario[3]: 102 | ||||||||
| Ontario provincial by-election, December 1873: Grenville South Ministerial by-election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Liberal | Christopher Finlay Fraser | Acclaimed | ||||||
| Source: History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario[3]: 102 | ||||||||
| 1875 Ontario general election: Grenville South | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| Liberal | Christopher Finlay Fraser | 1,136 | 53.36 | |||||
| Conservative | J.C. Irvine | 993 | 46.64 | |||||
| Turnout | 2,129 | 71.04 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 2,997 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | ||||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[4] | ||||||||
| 1879 Ontario general election: Grenville South | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Conservative | Frederick John French | 1,205 | 53.01 | +6.37 | ||||
| Liberal | Christopher Finlay Fraser | 1,068 | 46.99 | −6.37 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 2,273 | 70.20 | −0.84 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 3,238 | |||||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.37 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[2] | ||||||||
References
- ^ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1867. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ a b "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1879. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c Lewis, Roderick (1968). Centennial Edition of a History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario, 1867–1968. OCLC 1052682.
- ^ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1875. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
