Frederick W. A. G. Haultain - Northwest Territories Politics - Premier

Premier

As premier, Haultain led negotiations for the granting of provincial status. Haultain argued for these territories to be admitted as a single province named Buffalo, and wanted the new province to be governed by non-partisan governments. The federal Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, however, fearful of a large conservative province in the west, decided to create two provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, in 1905.

Frustrated in negotiations with the federal Liberal government, Haultain became increasingly identified with the Conservative Party and campaigned for it in the 1904 federal election. Laurier's Liberals were re-elected, and when the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were formed, the Liberal government passed over Haultain and appointed loyal Liberals to form those provinces' first governments.