Introduction

The Province of Alberta was formerly part of a much larger political jurisdiction called the Northwest Territories. Until 1897, the Northwest Territories was governed by a Lieutenant-Governor with the assistance of an appointed Council or elected Legislative Assembly. Although some of these Lieutenant-Governors appointed an Advisory Council or Advisory Committee from the ranks of their Council or Assembly, there was no full-fledged Executive Council (Cabinet) or President of Executive Council (Premier). In 1897, the Northwest Territories Act was amended to provide for an Executive Council and, consequently, the first and only Premier of the Northwest Territories, Frederick W.A.G. Haultain, was appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor. He served in that capacity from 1897 to 1905. On September 1, 1905, the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were formed out of the Northwest Territories. Once again, the related legislation (Alberta Act and Saskatchewan Act) provided for the appointment of an Executive Council and, consequently, a Premier. The purpose of this publication is to provide biographical summaries of the Premier of the Northwest Territories and the Premiers of Alberta for the period 1897-.

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