William Stewart (Upper Canada and Canada West)


William Stewart was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada and Canada West.

Pre-political life

He was born in Carbost on the Isle of Skye, Scotland in 1803 to Ronald Stewart and Isabella McLeod. He came to Glengarry County in Upper Canada, shortly after landing in Quebec, with his family of 9 siblings, recently widowed mother, grandmother, and uncle. He moved to Bytown, later Ottawa, in 1827, where he opened a store and tavern. He was elected to the first town council in 1828. He helped found the Carleton General Protestant Hospital, later the Ottawa Civic Hospital, and then the Wallis House.
A number of streets in Ottawa's Centretown that were on land originally owned by members of the Stewart family, south of the built up area of the city are, or were named for his family members. Catherine street was named for his wife, Catherine Stewart. James and McLeod Streets for his sons, and Flora, Isabella, Florence, and Ann streets were named for his daughters. Ann street was later renamed Gladstone for the British Prime Minister. Stewart street in Sandy Hill was not named for him, as that name predates him.
During the 1830s, he was part of the Ottawa River timber trade and was a founding member of the Ottawa Lumber Association. He sold land in the Sandy Hill area of the town on behalf of Louis-Théodore Besserer. Stewart also operated a large farm along the Rideau River.

Political career

In 1841, he ran against Stewart Derbishire, the candidate sponsored by Governor Lord Sydenham, to represent Bytown in the Legislative Assembly. Sydenham had persuaded all other candidates to withdraw. In 1843, he was elected to represent Russell in a by-election and he represented Bytown in the 2nd Parliament of the Province of Canada from 1844 to 1847.
He proposed a canal linking the Ottawa River to Georgian Bay and drafted the bill incorporating Bytown. He was a member of the Bytown board of trade and a director for the Bank of British North America. He was a founding member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Ottawa.
His son, McLeod Stewart, was mayor of Ottawa from 1887 to 1888. His brother Neil also served in the assembly for the Province of Canada.

Death

He became ill and died in Toronto in 1856 while representing the city of Ottawa there. His close political associate, Robert Bell, was with him at his bedside before his death.