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 Born in Port Ryerse, Ontario in 1883, John Edward Brownlee
first made his appearance in the young province of Alberta in 1909. Described
by many as one of Alberta’s most effective premiers, Brownlee was a lawyer
by training who embarked upon a 50-year role as the advocate for western
farm organizations, which, prior to his becoming premier in 1925, saw him
serve as solicitor for the United Farmers of Alberta. Further, in the 1920s as
attorney general he played an important role in the formation of the Alberta
Wheat Pool. As premier, he is notably credited with securing Alberta’s control
over its natural resources.
Brownlee also, of course, is remembered for the scandal
that effectively ended his political career—an affair that began with a
relationship with Vivian MacMillan after she moved from Edson to Edmonton
in 1930 to attend business school and ended with a lawsuit for seduction.
Brownlee always denied the allegations, calling them “false, frivolous,
vexatious and scandalous,” and responded with a countersuit, suggesting
he was being blackmailed. The fifth premier of Alberta was a politically
broken man by the time his appeals were exhausted in 1940.
Following the scandal, Brownlee rebuilt his business
career, serving on the board of directors for the United Grain Growers (UCG)
and numerous food-service companies. In 1948 he became president and
general manager of the UCG, remaining as president until two weeks prior
to his death in 1961 at age 77.
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“I have received the statement of claim by long distance
telephone. While one regrets to have to face a case of this kind, still
it will enable me to come to grips with rumours that have spread throughout
the province for some weeks. There is not a word of truth in any of the
allegations against me and I will defend the action to the limit and hope
to show before I am through the real cause behind it.”
—John E. Brownlee’s denial, issued from in Ottawa
where he was attending the Royal Commission on Banking and Currency, following
the filing in Edmonton on Sept. 22, 1933 of MacMillan’s statement of claim.1
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