Campbell, Milton Neil (1881-1965)

Milton Campbell was born in Greenvale, PEI, on January 21, 1881. He graduated from Prince of Wales College in 1902 and worked as a telegraph agent for the Canadian Northern Railway in Ontario, then transferred to Humboldt. In 1905 he settled in Kamsack where he remained until 1933. Campbell and two of his brothers went into business in Kamsack and Pelly. He was active in the local community, serving ten years as chairman of the Pelly School Board and as a town councillor from 1912 to 1920. Campbell was elected federally as a Progressive in the Liberal stronghold of Mackenzie. In the House of Commons, Campbell became a leading speaker for the Progressives on such issues as the proposed Hudson Bay railway, unfair freight rates, and Transportation issues generally. Campbell was re-elected in 1925 with an increased majority. The small Progressive caucus had enormous influence in a minority government. Re-elected in 1926, he became closely involved with the Labour group under Woodsworth. Re-elected a final time in 1930, he believed the Bennett government more apt to rectify the west's grievances. He was appointed to the Tariff Advisory Board in 1933. Campbell served out his ten-year term before retiring from public life. He retired to London, Ontario, where he died on November 11, 1965.

Brett Quiring

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Further Reading

Thomas, Lewis. 1976. “Milton Campbell-Independent Progressive.” In Carl Berger (ed.), West and the Nation. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.