Edward Whelan (1824-December 10, 1867). He was one of Prince Edward Island's delegates to the Québec Conference and one of the Fathers of the Canadian Confederation

Early Life

Born the son of a British infantryman in Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland, he was approximately 6 years old when he and his mother emigrated to Halifax in 1831. He was enrolled at St. Mary's school and later apprenticed in the printing office of Joseph Howe. He left Howe's employ at age 18 to become editor of the Irish Catholic newspaper, the Register. He also became an orator. Whelan moved to Charlottetown in 1843 where he founded his own newspaper, the Palladium. He was twice married, first to Mary Weymouth who died the same year as their marriage, 1845. He later married Mary Major Hughes in 1850.

Political Career

Whelan's political career began in 1846 when he was elected to the Prince Edward Island assembly as a member for St. Peters. Both in the assembly and in his newspaper, the Examiner (established in 1847), he agitated for reform. He was opposed to the absentee landlord system and the control of the political system by a few influential apointees of the Governor. Responsible local government for Prince Edward Island was finally achieved in 1851. Whelan was only age 27 when he became a member of the Executive Council. He became the Queen's printer (a position he held until 1859). He temporarily suspended the Examiner to begin production of the Royal Gazette. Until the Liberal Party was defeated in the 1859 election he was an impassioned defender of Liberal policies on issues such as land reform and education.

The Liberal party was generally opposed to the idea of a Union of the colonies of British North America. In 1864, during the Charlottetown Conference, Whelan declared his support of Canadian Confederation as a way to free Prince Edward Island from the control of the Colonial Office. He was made a delegate to the subsequent Québec Conference. He vigerously promoted union in his newspaper, the Examiner. He was the only prominent Liberal supporter of Confederation and the idea found little backing in the Assembly. At the same time, his criticism of the Tenant League cost him the support of many Irish Catholic voters. When the Liberals regained power in 1867, Whelan was once again named the Queen's printer. This required that he resign his seat and run again. In doing so he suffered his first electoral defeat. His health deteriorated quickly after his electoral loss and he died in early December.