1

Levi Thomson
Late 19th/Early 20th Century, 1880-1940

Credits:
U of Saskatchewan Archives. A-2806.

2

Though Frederick Haultain may have been successful in initiating the struggle for provincial autonomy, which allowed for the creation of the Province of Saskatchewan, such an institutional and political change inevitably had striking consequences for the already established institutions of the North-West Territories. By the time provincial autonomy was granted in 1905, the judicial system was established within the infrastructure and institutions of communities in Saskatchewan. Yet as a newly established province, Saskatchewan lacked an established and comprehensive post-secondary educational institution. A restructuring of the government and the boundaries into that of a province called for serious changes and additions to Western Canada's judicial and educational institutions.

One of the men responsible for navigating these changes and additions was Levi Thomson. Thomson was a lawyer, starting his practice in Wolseley in 1894, twelve years after he settled in 1882, and one year prior to the construction of the courthouse in 1895. He was appointed Crown Prosecutor of the Judicial District of Eastern Assiniboia in 1897, thus establishing his interest in the courthouse and the judicial system.

Thomson had not only an interest in the judiciary and the issues of the courthouse, but also a deep involvement in politics at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels. During his career, he served as a councilor for the Rural Municipality of Wolseley, and the Town of Wolseley, as well as Mayor of Wolseley. Further, Thomson ran as a Liberal candidate three times on the provincial and national stages, being defeated federally in 1904 and provincially in 1905. He finally succeeded at winning a seat in Parliament in 1911.

3

Levi Thomson
Late 19th/Early 20th Century, 1880-1940

Credits:
Canada. Patent and Copyright Office. Library and Archives Canada. C-052171.

4

Thomson's involvement in all three levels of government points towards his concern for his community, his province, and his country. But his position as a political figure would not come to a head until the establishment of the Province of Saskatchewan in 1905. By 1907, Saskatchewan was in the midst of two institutional changes: the old judicial system of the North-West Territories had to be reformed to fit the new boundaries of Saskatchewan, and a provincial post-secondary education institution had to be established.

Institutionally speaking, reforming the judicial system was simple and required little change. The government of the Province of Saskatchewan, as well as those of Alberta and Manitoba "all opted to retain [the] provisions [of the courts of the North-West Territories] when they established their own governments" because the system seemed to work well. The Government of Saskatchewan merely faced the task of reorganizing the structure of the judicial districts, which required a redrawing of the boundaries and assigning centres to each district. Establishing a university also seemed simple, as the decision as to where the university was to be established came down to a simple vote by the Board of Governors.

5

Levi Thomson
Late 19th/Early 20th Century, 1880-1940

Credits:
Topley Studio Fonds. Library and Archives Canada. PA-033796

6

Though these changes seem relatively simple, conflict and controversy surrounded the issues. Conflict arose in the reformation of judicial districts when both Wolseley and Moosomin entered the ring as contenders for the centre of a new district . A similar conflict occurred between Regina and Saskatoon for the site of the new university. These conflicts would determine the future path of the infrastructure and institutions in the communities.

In the centre of these two conflicts was Levi Thomson. As a Crown Prosecutor who resided in Wolseley, Thomson had a vested interest to keep the courthouse in his community, as his livelihood nearly depended on it. Thomson was also appointed to the University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors by Liberal Premier Walter Scott , and thus, as a Liberal himself, had a vested interest to concede to the wishes of the Premier, who preferred Saskatoon, lest he jeopardize his position in the party.

Thomson entered a complicated affair in which his decisions would have a lasting effect on the institutions of the newly formed Province. Thomson, as "good soldier of the Liberal party" was likely quite influential and familiar with Premier Scott. Thomson, in correspondence with Scott regarding the fate of the courthouse in Wolseley, ended one letter with "Trusting that your health still continues to improve" , a friendly gesture that suggests an intimate knowledge of Scott's personal life. Thomson's decisions, then, not only had to be made in the best interest of the province, but also in the best interest of himself, and the best interest of the Premier.

The decision regarding the fate of the Wolseley courthouse was made sometime around 23 July 1907. After a series of correspondence and delegations between Scott and Thomson, Scott made the decision to leave the judicial centre in Moosomin instead of moving it to Wolseley. In a 23 July 1907 letter to Thomson, Scott wrote: "In reality, the plea advanced by the Moosomin people which appealed to me most strongly was that to take the business away from there would hit the town exceedingly hard. It would mean the removal of the Clerk, Sheriff, and other officials and probably one or two firms of lawyers and they argued with a good deal of force that the damage in this way which would result to Moosomin would amount to a great deal more than any corresponding benefit which would result to Wolseley by the change." As such, Scott left the institution established in Moosomin out of respect for the infrastructure of the community.